View Full Version : What have we lost with Digital Music?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDZcz-V29_M
Couldn't get through all of it sorry.
A lot of modern DACs are soporifically tedious - is that what it says has been lost - is it the soul ;)
I'd have to thoroughly agree with that statement, Mark!!
Marco.
I don't think we have lost anything. I love having my >40GB of ALAC files on my phone, always available by headphone or in the car. I love the convenience. I love to work and have even more of my music at hand, even through tinny laptop speakers...
But... I also sit down and listen to great music (on vinyl and CD) through a decent equipment. Can't complain.
And really, although I only use lossless ALAC anyway, compression (i.e. Of the MP3 variety) worries me less than broadcast friendly sonic compression that takes place to lift the general volume of tracks while simultaneously removing dynamism. I think that ultimately has more to do with consumer electronics than data compression - sonic compression actually helps make things more listenable in my noisy vehicles, but it should not be *released* like that! I want the convenience though, and I want the high fidelity.
One final note. The film harked to the pre-compression days of music, including cassettes. I loved making mix tapes, and having a Walkman was a freeing experience, but it was never about quality! Give me MP3 over that any day. Maybe my Nakamichi was just too crappy. :)
mr sneff
02-08-2014, 19:01
Haven't watched the video but I'll tell you what I've lost by switching over to mainly streaming; standing in front of a rack of LPs (or CDs) trying to decide what to play. If I can't decide I just select shuffle and Robert's your Mothers' brother :)
Mr Kipling
02-08-2014, 19:34
And what have we gained?
Record collections in your pocket that you can take with you anywhere.
Marvelous… Marvelous…
What have we gained with digital PROPERLY DONE???? A SIGNIFICANT step closer to the original performance from what the microphone or mixing desk picked up and/or processed. You might not like it, but the increased bass possibilities and in particular the treble headroom available *can* upset things in domestic playback systems balanced for older vinyl players. No soul? I disagree as I'm enjoying musical performances more than ever these days.
Trouble is, the amount of 'sanitising' that goes on with a lot of modern pop (pap) music totally spoils what is achievable with digital. Don't forget that the often wonderful BBC Radio 3 concerts have been 13 bit digital for decades now and nobody ever complained..
One other thing, the golden era for analogue was golden because the engineers were expert at working round the limitations of the analogue recording medium. So I suppose it could be said that more 'soul' went into these recordings from that point alone ;)
Excellent post Dave. I agree the best vinyl recordings were made when recording engineers understood the limitations of vinyl and compensated for them in a way that was acceptable. That is why, IMO, the first CD transfers sounded so poor - they were made using the final mix-down tapes which included all the 'tweaks' necessary to be able to cut the vinyl, and that is what your heard in all its glory. Such was the eagerness of the various recording labels to get stuff out on CD, they used the original mix-down tapes and didn't bother with making a re-master tape. I also believe that is why the first batch of CD remasters sounded so good. Unfortunately, the later round of remasters have been made to suit modern listening habits: they are highly compressed, with virtually no dynamic range.
Your point about the use of digital land lines to the BBC transmitters is well made. Listening to the current BBC Proms is a reminder of how good digital can be. :)
One other thing, the golden era for analogue was golden because the engineers were expert at working round the limitations of the analogue recording medium.
I guess that's one way of looking at it... I'd say that undoubtedly the engineers in those days were extremely good at their jobs, and that's one very valid reason why the recordings from the 'golden era' sound so good.
However, another was because some of the equipment used in those days (all-valve microphones and mixing desks), was superior at the task of making recorded music sound more like real music, equipment which engineer skill aside, produced truly wonderful sounding recordings, imbued with a lifelike quality and sheer realism that hasn't been surpassed today.
In that respect, when I play the finest examples of those recordings on my system (which contains both top-notch vinyl and digital sources), it's the limitations of the latter I can clearly hear (despite, sonically, being more than acceptable), not the former! ;)
Marco.
I don't know how many of you actually watched the film but it isn't about analogue vs digital (as far as the artists are concerned that battle was over long ago) it's about hi res vs lossy compression. All that effprt that goes into the recording and people listen to it from a source that removes 90% of the recording through crappy earbuds or the speakers on their laptop. Okay most people are not hi-fi enthusiasts just music enthusiasts but they are missing out and they don't even know it. If you care about music and it is a big part of your life then you have a duty to educate people where possible as to the joy of proper hi-fidelity replay. Slash and Snoop get it :)
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 09:02
Well it's easy to take an elitist viewpoint. But there's no escaping the fact that compressed music makes available music to countless numbers that might otherwise remain ignorant of it. Whether they then go and buy it as an lp or cd is a different matter.
