mp3 wins format showdown on gadget show

[The_Lhc]

Clare Newsome:JohnDuncan:the_lhc:they WILL believe that vinyl is a dead format off the back of this "test"

Like they didn't already?
Vinyl and turntable sales up last year - with strong growth in the budget market, and among younger consumers....

Zigackly, the last thing we need is new converts seeing things like the Gadget Show and dropping their new-found love of vinyl for mp3.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Really don't think it's that simple.... Big area of turntable growth is USB turntables: enjoy vinyl at home then rip your records to enjoy as Mp3 on the move/when you want the convenience of streaming.

 

[chebby]

I had not watched the show in question so to get myself 'up to speed' on what you all watched...

http://gadgetshow.five.tv/videos/sound-challenge-part-3

(I had to click on 'IE tab' in my Firefox to get it to play so I advise watching on IE)

Yes, they could have used a Wadia transport with an expensive DAC and a far more capable turntable. Using something other than wobbly cafe tables as equipment supports may have helped also! But, TBH, the whole presentation was just frothy entertainment and the female presenter DID say at one point that she liked all three formats.

This was - at most - sub Blue Peter in terms of rigorous testing standards. So I maintain my position.

Purely for entertainment with no pretence to anything more serious.

Nice that they introduced Vinyl (at the beginning of the piece) as the first in the list of 'Big three' formats though.

 

[Andrew Everard]

Y'see a cynic would say, after over 50 replies and getting on for 1500 views of this thread, that the programme has done exactly what it set out to do - get lots of people talking about it, viewing the 'watch again' on the Five site (and of course the pre-roll ads) and so on...

 

[John Duncan]

Clare Newsome:
JohnDuncan:the_lhc:they WILL believe that vinyl is a dead format off the back of this "test"

Like they didn't already?

Vinyl and turntable sales up last year - with strong growth in the budget market, and among younger consumers....

You know that, I know that. None of my friends or relations do, nor do they care. They do go 'oooo' at my....er....volume control, and then go and listen to music on the Mac in the kitchen.

 

[idc]

Clare Newsome:idc:

With more and more people using mp3 players you risk alienating them.

Probably worth pointing out that we were the first hi-fi mag - back in pre-iPod days of 1999 - to do an MP3 cover story, and that we've covered (and given Awards to) every generation of iPod/player/music phone since, plus accessories of all prices and types.

And we get a lot of stick for it from purists, too, but we'd rather reflect the increasingly diverse ways people enjoy their home (and mobile) entertainment....

Anyhow, that's my only comment on the matter - I was watching a movie.....

I fully recognise and agree with you Clare, another reason why I was so taken aback by the initial comments by What Hifi staff.

 

[Clare Newsome]

JohnDuncan:Clare Newsome:

JohnDuncan:the_lhc:they WILL believe that vinyl is a dead format off the back of this "test"

Like they didn't already?

Vinyl and turntable sales up last year - with strong growth in the budget market, and among younger consumers....

You
know that, I know that. None of my friends or relations do, nor do they
care. They do go 'oooo' at my....er....volume control, and then go and
listen to music on the Mac in the kitchen.

But with a 9 percent rise in the turntable market - and sales of £10m in the UK for 2008 alone - it's not as niche as you may think

 

[Clare Newsome]

idc:
I fully recognise and agree with you Clare, another reason why I was so taken aback by the initial comments by What Hifi staff.

I think Joe summed it up very nicely:

Joe Cox:MENISCUS:

But why are the majority of the WHFi team so bitchy and negative about it.............

Well, as lovers of music and technology we work very hard to inform
our readers accurately. I don't think the test was a particularly well
thought out one, and therefore it produces results that aren't overly
helpful to the average punter watching the show - which is frustrating
for us watching on.

It's pure frustration about the putting of sensationalism before sense.

Anyway, i'm sitting here listening to my iTunes collection in my office via desktop speakers: beats silence anyday

 

[Frank Harvey]

I sort of expected this - let's face it, most of the listeners are probably used poor sounding TV's, in car stereos, MP3 players and music streamed off or played on PC's. Oh, and all this from the show that did a similarly silly test of comparing cheap entry level speakers to Reference quality ones - and we all know how that went......

 

[idc]

chebby:

I doubt that anyone watching something like the 'Gadget Show' is seeking responsible consumer advice, just as 'Top Gear' viewers are not going to be influenced in the purchase of their next family saloon.

It would be like reading 'Loaded' for it's sensitive and informed advice on relationships

But I bought my Koenigsegg based on what was shown on Top Gear and date girls from Loaded, have I got that wrong?

