Vinyl vs digital

[Friesiansam]

I like the videos when they open up products and show us what is, or isn't, contained inside these overpriced products such as :-

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm3ladOhNfA

For £31.49 Amazon will sell you an 8-way Belkin extension, with surge protection, 2 USB charging sockets and a 2 metre cable, which also comes with a £60,000 warranty against something getting fried by a surge, whilst connected through it to the mains. I have one for my PC and a smaller one for my headphone amp. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00OE45MVK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Russ Andrews can insert his where the sun doesn't shine...

 

[JDL]

The better ones make it clear (to manufacturers and viewers) that, if necessary, that's exactly what they will do - and they do criticise stuff they've been given free.

I've watched plenty of YT videos.
I find them useful - for seeing what displays look like, the positions of sockets etc.....factual things.
I don't take too much notice of opinions, unless I can see and agree with what they're saying.
It's obvious whether or not they know what they're talking about - and very easy to know who to avoid.

I see no point in a CD player (statement or otherwise) these days.

The medium has none of the nostalgia or tactility etc, some attribute to vinyl IMO, jewel cases are and always were absolute tat for example and a £20 external drive or cheap DVD/BD player is perfectly capable of extracting the data reliably if you really feel the need to still spin discs.

When I moved (downsized) in December I donated my Arcam Alpha 7 CDP and several thousand CDs to charity, neither of which had seen the light of day probably in the best part of two decades having been previously ripped, then stored on my NAS for local streaming.

I have a feeling that there are plenty of audio enthusiasts who do not feel the same way you do about CDs and CD players. The fact is that CD still offers unrivalled sound quality.
"So let the masses stay hooked on streaming while the hipsters spin their overpriced records. The CD is dead; long live the CD." (Wired)

 

[daveh75]

I have a feeling that there are plenty of audio enthusiasts who do not feel the same way you do about CDs and CD players

That's not news to me. But each to their own.

The fact is that CD still offers unrivalled sound quality.

I never questioned the quality of CD, hence why I ripped them. I just no longer have any interest in owning physical formats or the means to play them.

 

[Revolutions]

This thread takes me right back to the mid 90s. Except this time it’s more balance.

The argument was kinda one-sided back then when labels stopped pressing new releases on vinyl.

 

[JDL]

The better ones make it clear (to manufacturers and viewers) that, if necessary, that's exactly what they will do - and they do criticise stuff they've been given free.

I've watched plenty of YT videos.
I find them useful - for seeing what displays look like, the positions of sockets etc.....factual things.
I don't take too much notice of opinions, unless I can see and agree with what they're saying.
It's obvious whether or not they know what they're talking about - and very easy to know who to avoid.

I see no point in a CD player (statement or otherwise) these days.

The medium has none of the nostalgia or tactility etc, some attribute to vinyl IMO, jewel cases are and always were absolute tat for example and a £20 external drive or cheap DVD/BD player is perfectly capable of extracting the data reliably if you really feel the need to still spin discs.

When I moved (downsized) in December I donated my Arcam Alpha 7 CDP and several thousand CDs to charity, neither of which had seen the light of day probably in the best part of two decades having been previously ripped, then stored on my NAS for local streaming.

 

[Friesiansam]

Doesn’t matter whether you prefer vinyl, CDs or streaming. There is never going to be agreement over which is best, just go with what makes you happy, CDs in my case.

 

[Al ears]

Doesn’t matter whether you prefer vinyl, CDs or streaming. There is never going to be agreement over which is best, just go with what makes you happy, CDs in my case.

Hear, hear.... You forgot downloads.

 

[nopiano]

This description reminds me of television news readers and presenters in particular those at the BBC.

Unfortunately, those exaggerated gestures are essential for TV/film. I recall a business filming its best directors for a presentation. The ‘normal’ ones looked liked corpses and came across as simply boring. The most hyperactive one just about registered, when in real life face to face he verged on the hysterical!

So, filming dilutes the communication hence exaggeration is necessary, both of voice and face/hand movements. Of course, the most skilled make it look completely natural.

 

[Friesiansam]

Hear, hear.... You forgot downloads.

With my short-term memory being as it is, I'm lucky I can remember why I came to this website, some days...

 

[Pedro2]

Doesn’t matter whether you prefer vinyl, CDs or streaming. There is never going to be agreement over which is best, just go with what makes you happy, CDs in my case.

I fully agree - I don’t think there is a ‘best’ medium. We listen to music from vinyl, CD, and streamed via Spotify or internet radio. Occasionally, I will listen on my phone or from a blue tooth speaker. Depends on the situation and/or how the mood takes me.

The Darko video is interesting in that it shows that sometimes Hi Res can be deceiving. For those who couldn’t stand to watch it, the dynamic range compression used on a Talking Heads Hi Res download was worse than on CD or vinyl. The vinyl measured best in this case. Darko points out that it’s the mastering that counts and not the medium.

 

[podknocker]

I think there is a best medium and it's CD. IF all the same effort was taken to transfer the remaster to CD, as it is with vinyl, then the CD would sound the same as that vinyl remaster, but then better, due to better S/N ratio and lower noise floor, CD having better dynamic range, perfect pitch stability and no surface noise, which vinyl lovers 'don't mind' apparently. Weird.

The vinyl version can sound better than the CD version, if the remaster to CD is ruined and compressed.
All things being equal, with regards to the remastering process, vinyl can't sound as good as CD, but CD can always sound the same as vinyl, good or bad. The resolution and all the other tech specs are better with CD.