Data compression. I love it! I love it! The best thing since the invention of the wheel, in my book. My mobile takes 32G cards which allows me to watch a great many videos and listen to even more music. 64G cards are available and now 128G micro sd cards have been developed which just amazes me. I'm aware of the limitations, but that doesn't stop my enjoyment.
And just how low can you go with bit rates? Once I recorded some mp3s I had downloaded to mini disc. I don't know what the bit rate would equate to, but you might think the result would be not worth listening to. I was surprised. A modest amount of bass boost and the sound was in a way better than listening to the mp3 on my phone. I put this down to the playback quality of the mini disc. Listening to Gerry & The Pacemakers "Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying" (listening to it right now just to reaquaint myself with how it sounds) and the depth of sound and detail is hard to credit!
I don't think we have lost anything. I love having my >40GB of ALAC files on my phone, always available by headphone or in the car. I love the convenience. I love to work and have even more of my music at hand, even through tinny laptop speakers...
How do you get ALAC files on your phone?
Is mine an elitist viewpoint? Maybe twenty years ago when decent hi-fi was expensive. Not so anymore when you can get quality amp, speakers and cd player off eBay for £200 for the lot. Or maybe half that. Look at those JBL speakers I linked to in Bargains on eBay thread. Seventy quid. Amp for the same and a cd player for £40 (there is a pro Denon player going for that I was looking at earlier). Add cost of delivery you have a system that would blow away the system I had as a student that cost me £120 in 1988 (or about £200 now). You can get CDs (with 100% of the music on them, not 10%) off Amazon market place or charity shops for a quid a pop. There's no excuses any more and if more people realised what they could have for less than the cost of an iPhone I think they would jump at it. They just don't realise it.
I understand the convenience thing but to me that is no different than having a Walkman for train journeys and so forth like in the old days. Music on the move, great, but it's not serous listening. It's not 'hearing what the artist intended'.
I don't know how many of you actually watched the film...
I haven't even watched it. I was simply responding to Dave's (per usual) rather 'forceful' pro-digital stance on audio, with an equally forceful defence of analogue/vinyl! ;)
Marco.
My mobile takes 32G cards which allows me to watch a great many videos and listen to even more music. 64G cards are available and now 128G micro sd cards have been developed which just amazes me. I'm aware of the limitations, but that doesn't stop my enjoyment.
And just how low can you go with bit rates? Once I recorded some mp3s I had downloaded to mini disc. I don't know what the bit rate would equate to, but you might think the result would be not worth listening to. I was surprised. A modest amount of bass boost and the sound was in a way better than listening to the mp3 on my phone.
For me, that is an alien world. Enjoy, though! :)
Marco.
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 09:37
Well, I wasn't pointing a finger at you in particular. I just get a bit fed up when people just dismiss compressed audio as not really worth bothering with.
Apart from the portability of Walkmans and phones/mp3 players being the same, I don't think the same can be said with regards sound quality. And who could have imagined the headphone market for portable audio would be what it is today?
Well, I wasn't pointing a finger at you in particular. I just get a bit fed up when people just dismiss compressed audio as not really worth bothering with.
No worries, and I realised that. It's also not my stance. Compressed audio simply doesn't fulfil any useful function for me, so I make no comment on it. Like I said, my response earlier was aimed at 'digital fanboy', Dave :eyebrows:
Marco.
Well, I wasn't pointing a finger at you in particular. I just get a bit fed up when people just dismiss compressed audio as not really worth bothering with.
Apart from the portability of Walkmans and phones/mp3 players being the same, I don't think the same can be said with regards sound quality. And who could have imagined the headphone market for portable audio would be what it is today?
I meant the same idea not necessarily the same SQ. In any case I reckon a Walkman pro with a good quality tape would better the same recording on MP3 - although it is a comparison I've not done.
For my own particular circumstances then yes I do dismiss compressed audio as not worth bothering with. It's not anything like as bad as you think it is going to be? Yes, agreed. But if you have freshly ground coffee to hand then why make a cup of instant?
Can't abide headphones and I never use them. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 09:56
For me, that is an alien world. Enjoy, though! :)
Marco.
It doesn't have to be. But that's your choice.
At times people have a habit of dismissing something out of hand either from ignorance or because they are unable to accept it for what it is. I've been just as quilty myself. When I used to read about mini disc in the mags and its operating principle of chucking acres of data away I thought how can it work? In the end I bought a portable and was an instant convert - more-so than I had been with cd.