 

[Anonymous]

matengawhat:didn't they say the ipod sounded the most raw or exciting or something (distorted!) - maybe they are more used to mp3 music so that sounded the closest to what they were used to instead of what sounded the best - they did say the vinyl was flat maybe they meant clear!

Agreed!
they propbably listen to compressed music and found the original CD a bit to "clear"... euch!

Morons

 

[Sliced Bread]

FrankHarveyHiFi:I sort of expected this - let's face it, most of the listeners are probably used poor sounding TV's, in car stereos, MP3 players and music streamed off or played on PC's. Oh, and all this from the show that did a similarly silly test of comparing cheap entry level speakers to Reference quality ones - and we all know how that went......

Excuse me for being stupid, but how did it go? Did they say that that the cheap ones were just as good, or did they state the obvious?

 

[Anonymous]

There is no question that Apple have created one of the best designed,
mass produced, products ever but let's not forget the hundreds of
millions of dollars they spent in doing so - I would hazard a guess that
it is much much more than every quality hi-fi manufacturer has ever
spent on all their products rolled into one.

I have a large record collection which has taken me 20 odd years to gather together and it has given me 20 odd years of listening pleasure. It includes tapes (remember them ? oh sorry, they are sooooo last year), CD, vinyl and mp3's and I enjoy them all. I have no intention of ever converting my CD's or vinyl into mp3 format and no matter what anyone says, you will never beat a classic vinyl album cover (art readily available to mere mortals).

 

[John Duncan]

Aaaanyway, we've got this out of proportion. Less than 0.93 million people watch the Gadget Show (dunno precisely how many, BARB only do the top 30 per channel), while last time House was on, 2.23 million watched it. And he has a turntable.

 

[John Duncan]

And lets also be clear that this was not a format test, it was an equipment test - otherwise we'd have seen a Mac streaming to a Chord64 versus a dcs Scarlatti versus a Clearaudio Master Reference, no?

 

[Anonymous]

My final word(s).
Compressed music is important maybe vital in a digital media age but its not ideal.

If you've spent many thousands, as I have creating a wonderful HiFi setup why throw some of that away by sourcing it with mediocrity?

I would gladly do the "Pepsi Challenge" on my system with 128/192kbps WMA/MP3 files. I'm pretty confident i'd guess correctly for 90%.

I do use MP3s; in the car and for some compilation CDs. But I dont pretend they are anything other than a compromise....

 

[Anonymous]

I like the way you can select which quality variation you want. CDs do not allow anywhere near the same freedom.

(kidding)ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Why would you select anything but the best quality? to me the whole point of HiFi

 

[kena]

Octopo:I like the way you can select which quality variation you want. CDs do not allow anywhere near the same freedom.

Can understand why orginally there was more of a need for lower quality due to disk sizes/price but why would you want nowadays to select a lower quality.

Anyway the show is about entertainment , but it is believed my wife imediately jumped on the can't tell the difference HDMI program last series, and last night would be for consigning the HI-fi to the attic to be replaced with a Nano or Touch.

 

[oldleodensian]

chebby:

Purely for entertainment with no pretence to anything more serious.

Sky's "Brainiac Science Abuse" is also highly entertaining (especially when Vic Reeves presents!) and sometimes even educational

but I wouldn't base my choice of hair gel on their test results.

 

[Anonymous]

What a load of old drivel they spout on the Gadget show. I record it so I can wiz past the frustratingly-would-like-to-punch-them-in-the-face awful 'presenters' and see if there is anything interesting on there. Usually end up fast forwarding 57 minutes of a 60 minute show. God, that John's voice!! Urrrgh. COMpletely annoys by putting so much emphasis on any COM's or CON's in a word. I'm bashing my COMMMputer keyboard just thinking about it.

Their tests are about as thorough, fair and scientific as getting a baby to throw things against a wall and seeing what sticks.

Can't begin to tell you what was wrong with their 'test' last night. Different cables, equipment, artificial listening environment, they're useless and couldn't tell a proper Hi-Fi set up if they were pummelled in the face repeatedly with it, to name but a few. I was actually thinking of writing to them COMMMplaining about how much drivel they talk!

Don't get me started on their camera 'tests'.

The trouble is, joe public actually believe this stuff!

 

[Sliced Bread]

Arepeebee:The trouble is, joe public actually believe this stuff!
Who the hell is this Joe Public guy...he'll believe anything!

 

[Clare Newsome]

I believe he's to be found on the Clapham Omnibus

 

[Sliced Bread]

Clare Newsome:I believe he's to be found on the Clapham Omnibus

lol

 

[Anonymous]

Sigh..