Half the information on CDs is analogue


I would like to argue that one of the reasons that some transports sound significantly better than others is because much of the information on a given CD is actually analogue (analog) information.
An excellent transport does not just read digital information: 1s and 0s (offs and ons); it must be sensitive enough to pick up the other information that has been stored as a physical property of the CD medium. This 'physical' information, like the tiny bumps in the groove of a vinyl record, is analogue information.

Before I say more I'd like to hear what others think.
exlibris

Showing 2 responses by jasonsobel

Too bad SACD and DVD-A were pretty much "still-born". Even then, we would still be stuck with the "half deaf" moron's recording and mastering most of this stuff, so how much have we REALLY gained ??? No matter what format one prefers, we are still stuck with the limitations of the recording industry "professionals" mucking things up.

you really don't think highly of any recording industry "professionals" very much, do you? one thing to keep in mind is that the word "professional" implies that they are paid. The amount that they are paid corresponds to how many albums they can sell. the majority of records out there are not mixed/mastered and marketed towards audiofiles, but rather, they are made to sound decent on a small boombox or in your car. they are not made to sound fantastic on a high-end system and end up sounding like crap on anything else.

if all the "professional" audio engineers and professionally made recordings bother you so much, why don't you go and record for yourself. you'd be amazed at the quality you can achieve with a nice stereo pair of mics, a quality pre-amp, an A/D converter, and record at 24/96. no processing, n ocompression, just straight to disc recordings. and then burn your own DVD-A's. that's mostly what I listen to and I've never been happier
Jason, I've often wondered how to go about making some really fine recordings for my firends and myself. Do you know any resources on the web for amateur recording. I know that Manley makes a nice 8 channel Tube mixing board and I've noticed that many of the recordings of the 1950's and early sixties have the characteristic sound of tube equipment. But that's as far as I've gotten with that idea. Any help from anyone would be appreciated.

there's a great discussion board at www.taperssection.com
the vast majority of folks over there are only interested in two-channel recordings, and portable gear that can easily be powered at concerts and similar situations. I'm not sure what music (local bands, big acts, your own playing, etc, etc) you are interested in recording, but you'll certainly be able to find a lot of options for portable gear.