I don't know how many of you actually watched the film but it isn't about analogue vs digital (as far as the artists are concerned that battle was over long ago) it's about hi res vs lossy compression. All that effprt that goes into the recording and people listen to it from a source that removes 90% of the recording through crappy earbuds or the speakers on their laptop. Okay most people are not hi-fi enthusiasts just music enthusiasts but they are missing out and they don't even know it. If you care about music and it is a big part of your life then you have a duty to educate people where possible as to the joy of proper hi-fidelity replay. Slash and Snoop get it :)
I posted up this film and you have got in in a nutshell Martin. The essence of the film not being analogue vs digital but how much artists care about their work and try and produce the very best recording they can make with todays modern techniques which is then slowly degraded by digital compression to the point where it makes the music a shadow of what was intended.
One of the artists on the interview actually said it changed his original recording concept so much it was almost unrecogniseable after compression and conversion to the lowest digital format available for a portable device.
I simply identified with the fact that these artists knew what great music and recording should sound like and unfortunately because a huge majority of people listen in a compressed format they were not listening to what the artist intended.
OK I am not a fan of digital music but I know it has a place and can be done very well but you guys who listen to 24 bit and DSD etc are in a minority compared to the Digital formats listened too by the majority.
I think there was almost an open question at the end of the film which asked what can be done with todays technology to improve on the compressed digital world many people are listening to now. The juxtaposition of previous formats including vinyl and tape was just there to highlight the fact where we have come from with superb recording quality and how we have now plunged downhill in quality just for convenience.
It doesn't have to be. But that's your choice.
At times people have a habit of dismissing something out of hand either from ignorance or because they are unable to accept it for what it is. I've been just as quilty myself. When I used to read about mini disc in the mags and its operating principle of chucking acres of data away I thought how can it work? In the end I bought a portable and was an instant convert - more-so than I had been with cd.
Sure, Stephen. However, I'm not dismissing anything; simply stating that my lifestyle has no need for portable music and all that it entails. When I'm in the house, I listen to music there on my system. When I'm in the car, I listen to music on the car stereo.
I don't 'do' public transport, work from home (and don't watch videos), so portable (compressed) music fulfils no necessary function for me. Simples :)
Marco.
The juxtaposition of previous formats including vinyl and tape was just there to highlight the fact where we have come from with superb recording quality and how we have now plunged downhill in quality just for convenience.
Now *that* is something that does bother me - and not just with audio, but in all aspects of life. For me, QUALITY (in anything) will always come before convenience!
Marco.
Now *that* is something that does bother me - and not just with audio, but in all aspects of life. For me, QUALITY (in anything) will always come before convenience!
Marco.
I feel exactly the same Marco but unfortunately so many people out there think convenience and speed are everything. This applies not only to music but food and so many other aspects of modern life.
Facebook has given everyone the opportunity to have sooo many friends but how many of those friends do people spend quality time with? Same with music, you might have 10,000 songs on an MP3 player of hard drive but it reduces music to a shallow level where tracks can be skipped through and listened too in seconds but this speed and convenience creates for me a disconnect. You can here sound but is it really music with soul and feeling that connects on an emotional level? I think not.
Werner Berghofer
03-08-2014, 10:35
Lee,
How do you get ALAC files on your phone?
assuming it is an iPhone we are talking about: by synching via iTunes, just like the other stuff. All iDevices are able to playback ALAC files without any problems. However, I’m not aware of any iPhone model with a capacity of 40 GB or more ;-)
Werner.
Lossy compression was invented years ago when computer memory was expensive so it served a purpose then but that purpose is long gone now you can get a telephone that has memory in gigabytes and having broadband internet is as commonplace as running hot and cold water. So you might expect the it to die out at some point, providing people understand that there is a difference in quality and have equipment capable of showing the difference.
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 10:43
Convenience. Convenience. Convenience. It's the world we live in now. Everybody wants everything - NOW. Nobody wants to wait for anything now. People used to que for public transport once - but not now. It's a ME NOW world.
The problem is moving away from the mp3 format which has become the standard compression format for music.
Convenience. Convenience. Convenience. It's the world we live in now. Everybody wants everything - NOW. Nobody wants to wait for anything now. People used to que for public transport once - but not now. It's a ME NOW world.
Indeed, but that doesn't mean one should embrace that attitude. Far from it; I do everything in my power to divorce myself from it!! ;)
I abhor such selfishness.
