CD quality surprise

[FunkyMonkey]

With Amazon you can download an mp3 before you get your physical copy of a record.

So I bought Chaleur Homme by Christine and the Queens and due to a delay with the CD arriving, I have been listening to the MP3 on my phone using some decent headphones.

Anyway just got the CD and am amazed at the level of detail on the CD and the overall quality of the production on this amazing CD.

There is yet hope for music in terms of production values and creativity.

 

[nopiano]

I don't know that recording, but there is surely still plenty of life in the cd format. And with it already falling out of fashion there are some incredible bargains. Some boxed sets cost less than £1 a disc, whereas when they were first released it cost more than that to make them. In fact, more like £3 to £4 I recall. Little wonder they cost £12 plus. I guess that's nearer £30 in today's money, about what a top LP retails for!

tThe best CDs still take some beating for outright sound quality. It's a shame that lots aren't very good.

 

[BigH]

Chaleur Humaine

 

[Al ears]

I don't know that recording, but there is surely still plenty of life in the cd format. And with it already falling out of fashion there are some incredible bargains. Some boxed sets cost less than £1 a disc, whereas when they were first released it cost more than that to make them. In fact, more like £3 to £4 I recall. Little wonder they cost £12 plus. I guess that's nearer £30 in today's money, about what a top LP retails for!

tThe best CDs still take some beating for outright sound quality. It's a shame that lots aren't very good.

I quite agree. I've spent a fair bit on "the right CDs" and possibly more on SACDs, just to get the quality that I know the format should be able to produce. It is a pity you have to be so selective .

 

[FunkyMonkey]

Chaleur Humaine

Corrected twice. once by my phone, once by Mr H

 

[stereoman]

And with it already falling out of fashion there are some incredible bargains.

Cds have never fallen out of fashion. They've been actually the longest time on market out of any other media formats. The sales are still relative high.

 

[TomSawyer]

They've been actually the longest time on market out of any other media formats.

longer than LPs?

 

[nopiano]

They've been actually the longest time on market out of any other media formats.

longer than LPs?

Quite! LPs since the 50s; CDs since mid-80s.

 

[bigfish786]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice?

 

[Al ears]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice?

I, for one, can only hope so. I am fed up with other forumees telling me it's not possible to improve on CD as it covers the whole of human hearing. It doesn't, not to my perception. I have always favoured SACD and even direct DSD recordings through my system. I even bought a few BluRay audio discs as an experiment and sure enough they are better, to my ears, than the same CD.

And before the usual horde of disbelievers come on here quoting different mastering, they talk tosh. Go and listen my friends, I mean really listen. Music what it's about not self-induced prejudice.

 

[Andrewjvt]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice? 

 

I, for one, can only hope so. I am fed up with other forumees telling me it's not possible to improve on CD as it covers the whole of human hearing. It doesn't, not to my perception. I have always favoured SACD and even direct DSD recordings through my system. I even bought a few BluRay audio discs as an experiment and sure enough they are better, to my ears, than the same CD.

And before the usual horde of disbelievers come on here quoting different mastering, they talk tosh.  Go and listen my friends, I mean really listen. Music what it's about  not self-induced prejudice.

I have not had chance to do direct dsd to cd comparision but what i have listened to on my system sounded awesome.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice?

I, for one, can only hope so. I am fed up with other forumees telling me it's not possible to improve on CD as it covers the whole of human hearing. It doesn't, not to my perception. I have always favoured SACD and even direct DSD recordings through my system. I even bought a few BluRay audio discs as an experiment and sure enough they are better, to my ears, than the same CD.

Me too. Over thirty years after the introduction of CD, it should by now be discontinued and SACD the standard, just as Bluray should now be standard and DVD discontinued - unfortunately, money grabbing companies follow the money and allow these old formats too continue, affecting the take up of superior formats. I have a few SACDs (not enough) and they are all superior to their CD equivalent, whether or not they come from the same master.

 

[Al ears]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice?

I, for one, can only hope so. I am fed up with other forumees telling me it's not possible to improve on CD as it covers the whole of human hearing. It doesn't, not to my perception. I have always favoured SACD and even direct DSD recordings through my system. I even bought a few BluRay audio discs as an experiment and sure enough they are better, to my ears, than the same CD.

