You gonna need a dump-truck to down load all of that. |
Analog always had its limitations too, the biggest one, and consistent for a half century that I know of,is the industry's absolute lack of caring about the quality of the product they put out. After the death of the 8 track format, fortuneately in my opinion, casettes became the standard for car music. I recorded vinyl, like many of us, so I had cassetes for my vehicles. It was fairly simple to use the best quality tapes you could find, Maxell UDXL II was my favorite, find the loudest passage in the recording and set your VUs to record this at the maximum volume without audible distortion, so the quietest passage would record within the limitations of the media, and completely blow anything the industry was putting out on pre-recorded tapes out of the water. Even worse, they had access to the original master tapes.The same is true today of CDs, there is an audible difference in recording to the generic junk media the industry uses and recording to media that has been designed to maximize audio recordings, like the Taiyo Yuden audio CDs. The difference in cost between the 2 media is less than a dollar per unit. With a few exceptions, the industry just doesn't care about quality and hasn't for a very long time. |
Petepappp, that was my favorite cassette tape too.
A strange discovery; why would a Download be better than a CD when both were the same technically in regard to 44.1KHZ/16 Bit? Maybe master tape access, I don't have an answer.
Enjoy the muhsic. |
Orpheus 10, one reason, assuming the same source, could be the quality of the blank cd. I can hear a difference between different cds just like tape. The amount of gain could be a factor. Still alot of variables in a digital recording. Its a good question for a recording engineer. The playback circuit is different too. Your digital download is not being read by a laser. |
Petepappp, in order to get where I am as an "audiophile", I had to spend years in an analytical mode, as opposed to simply enjoying the music. Now that I've reverted back to that "analytical" mode I'm going to stick with it until I've completed my mission; that is with your help as well as others.
Although there is a difference, it's not enough to pay for unless you're replacing one of your beloved scratched records. I'm not using these "downloads" for new music, but for records I already have. For me, the advantage is the improvement in sonics that would require the most expensive analog gear. Strictly for my purposes, if one already has the most expensive analog gear, there would be no need for the downloads. When a person can get excited over a record they've heard a "bazillion times", that speaks for itself in regard to how good 88KHZ/24 Bit is. The bottom line is still the music, after all is said and done.
Enjoy the music.
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Works both ways...in my experience it depends on the mastering, particularly how much compression is added into the mix... |
You know, 33 1/3 LPs are not the standard of Analog- Reel to reel master recordings are. LPs are full of compromises. LP vinyl was the sound medium for the masses. If the internet were around 3 or 4 decades ago this same discussion might be going on about reel to reel vs. LPs. LPs have the advantage of decades of technology development which has brought it a long way- to be sure. A lot of hurdles have been overcome to lift such wonderful music off of a vinyl disc; but it still has many limitations. eg. The signal is compressed in the grooves, hence the RIAA curve and the interpretation of that curve by various preamps, cartridge design, tonearm design and of course, speed control of the platter. CDs are built around the same paradigm as vinyl using a laser instead of a needle and a motor based time system. So many of the challenges of vinyl were carried over to CDs. I have found mechanical isolation of my CD player has a big impact on the sound quality just like with my turntable. CDs are really a hybrid- half analog and half digital. So my point is that HD Digital downloading has the potential to one day give the masses the same level of quality as the master recording. For that, I am excited about it's potential. Sure, it will highlight bad recordings and bad mastering just like actors and newscasters had to adjust to the higher detail and resolution of HDTV; but eventually I think HD Digital promises to bring us to a new level of hifi. |
Digital and vinyl both have the potential to sound very good.
I prefer to bitch about the degradation of the media after the initial recording process. Post production and compression takes incredible amounts of fidelity and dynamic range away from the initial recording.
The mediocrity of modern click track recording takes the spontaneity and musicianship out of most recording. After all the degradation the original recording takes fencing about the analog or digital mastering of a recording originally recorded in analog is lost in the subjectivity of personal taste.
Try this: listen to any CD, rip. or digital download of Weather Reports "Birdland" then listen to the Bernie Grundman mastered 45 RPM LP.
Compared to digital, quality phono playback can suffer greatly from the quality of the components in the playback chain. In the example above one should be able to hear the superior mastering with a modest phono chain.
It's not about digital or vinyl its about how its produced. Both can be very good. |
Believe it or not, I'm discovering all the variables mentioned close up and personal, but at the same time; I'm really enjoying these HD Downloads. Nothing can be better than the master tape, but it can be as good, and so it is with these downloads, they vary according to the quality of the master tape.
Enjoy the music. |
I'm reporting my findings to you as I "verify" them. HD Download is better than the same CD even when they are technically the same. Why? I don't know.
Enjoy the music.
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Vicdamone, I've already verified that a HD Download is as good as a 45 RPM. The 45 was better than 33 1/3, and both were better than the CD.
This was a 96 KHZ/24 bit HD Download. My judgment was based primarily on "nuance" as opposed to frequency response or dynamic range. Nuance is what I was looking for, and that's what I got.
Enjoy the music.
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Orpheus, so there is no misunderstanding, I was suggesting you compare a specific remastering of Weather Reports "Heavy Weather" 45 RPM. not simply any 45 RPM.
HD Tracks offers this recording in 176 and 88 24bit but it doesn't mention the Bernie Grundman remastering before purchasing.
If you or anybody has purchased this recording, do the liner notes mention the Grundmen remastering? |
Vicdamone, I compared the download to a stock 45. I have no doubts that the special 45 you mentioned is superior when played on the right equipment. I've auditioned equipment that was too good to believe, and so was the price; or should I say equally unbelievable.
Enjoy the music. |