Marco.
I feel exactly the same Marco but unfortunately so many people out there think convenience and speed are everything. This applies not only to music but food and so many other aspects of modern life.
Indeed, which is why we've built our own 'little island' that allows us largely to divorce ourselves from modern life, 'the rat race', and anything else associated with today's dumbed-down and ridiculous 'convenience culture'.
Facebook has given everyone the opportunity to have sooo many friends...
Friends? That's a joke! :lol:
They're simply 'Internet entities', not REAL friends. Real friends are people whom you can trust impeccably in every sense, rely on in a crisis, and will always be there when you need them. I'm fortunate to have such friends. Saddos on Facebook (and the like) simply don't qualify.
Marco.
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 10:53
How's it hangin', Werner?
Where have you been?
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 10:54
How's it hangin', Werner?
Where have you been?
awkwardbydesign
03-08-2014, 10:54
I particularly liked a couple of points. The idea that this is the Macdonalds of music, quick, easy, superficially satisfying, take it anywhere, detached from the world around you, etc. (I have only ever been into a Macdonalds twice, and once was just to use the loo!)
And the sequence on choosing and opening an LP, and all that entails. Even CD can't compete with that. Although Fink is giving it a good try at the moment, the booklets that come with some of his CDs are amazing, I don't know how they can afford to do it! Although they are a bugger to get in the CD rack!
http://musicglue-wordpress-fink.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/img_2233.jpg
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 11:16
Chris Rea's The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Blues Note with 3 cd and 2 10" vinyl in a book format takes some beating. Amazon have it for £16. Blue Guitars too. 11cds + dvd again in book format for £23.
How do you get ALAC files on your phone?
As I have an iPhone I just have to sync with iTunes. If I used Android/Windows I would likely use FLAC.
As I have an iPhone I just have to sync with iTunes. If I used Android/Windows I would likely use FLAC.
You have to tell iTunes NOT to down sample the files before synching them to the phone AFAIKS
Now *that* is something that does bother me - and not just with audio, but in all aspects of life. For me, QUALITY (in anything) will always come before convenience!
But... I can't listen to my favourite liquorice disc in the car, or as I walk to work, so since I had my first Walkman I have loved convenience. Now I have it in bucket loads. Thousands of CD quality tracks in my pockets (currently played through crappy earbuds or in the car, but heh it's a start!). Doesn't mean I have to do without a quality system at home.
However, many many people only listen to music digitally, and many of them only in compressed formats, and only lo-fi systems. A large portion of kids listen to most of their music via YouTube now.
But even that is a win. I rarely want to demo a track/album before purchasing that I can't find on YouTube.
The problem is not having the files compressed, or the playback devices lack quality. The problem is if the sources *start* low quality, and high quality equipment becomes a niche.
I want the best of both worlds please. At the moment I pretty much have that.
assuming it is an iPhone we are talking about: by synching via iTunes, just like the other stuff. All iDevices are able to playback ALAC files without any problems. However, I’m not aware of any iPhone model with a capacity of 40 GB or more ;-)
Well my iPhone 5 has 64GB capacity.
You have to tell iTunes NOT to down sample the files before synching them to the phone AFAIKS
There is indeed an option to down sample or not. No clue what the default was...
12920
There is indeed an option to down sample or not. No clue what the default was...
Doesn't matter. Just resync with that option off. As I see it, the files are converted on the fly to save space on the portable device and don't affect the files on your computer. More discussion on that subject here (https://discussions.apple.com/message/15305333).
Werner Berghofer
03-08-2014, 18:37
Well my iPhone 5 has 64GB capacity.
I stand corrected. Still using my according to nowadays standards “ancient” iPhone 4, and if I remember right this model was limited to a maximum capacity of 32 GB. Since my music library in ALAC format currently is larger than 300 GB, I never thought about synching my music to it, since I don’t like the idea to only transfer selected parts.
Werner.
Werner Berghofer
03-08-2014, 18:42
Stephen,
How's it hangin', Werner?
Where have you been?I went through a lot of personal and professional changes, but I still love music. Spent the last two years lurking occasionally to see what’s happening here on AoS.
Werner.
Good to see you back again Werner.
+1. Welcome back, Werner - it's always great to see you! :cool:
Marco.
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 19:38
Stephen,
I went through a lot of personal and professional changes, but I still love music. Spent the last two years lurking occasionally to see what’s happening here on AoS.
Werner.
Sorry to hear that, Werner.