Me too. Over thirty years after the introduction of CD, it should by now be discontinued and SACD the standard, just as Bluray should now be standard and DVD discontinued - unfortunately, money grabbing companies follow the money and allow these old formats too continue, affecting the take up of superior formats. I have a few SACDs (not enough) and they are all superior to their CD equivalent, whether or not they come from the same master.

My thanks for confirming what my ears have already told me.

There are those that continuously tell me there can be no difference from a well recorded CD but I cannot recall the last time I actually heard one particularly on the 'general new release ' front.

I seriously doubt CD has had it's day but the format itself is definitely being dumbed-down.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I've always liked CDs I have some sacds too but found to get the very best out of both formats you need to spend the money on good quality sacd player , amp , speakers to hear that detail in the first place I was using a marantz 8005 sacd player but found I could not hear much of a difference between sacds / CDs but I am now using the S -2100 Yamaha sacd player and what a difference sacds sound much better more details coming though and CDs are better too .

I am beginning to think it's not only the record companies fault for recording quality but also the Hifi companies too for not making cdplayers / sacd players a set standard of sound quality to get the best out of the format in the first place maybe it should be like THX it only gets put on home cinema amps that meets the quality standard in the first place

 

[BigH]

I think most of us agree that compact disc can sound really good. There are discs out there that we enjoy, the ones where you actually forget that it is a cd at all.

i believe that done right, cd has still got a purpose, but as the new audio fans look to improve on the sound of vinyl, cd, hi res download, stream, etc, can SACD finally offer the holy grail of digital audio, and become the format of choice?

No I don't think SACD will take off, its been around for years and the move is towards downloads or streaming, DSD could be the one or hi-res audio. Blu Ray Audio is probably the best format because they can get so many albums on one disk and the players are cheap to buy.

 

[TomSawyer]

I enjoy a good technical debate, being of a technical bent. But in terms of enjoying music, it doesn't matter to me whether I'm listening on a technically inferior or superior medium. Some of my best memories listening to music is on cassette tape and as I type this I'm listening to a 40 year old LP. If you prefer SACD or DSD or Bluray Audio, go for it. It may sound better because it's mastered better, it may sound better because there's some science we don't fully understand (high frequencies through the eyeballs), it may sound better because of placebo effect - who cares, being healed by placebo is no less valid!

Your pleasure shouldn't be linked to everyone else agreeing with you which, forgive me for saying, seems to be how it comes across sometimes.

 

[davedotco]

The 'technical' debates tend to arise when devotees of one format or another attempt to use scientific or 'expert' opinions as arguments to justify their preferences.

The science is usually barely understood or just plain wrong and the 'expert' opinion is often the hi-fi equivilent of the 'man in the pub', or in this case, studio.

Most enthusiasts do not give a monkeys about which format other folks prefer, it is being told that there preferences are 'wrong' and that they are somehow 'inferior' enthusiasts for not being into whichever format is currently 'hip'.

 

[andyjm]

As ever, confusion arises with the physical format, the encoding approach and the mastering.

Discs are a digital delivery mechanism, as is downloading. The format of the encoding is a separate matter (bitrate, depth, compression, PCM, MP-3, DSD and so on). The mastering arguably has more impact than the rest put together.

Its all a moot point. Physical distribution of digital information is on its deathbed. There won't be a replacement Bluray or replacement CD, they are the end of their line.

While its dangerous to assume your own behavoir is indicative of the population at large, I have hundreds of CDs, nearly a hundred Blurays - and I haven't bought a single CD or Bluray for well over a year.

Why? because I download or stream everything.

My kids have never bought CDs. Its all spotify or Itunes.

 

[Frank Harvey]

As ever, confusion arises with the physical format, the encoding approach and the mastering.

Discs are a digital delivery mechanism, as is downloading. The format of the encoding is a separate matter (bitrate, depth, compression, PCM, MP-3, DSD and so on). The mastering arguably has more impact than the rest put together.

Its all a moot point. Physical distribution of digital information is on its deathbed. There won't be a replacement Bluray or replacement CD, they are the end of their line.

While its dangerous to assume your own behavoir is indicative of the population at large, I have hundreds of CDs, nearly a hundred Blurays - and I haven't bought a single CD or Bluray for well over a year.

Why? because I download or stream everything.