The potential of CD is still wasted these days, with poor remasters and lack of thought as to how this will sound on a high resolution format, such as CD. A perfect remaster to CD, will sound better than one to vinyl. CD is regarded as inferior to vinyl by many audio engineers and they think only vinyl lovers will care about sound quality. A brand new, high res studio recording, carefully mastered and transferred to CD will sound amazing.

 

[WayneKerr]

I think there is a best medium and it's CD. IF all the same effort was taken to transfer the remaster to CD, as it is with vinyl, then the CD would sound the same as that vinyl remaster, but then better, due to better S/N ratio and lower noise floor, CD having better dynamic range, perfect pitch stability and no surface noise, which vinyl lovers 'don't mind' apparently. Weird.

The vinyl version can sound better than the CD version, if the remaster to CD is ruined and compressed.
All things being equal, with regards to the remastering process, vinyl can't sound as good as CD, but CD can always sound the same as vinyl, good or bad. The resolution and all the other tech specs are better with CD.

The potential of CD is still wasted these days, with poor remasters and lack of thought as to how this will sound on a high resolution format, such as CD. A perfect remaster to CD, will sound better than one to vinyl. CD is regarded as inferior to vinyl by many audio engineers and they think only vinyl lovers will care about sound quality. A brand new studio recording, carefully transferred to CD will sound amazing.

Completely agree Pod. But there is a difference between CD and vinyl replay, vinyl replay can be tweaked via a simple cartridge or stylus change, can't do this with CD

 

[podknocker]

I agree, but with CD, the tinkering isn't required. People can tinker with vinyl all day, but it won't give them the better 'default' sound quality with CD, all things being equal, as per mastering etc.

Even after 41 years, the CD medium is being undervalued. There's so much potential, if people made the effort.

What we need now is remasters being carefully transferred to FLAC and other streaming formats. Again, nobody cares enough to do this and the lowest quality files and delivery method will be chosen.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

Completely agree Pod. But there is a difference between CD and vinyl replay, vinyl replay can be tweaked via a simple cartridge or stylus change, can't do this with CD

Are you seriously telling me that this item is not worth every penny ?!

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[Dom]

While people appreciate the accuracy of the CD format, vinyl records can introduce distortions and colorations to the sound that add warmth and character to the music.

 

[podknocker]

Are you seriously telling me that this item is not worth every penny ?!

Orb Sakura DeStat Handheld Static Charge Eliminator

Orb Sakura DeStat Handheld Static Charge Eliminator Feel the clearest sound by eliminating static charges that have harmful effects for audio. SAKURA' is a handheld static neutralizer. It makes balanced ion wind by high voltage and eliminates static charge, harmful for listening to and playing...

www.analogueseduction.net

I can't remember the website, but someone did find that when a CD spins, it creates charge and this can affect the delicate optics/servo components. I think newer transports avoid this, but I can't tell you why, to be honest.

 

[podknocker]

While people appreciate the accuracy of the CD format, vinyl records can introduce distortions and colorations to the sound that add warmth and character to the music.

I don't want warmth and character to my music, I want what it says on the tin.

There's no point spending thousands on HIFI, if your replay format adds its own sound quality. Nooooo!

 

[daveh75]

Completely agree Pod. But there is a difference between CD and vinyl replay, vinyl replay can be tweaked via a simple cartridge or stylus change, can't do this with CD

Presumably why some DAC manufacturers add filters... Inveterate tinkerers.

 

[Dom]

There is no right or wrong answer. Some listeners prefer the coloration and analog "warmth" of vinyl, while others prefer the precision and clarity of CDs, like you and me pod.

 

[Al ears]

I don't want warmth and character to my music, I want what it says on the tin.

There's no point spending thousands on HIFI, if your replay format adds its own sound quality. Nooooo!

Unfortunately nobody knows what it says on the tin, apart perhaps for the recording engineer......
Does anyone have a system that can replicate what he was listening to when recording the master?
I very much doubt it.

 

[podknocker]

There is no right or wrong answer. Some listeners prefer the coloration and analog "warmth" of vinyl, while others prefer the precision and clarity of CDs, like you and me pod.

I totally agree. Someone's choice is up to them, but the authentic reproduction of a recording is, surely, why we're all here? It's HIFI, not MYFI.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

I can't remember the website, but someone did find that when a CD spins, it creates charge and this can affect the delicate optics/servo components. I think newer transports avoid this, but I can't tell you why, to be honest.

I think it is claimed that there are metals in the ink present on the CD label that causes this static "build up".

I have read that a good CD player will have a transport mechanism that will eliminate any wobble the CD may produce when spinning.

I believe the Esoteric VRDS transport does this by clamping the disk to a platter, but such engineering, costs serious money :-

VRDS ATLAS | ESOTERIC:Japan high-end audio manufacturer | エソテリック

An unprecedented transport mechanism that invites you to the furthest reaches of sound.

www.esoteric.jp

 

[podknocker]

CDs sound great, but they spin! Things that spin fail and I've had 20 disc players.

Give me studio quality recordings in a FLAC file, for £11 a month Spotify!!!

 

[Deleted member 201267]

CDs sound great, but they spin! Give me studio quality recordings in a FLAC file, for £11 a month Spotify!!!

I own music on CD that will never appear on any other format !

 

[daveh75]

CDs sound great, but they spin! Things that spin fail and I've had 20 disc players.

I own music on CD that will never appear on any other format !

Rip them. Problem solved.