Interesting Article


http://www.factmag.com/2015/05/07/pressed-to-the-edge-vinyl/
terrybbagit
"I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with digital recording".

Meridian's Bob Stuart would beg to differ.
In the May/June Absolute Sound, His new encoding system, MQA, is explained (on a high level) and will be available for sale soon. This system virtually guarantees that what we will hear is identical to the mike feed of the studio.

I know, we've heard it before: CD, HDCD, SACD, Bluray, et al.
All sound at least "good" but after CD, I've been consistently unimpressed.

I say give him a chance -this one may get it right.
As a matter of fact, 5 or 6 months ago, a close friend told me he had already been treated, purely by chance, to an early demo and was very impressed.
He claimed he hadn't heard anything this good since analogue...

I'm a tiny bit sceptical. With Meridian it probably won't be just a case of offering media. Their recent headphone amp is an example where they are trying to ambisonically render signals in a manner that is more palatable to the listener. Nothing wrong with that but it is nevertheless, artificial?
The beauty of LPs is that there are no tricks or DSP up the sleeves. They are what they are. They can often deliver from 2 channels what it takes DSP systems 4 to 7 channels to create.
By all means check out the "Meridian experience" - as I would myself - but my point is (for those who have an established collection dating back to the 60s or 70s) : why ditch perfectly satisfying "media" for media that may not satisfy you and cost additional/serious dollar investment in the process?

I take it you have no actual connection with Meridian? ;^)
Funny ,,I grew up with records,and as long as the pops ,ticks are not too many I do not seem to have a problem.They seen to exist on a different plane than the music.But as I said ,I grew up listening to mainly records and radio.
By the way,,,Not sure if it is a national or regional sale .Guitar center is having a Memorial day sale May 21-25 with records going for as low as 7.98 as much as 22.00 off .They had some nice ones last time i checked.
No, I don't work for Meridian.
Also, I'm not obsessed by every little hint of surface noise (I would prefer that it weren't there, however).
But the worst of it usually occurs at the most critical part of the music.
"WAY DOWN INSIDE (echo: inside),
WOMAN (e: woman),
YOU_U NEED IT (e: need),
LOVVVVVVV CLICK, POP, FIZZLE....."
Maddening. P.S. See original "Bedazzled" movie (w/Cook & Morre) for explanation.