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A case for Hi Rez Digital

Ok...walk with me (BTW I listen to both analog and digital)

You have a Master tape from a classic album that is considered "audiophile". You get the best mastering engineer. Best converters, etc. Tape in great shape. The Engineer is well experienced in both digital and analog mastering.

1. The Engineer masters a Hi Rez 24 bit (96 or 192) file. Which is either distributed digitally (HD Tracks, etc) or SACD (24/44?). No 16/44 version...just High Rez. The consumer purchases and plays thru a high quality DAC and stereo system. 

2. Same Engineer masters a vinyl version. The normal process (Laquer---plates---stampers or whatever the process) for an audiophile LP (think MoFi, MM, etc). Goes to pressing plant and uses the highest quality vinyl. The vinyl is packaged in a cover, shrink-wrapped and shipped to warehouse, record store, etc. The buyer gets the album and has a similar high quality system as the digital buyer. Just instead of a DAC...the buyer has a phono pre, Turntable, and cartridge.


Shouldn't the digital buyer get the closest version to the source master tape and thus have the best sounding version?No surface noise, fewer variations (Dacs can vary, however, with LPs you have a TT, Cartridge, more interconnects thruout, plus variations in the vinyl itself. How about cutting head wear).

Myself, numerous LPs that sound better than digital. I have a huge collection of Hi-Rez and DSD files. I have many Hi Rez versions better sounding than audiophile Lps. I'm inclined to think that the majority of sound quality (I know there are human preferences) comes from the recording and mastering vs format. And all things equal, Digital edges out LPs for noise alone. 


Thoughts?






aberyclark

Showing 2 responses by mahler123

mahler123
3,029 posts
 
I still remember my first reaction to hearing a CD .  It was Colin Davis and the Boston Symphony in Orchestral Music of Debussy, recorded 1982.  The dynamic range and headroom seemed limitless .  The music emerged from an utterly silent background.  I could hear a load more low level Orchestral detail, even in my music I thought I knew very well, with no competition from noisy vinyl artifacts.  I was in heaven.  I’m playing that same CD now, first time in years, and of course my system is hugely upgraded and it’s amazing how current digital technology can extract so much information from ancient recordings.
  I think there are vinyl people and digital people.  I hate the sound of the needle drop, the pops, clicks, limited dynamic range...obviously there are many who are the polar opposite and find all of that endearing.  To each their own.  But hey, at least I don’t go into the analog forum here and hector people as to why they shouldn’t be enjoying what they like
mahler123
3,029 posts
 
I got back in to Vinyl around 2000.  At the time many shops began springing up that sold used lps.  I had spent years lost browsing shelves in record stores in the pre digital days and browsing CDs was not an equivalent experience, especially because I listen to Classical and the liner notes are so informative.  Many of the used lps I browsed had never been digitalized.  I began reading Fremer, Dudley et. Al and caught the vinyl bug.
  Fast forward 15 years.  My analog system consists of a Musical Surroundings pre amp and a Clearaudio Concept tt with matching my cart.  By now, all of my recordings have been digitalized.  I own many audiophile lps, SACDs, Hi Rez downloads.  I begin to compare my lps with digital, and it’s no comparison—I prefer digital every time, by a wide margin.  Even plain vanilla red book beats audiophile vinyl, and no pops, clicks, dust bunnies, static build up...Fortunately the rest of the World has fallen for vinyl, so I sell my $3500 analog front end for a 50% markup and buy a super DAC.  My wife is thrilled to see the moldy vinyl albums leave the house.
  I do not understand why people regard extracting vibrations from a spinning slab of petroleum with an expensive sewing needle that is gouging defects in the petroleum with each playing as Audiophile Nirvana.  However, there is Not a lot in our current world that I do understand...
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