emalvick wrote: > The loudness war I think is a huge reason vinyl is popular with > audiofiles (doesn't necessarily explain the hipster love of vinyl). > > I've noticed plenty of examples where the vinyl sounds better than the > CD and it isn't because vinyl is better, it's just the mastering. About > the time digital download sales began, mastering started to gear itself > towards compression. I think it was easier to just master the CD and > mp3 all at once and then compress the dynamics to tailor towards > listeners who predominantly listen to music in a car, crappy headphones, > ipods, etc. That is how music is listened to 99% of the time now. > Vinyl, however, has been immune to this type of mastering, probably > because it can't really stand up to it, and the industry is trying to > bank on the idea that vinyl is better. > > I really started noticing the decline in CD mastering quality around > 2004 / 2005 (I'm sure it began sooner). I remembering ripping a few > CD's that just sounded terrible once ripped. Using audacity and then a > few other tools showed me that the music was clipped across the board. > A few years later, I found a vinyl copy of one of the albums, and when > it was ripped, I noted there was no clipping, and consequently sounded > better. Was it because it was vinyl? only indirectly. If the CD had > been mastered the same as the vinyl, I'm fairly certain it would have > sounded the same to my ears. I am not an audiophile in the sense some > people can be, I do prefer the clean sound of a well-mastered CD or > other format rather than the random pops that go with vinyl. My home > system and speakers are quite modest; I can't hear the difference > between a 24-192, 24-96, or 16-44 audio. I can rarely hear the > difference between a 320 bit mp3 vs a FLAC (from the same source). But, > I really hate over-compressed and loud CD's and digital files. > > So, with regard to CDs and their demise; I tend to buy used CDs, like > others expressed, mostly because if an album is old enough, the 1990's > generally had better mastering than the 2000's when it comes to popular > music. I do buy new music but I am much more selective than I used to > be. I rely on Spotify to try before I buy, and then I get selective on > the format I do buy. I tend to buy more FLAC (bandcamp and 7digital) but > stick with 16/44 format or occasionally 24/48 as I don't find a need for > higher resolution. But, when FLAC is significantly more expensive or > impossible to come by, I might buy CD or Vinyl. > > I am not a huge fan of the warming aspects of vinyl, so I generally try > to avoid it unless I (a) really love the album (b) it's the only good > mastering of the album and (c) want the album art. > > With this method, I find myself buying less music but buying more music > that I will listen to and that will sound good. > > I am, however, a contributer to the CD's demise, although the record > industry has contributed too. I do think it is cheaper to sell, stream, > distribute digitally than physically, otherwise physical formats > wouldn't be in a demise. Digital is probably more profitable and the > prices are really just based on what the market will bear.
You are 100% correct about Loudness although Vinyl isnt totally immune from it, it is as you say much less likely to occur. As usual the Record Industry exploits those of us who rebel against Loudness by selling FLAC etc for much more than MP3. The only additional cost is a bit of storage yet it can be double the price. If its an old album Ill always source a secondhand CD and rip it myself. VB2.4[/B] STORAGE *QNAP TS419P (NFS) [B]Living Room* - Joggler & SB3 -> Onkyo TS606 -> Celestion F20s *Office* - Pi3+Sreen -> Sony TAFE320 -> Celestion F10s / Pi2+DAC & SB3 -> Onkyo CRN755 -> Wharfedale Modus Cubes *Dining Room* -> SB Boom *Kitchen* -> UE Radio (upgraded to SB Radio) *Bedroom (Bedside)* - Pi2+DAC ->ToppingTP21 ->AKG Headphones *Bedroom (TV)* - SB Touch ->Sherwood AVR ->Mordaunt Short M10s Everything controlled by iPeng ------------------------------------------------------------------------ d6jg's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=44051 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=109154
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