2. digital
  3. 1136402779

When is digital going to get the soul of music?

I have to ask this(actually, I thought I mentioned this in another thread.). It's been at least 25 years of digital. The equivalent in vinyl is 1975. I am currently listening to a pre-1975 album. It conveys the soul of music. Although digital may be more detailed, and even gives more detail than analog does(in a way), when will it convey the soul of music. This has escaped digital, as far as I can tell.
mmakshak
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
Hi Rgs92 - I do not own an SACD player, so my experience with them is limited - a couple of friends of mine have one, but they live pretty far away and like me, mostly listen to vinyl anyway. Certainly the quality of SACD is higher than redbook, and there are some very good sounding ones out there. But if we are comparing them to the "golden age" of analog recording, they just don't measure up. Also, isn't it true now that there are not very many SACD recordings being made anymore? For me, the cost of them is prohibitive.
raymonda
855 posts
 
(All cymbals mostly sound alike on a digital rig...not so with analog).

You must have a very poor performing system. Not only should you be able to tell what type of cymbal was use but also what brand of microphone was used to record it. I never have a problem doing so and neither do any of the folks I hang with.
isochronism
2,893 posts
 
With my Naim CD555, I can tell which wood the drumsticks are made of! :)
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,238 posts
 
Raymonda,
I agree with your reply to Rockitman regarding cymbal reproduction with digital. It must be a matter of one`s system. I`ve own both a Linn LP12 TT and a Well Tempered Classic TT(better TT than the Linn). Neither of these TTs were superior to my current digital components at all. In terms of nuance, resolution of individual instruments and voice, really being able to distinguish subtle differences of inner detail. The Yamamoto DAC/PS Audio PWT is extraordinary at producing natural pure sound with uncanny realism. Digital sources , when done right can sound stunningly good.
rockitman's avatar
rockitman
417 posts
 
I own the Perfect wav system. Cymbals are lacking in digital when compared to analog. You must listen to a good analog rig to even making a comparison. Prior to analog I had no problems with cymbal timbre, attack and decay on my digital front end (I didn't know any better). Even hi-rez sources at 24/96 or higher native sampling rates still don't stack up to the natural sound of cymbals reproduced via a vinyl record. I suspect those that are challenging my assertion don't have high end analog rigs in their systems. To even suggest cymbal production from 16 Bit redbook sources (along with the rest of the music) even compares to good analog is laughable.
More to discover