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What is the least compressed signal?

Hello everyone.I was wondering what everyone's thoughts might be about what is the least compressed front end signal? A friend of mine recently told me that radio signal is compressed. So I thought maybe a direct connection to a CD player? Or, since CDs are pretty compressed, maybe a record player? Thoughts?
the reason I ask is, my friend recently gave me a fantastic pair of speakers. And I've been listening to the radio through them. He had a disgusted look on his face and told me I was not using these speakers how they were meant to be used, because the radio signal is kind of crappy and compressed. I would love to use the speakers as they were intended. Meadowlark kestrel hot rods hooked up to an Integra receiver w/ kimbers
ddjr
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geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Getting back to the real world for a second...

Exhibit A - Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Rolling+stones&album=Sticky+fingers

Other recordings may show different results. This is one data point so to speak. What this data for Sticky Fingers shows is,

1. The CDs with excellent dynamic range from 1986 were released prior to the beginning of the loudness wars.

2. The early vinyl and CD releases have virtually THE SAME dynamic range.

3. CDs became progressively more compressed as time went on. 🏋🏻‍♂️

4. Vinyl reissues have greater dynamic range than CD reissues. In fact the recent vinyl release has THE SAME dynamic range as the first 1971 release. 🤗

5. Recent CD reissues have abysmal ALL RED 🥵 dynamic range. We call that flatlined.

6. Recent vinyl dynamic range is far superior to that of recent CDs.
erik_squires
15,877 posts
 
Vinyl by itself is insanely compressed which is why you need a pre-amp with insane slopes to re-equalize it into something that sounds like music


While we can argue about the dynamic range and noise levels of CD vs. vinyl, I’m afraid this is not supporting evidence. I am afraid Kosst is conflating compression with equalization.

Dolby or dbx both have analog compression methods. The RIAA curve is just an EQ to deal with noise and velocity driven transducers.


As has been noted before, early CDs were severely compressed compared to their vinyl counterparts, so the mastering and the tech both impose the limits we hear.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
erik_squires
As has been noted before, early CDs were severely compressed compared to their vinyl counterparts, so the mastering and the tech both impose the limits we hear.

>>>Actually that’s not true, whoever said it. In the early days the dynamic range of LPs and CDs was about the same for the same album. It’s the later CDs that got severely compressed. Hel-loo! That’s the whole point!  The link to the Stones’ Sticky Fingers I provided earlier today illustrates those points. It also depends on the artist as some artists’ albums never or rarely get overly compressed.
erik_squires
15,877 posts
 
Hi @geoffkait

For some odd reason I haven't the desire to quibble with you over the meaning of "early." 

Carver showed early on that some CD's were compressed both in dynamic range as well as reduced channel separation. Of course, individual CD's varied, and the loudness wars continued even then.


Best,
E
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