Personally, I don't download films. Streaming, whilst it can look good, isn't generally as good as the quality available from a Bluray. I have Amazon Prime and Netflix. Some look awful, mainly standard def ones, whilst others are mixed. I had a trial of Sky Now, so thought I'd try a random film I know well to test the quality - John Carpenter's The Thing. The picture, whilst not bad, was nowhere near the quality of the Bluray. Worst of all, it was in stereo. I ended that trial instantly. Sometimes with these streaming services you can see "patches" in dark areas - I don't know whether it is because darker scenes tend to take up more bandwidth, or whether they're lowering encoding quality during dark scenes, presuming most people won't notice.

I watch a lot of films. I can tolerate streaming services for films that I don't want to pay out to own (worth watching once maybe), but I rewatch films, quite a lot. And if I really like the film, I want the quality to go with it. Maybe streaming will be much better in the future, I hope it is, as I currently have around 2,000 films.

All too often, you won't be getting the benefit of Dolby Digital 5.1, and also the film will be in the wrong ratio.

As for CDs, I don't mind downloading for hi-res stuff, but CD quality I'd rather own it. Again, streaming services are a little hit and miss. Other than the fact they don't have the choice I need, Spotify just isn't good enough for me - Tidal seems much better - I could easily live with it if my system was a couple of quality notches lower.

Maybe it's just me. I like quality. And seeing as we've had digital picture and audio in the mainstream market for over 20-30 years, there's no physical reason why we shouldn't be enjoying studio quality video and audio right now. The vinyl revival shouldn't be happening, because by now SACD should have been a standard. DVD should have been discontinued years ago, and Bluray now standard. How are we supposed to advance picture and sound quality when the majority of people are still watching a highly compressed, 20 year old DVD format, and listening to CDs that have been around for over 30 years?

 

[TomSawyer]

Most enthusiasts do not give a monkeys about which format other folks prefer, it is being told that there preferences are 'wrong' and that they are somehow 'inferior' enthusiasts for not being into whichever format is currently 'hip'.

Hmmm, people judging others on their choices is an unpleasant, but unavoidable, part of life because we can't really change the minds of large parts of the population. I suppose my point boils down to not giving a hoot what others think is a choice we can each make.

Hopefully I've never caused any offence arguing a technical point - I am just interested in the debate - to be honest we could be equally discussing turbofan engines or bridge design.

 

[davedotco]

Most enthusiasts do not give a monkeys about which format other folks prefer, it is being told that there preferences are 'wrong' and that they are somehow 'inferior' enthusiasts for not being into whichever format is currently 'hip'.

Hmmm, people judging others on their choices is an unpleasant, but unavoidable, part of life because we can't really change the minds of large parts of the population. I suppose my point boils down to not giving a hoot what others think is a choice we can each make.

Hopefully I've never caused any offence arguing a technical point - I am just interested in the debate - to be honest we could be equally discussing turbofan engines or bridge design.

My dissertation involved the use of steel in suspension bridges.....

But I digress. My main beef with such discussion is simply that many people fail to understand the difference between, on the one side, logic and scientific method and on the other hand subjective opinion.

 

[TomSawyer]

My dissertation involved the use of steel in suspension bridges.....

Suspension bridges are clearly inferior to cable stay designs so I no longer value your opinion *biggrin*

 

[stereoman]

They've been actually the longest time on market out of any other media formats.

longer than LPs?

Quite! LPs since the 50s; CDs since mid-80s.

With the exception that LPs had pretty long break and now are simply coming back. CDs had never no break in production and sales...I think both LPs and CDs offer amazing sound. There is recently a comeback for R-T-Reel and Cassettes but though they also sound good they lose on convience i.e. song search etc. I also think that there was a really good idea with DAT also. But apart from studios never took off for some reason.

 

[lindsayt]

With Amazon you can download an mp3 before you get your physical copy of a record.

So I bought Chaleur Homme by Christine and the Queens and due to a delay with the CD arriving, I have been listening to the MP3 on my phone using some decent headphones.

Anyway just got the CD and am amazed at the level of detail on the CD and the overall quality of the production on this amazing CD.

There is yet hope for music in terms of production values and creativity.

How does this album on CD sound from a dynamics point of view?

Does the music breath in and out in a natural way, dynamically speaking?

You may wish to compare it back to back to any of the Kraftwerk releases with DR ratings of 13 to 16 to see what I'm getting at.

 

[davedotco]

My dissertation involved the use of steel in suspension bridges.....

Suspension bridges are clearly inferior to cable stay designs so I no longer value your opinion *biggrin*

It was over 40 years ago and revolved around some of the work my college was doing on the Humber Bridge project..*beee*