Posted on 07/21/2023 5:47:11 PM PDT by DoodleBob
I forgot to mention, I spent way too many years playing bass next to loud drummers. My hearing rolls off at around 9K and it’s getting worse. To carry on a “normal” conversation with my wife I need hearing aids. And I originally got them strictly for meetings at work.
I know all that I’m supposed to do, having grown up with vinyl. I just prefer a medium that doesn’t require all that work, especially for what isn’t an appreciable improvement in sound.
My hearing has suffered as well what with tinnitus and all. No getting any of that back. But I can still appreciate the all-enveloping soundstage that my Maggies produce when properly driven. That's where that vinyl analog warmth really comes through.
Funny you mention those ESS AMTs. You got around their biggest flaw - a cheap ass crossover. I sold a bunch of those back then.
Years ago, I was in the darkroom printing a photo of Rick I had taken. Something weird on the photo. Took me some time to figure it was a guitar pick he had stuck in the corner of his eye!
I love record shops. Bought an all new system last year just for this. Records are expensive ($40-$140), but lots of remastered works out there.
“scratchy , skippy, hissing plastic is beyond me.”
That’s what CDs/Digital sounds like, plastic and lacking depth.
Rega turntables are still manufactured. Their P1, P2, and PO3 are classics.
Besides all the 70’s rock bands i still have a LOT of Motown albums.
I really have some obsolete stuff i’m sure would fetch a LOT of cash
The albums i purchased cast $7.98 back in the 70’s. I see them going for $40 each now!!!
Yup- that’s what my parents had and what i used the first time i played Zeppelin IV!!!
If the laser “ignores the imperfections” on the vinyl record, without the “clicks and pops” Tim McGraw reminisced about may as well play a CD or download an HD sound file, in the unlikely event an HD file is available.
Regarding loss of hearing matched with high quality speakers, I think you are right that we STILL enjoy high quality. It’s kind of odd.
The funny part is that I no longer worry about tape hiss. 🤣
Yikes. He loves his picks.
I don't get it either. I also don't get why vinyl enthusiasts say it sounds better than a CD of the same recording. When CDs first came out, I played the same songs on my vinyl recording and a CD switching back and forth. The CD sounded better and those were early CDs before the studios started using direct from the master tapes on CDs.
Also, don't like MP-3. The loss of the highest frequencies is obvious, especially in the sizzle of the high hat. I'm a drummer. Maybe MP-3s are better now.
I like Motown. They probably would catch a pretty penny.
Ever listen to a re-mastered CD like Dire Straights, "Brothers in Arms". You might want to re-think your statement. That CD has been used for years to represent the best quality of sound. Once that came out, most of the studios started releasing their own to compete.
As for Digital, most of it in MP3 format that is not comparable to the .wav format of CDs.
Digital can never be as good as the original analog simply because it is always missing waveform components. I’m an EE. Do this stuff for a living.
Could you take the time to explain .wav components that are missing on CDs? I've never heard of that, but then I'm not a EE. Also, what format is on the original master tapes recorded in the studios? Or maybe they don't even use tape recorders in the studios now. Thank you for any answers.
I'm obviously not as informed as I thought. However, vinyl does have its vulnerabilities regarding warping, scratching, pops, etc., so I'll stick with CDs on a Blue-ray player, especially re-mastered.
It’s like a male homosexual transvestite, a ‘transgender’, can never be as good of a woman as a woman as they are simply missing the parts. (terrible reference but I had to do it)
Digital interpolates between known digital signal levels, so it starts with data points then tries to fill in what it thinks the signal was doing in the analog recording. Analog is a continuous signal. Digital guesses the missing signal between its digital reference points, and sometimes guesses very well, but it still just moving from one known signal level to the next. Some systems are fairly linear and sound terrible. Some try to guess the movement of the waveform and do a respectable job of filling in the missing analog signal. All speakers are analog (for all practical purposes) so eventually even the best digital system must produce an analog signal for the speakers. Analog is what your brain hears.
There is also no such thing as a digital signal; it is just an analog square wave. All digital electronics are made from analog parts, even those itty-bitty magnetic particles that comprise the data on your hard drive; still analog.
Digital music was a nice invention. We carry the stuff everywhere, and it sounds good, but analog sources still outperform the digital.
There is also the nostalgia of a record. Nothing like putting on a record and working around the house or in the office. Easy listening, not the “gotta have the ultimate playlist, sound!, and control!!” Just put on a record and let it play. Those from that era know what I’m talking about.
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