Good to hear from you though.
But... I can't listen to my favourite liquorice disc in the car, or as I walk to work, so since I had my first Walkman I have loved convenience. Now I have it in bucket loads. Thousands of CD quality tracks in my pockets (currently played through crappy earbuds or in the car, but heh it's a start!). Doesn't mean I have to do without a quality system at home.
However, many many people only listen to music digitally, and many of them only in compressed formats, and only lo-fi systems. A large portion of kids listen to most of their music via YouTube now.
But even that is a win. I rarely want to demo a track/album before purchasing that I can't find on YouTube.
The problem is not having the files compressed, or the playback devices lack quality. The problem is if the sources *start* low quality, and high quality equipment becomes a niche.
I want the best of both worlds please. At the moment I pretty much have that.
Hi David,
Sure, that's why we have choice. I simply choose to reject opting for convenience over quality ;)
However, I fully realise that I don't really live in 'the real world' or share the priorities of the masses, which for me, is big bonus. I do appreciate the relevance and validity of your post, though.
Marco.
I'd say, not that much if you use the right equ. I know it is not vinyl, but I have to say it is not that far off now; certainly with the gear I am using. You dont get the tactility of album covers etc, but if space is at a premium it sure does make sense. fortunately at moment I have the best of both worlds, but I would happily take streaming from a pc etc if I had to......I,I, I probably will have to in future, if I live long enough.:eek:
...............Jezz, I'm losing my will to live already :eyebrows:
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 20:11
Hi David,
Sure, that's why we have choice. I simply choose to reject opting for convenience over quality ;)
However, I fully realise that I don't really live 'in the real world' or share the priorities of the masses, which for me, is big bonus. I do appreciate the relevance and validity of your post, though.
Marco.
I'd love to see you out and about with ya Tannoys either side of ya heed, amp strapped to ya back and deck on top of ya heed. And ya umbilical power line.
Spectral Morn
03-08-2014, 20:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDZcz-V29_M
Excellent movie in that it puts the issues across in a way most people can understand, yes there are things that could have been said but with the restoration of bandwidth those things will be there - I am thinking acoustic, decay, sound staging, imaging, dimensionality and the like. I think to say analogue is better, which I feel it is won't work but high resolution digital might, note I say might, push the door open for folks to ask questions but sadly convenience will out trump any advantage physical media has, whether analogue or digital unless a massive seed change occurs.
But if these folks want to change things then each and every musician needs to say so and often, loudly at any opportunity given and to make those opportunities but will they? I am not sure.
Poorly done Digital is a bit like the teleported meat in the Fly, it looks like meat, has the texture, the smell of a steak but the taste is flat and lacking.
Regards Neil
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 20:39
Wouldn't know… I'm vegetarian…
Good to see you back again Werner.
By the way Happy Birthday! :cool:
Spectral Morn
03-08-2014, 20:43
Wouldn't know… I'm vegetarian…
Rather than a beautiful crisp, flavour full piece of broccoli it is over boiled mush.
Regards Neil
Mr Kipling
03-08-2014, 21:13
David McCallum's a raw broccoli eater and thinks it might be partly the reason for his youthful looks.
I'd love to see you out and about with ya Tannoys either side of ya heed, amp strapped to ya back and deck on top of ya heed. And ya umbilical power line.
You must've been round my way recently :eyebrows:
Marco.
Spectral Morn
03-08-2014, 21:20
David McCallum's a raw broccili eater and thinks it might be partly the reason for his youthful looks.
Interesting I love Broccoli :D
Regards Neil
Only problem is, to obtain maximum benefit, Mr McCallum has to shove it up his ass! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Better hope he's not reading AoS, Marco. I recall he was quite a resourceful secret agent back in his day. Probably just send a lawyer round now he's getting on a bit though...
I fully realise that I don't really live 'in the real world'
Marco,
Apologies for the quote out of context, but it made me smile! :)
Hehehe - that remark was designed to cause a giggle or three, so I'm glad that it hit the spot! :eyebrows:
Marco.
destroysall
04-08-2014, 08:02
I stand corrected. Still using my according to nowadays standards “ancient” iPhone 4, and if I remember right this model was limited to a maximum capacity of 32 GB. Since my music library in ALAC format currently is larger than 300 GB, I never thought about synching my music to it, since I don’t like the idea to only transfer selected parts.
Werner.Werner; I have to agree with you. While I do use an Android phone device and am given the access and ability to utilize the Google Play Music app, it still doesn't sync all of my music. Of course, for portability I do utilize my iPod Classic if only necessary (primarily for afternoon walks). : - )
Lee,
assuming it is an iPhone we are talking about: by synching via iTunes, just like the other stuff. All iDevices are able to playback ALAC files without any problems. However, I’m not aware of any iPhone model with a capacity of 40 GB or more ;-)
Werner.
Ack! you're right of course. I've always converted down to 256kbps From ALAC for storage space reasons.
Btw, belated birthday wishes to you!
You have to tell iTunes NOT to down sample the files before synching them to the phone AFAIKS
yep, my mistake. I should've known better :doh:
Werner Berghofer
04-08-2014, 10:21
Lee,
Ack! you're right of course. I've always converted down to 256kbps From ALAC for storage space reasons.
really don’t want to start yet another religious war, but in my opinion for mobile listening 256 kbps AAC should offer a more than sufficient sound quality.
Thanks to you (and all you other guys) for your birthday wishes and the warm welcome I received. Very much appreciated!
Werner.
Lee,
really don’t want to start yet another religious war, but in my opinion for mobile listening 256 kbps AAC should offer a more than sufficient sound quality.
Thanks to you (and all you other guys) for your birthday wishes and the warm welcome I received. Very much appreciated!
Werner.
yep, absolutely. I don't think anyone could hear the difference through a pair of iphone ear pads. Even if the music where to be streamed from the iphone over an Airport Express, I don't think more than 256kbs would make a difference. Maybe a difference could be heard if the iphone where to be connected directly to a USB DAC (can be done with the CCK (http://www.head-fi.org/t/682222/ios7-iphone-and-apple-cck), Camera Connector Kit). I have done that. The only drawback is that it is not possible to recharge the iphone at the same time AFAIKS which is a shame really.
Us-&-Them
23-08-2015, 20:10
Indeed, which is why we've built our own 'little island' that allows us largely to divorce ourselves from modern life, 'the rat race', and anything else associated with today's dumbed-down and ridiculous 'convenience culture'.
Friends? That's a joke! :lol:
They're simply 'Internet entities', not REAL friends. Real friends are people whom you can trust impeccably in every sense, rely on in a crisis, and will always be there when you need them. I'm fortunate to have such friends. Saddos on Facebook (and the like) simply don't qualify.
Marco.
I definetely second all the above !!!!! Well said Marco !!!!
Us-&-Them
23-08-2015, 20:16
And, as a little footnote to this discussion, quality in nearly everything has been slowly eroded away and, nine times out of ten, it will be done in the pursuit of more money/profit - end of chat !!!
Maybe I’m getting old but I’m not convinced that anything much has been changed by the emergence of digital itself. It is just the current way of serving up convenience. Sure, low bitrate mp3 can be criticised but in my youth I was guilty of walking around with a small transistor radio glued to my ear with a frequency response band that an old telephone would have been ashamed of. Compared to it a modern mp3 player would sound positively ‘hifi’. Then again, my ‘far better’ home quality system was a basic HMV record player with about 2inch speaker/s. Tinny hardly describes it.:doh:
Hifi then, as now, was the concept of hearing the music as close as possible to how the artist intended. The main difference as I see it was that then, the recording was as good as the recording studio and vinyl mastering could make it (darned good) and the reproduction quality depended mainly on what equipment one could afford. Today, the added ‘digital’ problem is the compression and poor mastering that can be so readily added to the delivery media after the artists best recording efforts. The frustration to me is that the best home hifi equipment in the world can’t undo that added damage.:eek:
Maybe I’m getting old but I’m not convinced that anything much has been changed by the emergence of digital itself. It is just the current way of serving up convenience. Sure, low bitrate mp3 can be criticised but in my youth I was guilty of walking around with a small transistor radio glued to my ear with a frequency response band that an old telephone would have been ashamed of. Compared to it a modern mp3 player would sound positively ‘hifi’. Then again, my ‘far better’ home quality system was a basic HMV record player with about 2inch speaker/s. Tinny hardly describes it.:doh:
Absolutely !!
I think some important details get lost in the wash of nostalgia about the 'golden age' of analogue ... to wit - that a large proportion of gear that was in circulation and daily use was close to utter shite and with the reproductive capabilities of a rusty nail scratching a piece of pitted slate...
Having grown up with all that malarky and in the full knowledge that if I wanted something half way decent I would need to join the ranks of the Great Train Robbery geezers I am more than chuffed with the vast range of affordable digital gear I can get my hands on for absolute peanuts :lol:
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