On Fri, 25 Feb 2000 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hi,
>> using good equipment, SACD and Dvd-audio should have the analog warmth
>> afaik.
It always sound funny to me when "audiophiles" talk about some
media superior quality, but talk about how sweet records «warmth» is.
> But what is analog warmth. AFAIK analog warmth is nothing more
> then plain distortion of the signal. Vinyl sounds warmer then a CD
> because the signal is more distorted then the signal from a CD.
It isn't that simple; what gives records such "warmth" are several
factors:
- RIAA equalization
- Dynamic compression.
- The (sometimes overseen fact) that "classic" circuitry and
amplifiers included less, or different transitors.
Lemme expose some thoughts:
The enjoyment of listening to music, no matter how "audiophile"
you are, is heavily involved the psyche perception. It's funny how with
Mpeg or ATRAC perceptual compression, some people keeps on saying that
they don't like it because they sound "worse" than CDs.
Basically speaking, sound quality is achieved mostly via dynamic
range, and S/N ratio. Nowadays, almost any media achieves very acceptable
levels on this subject, either if its MP3 (given a good sound card), MD or
CD.
I don't know how people listens to music, but I guess very few
ones have the time to sit on a perfect environment, and even less, enjoys
doing always critical listenings. I have (have been trained to) a precise
critical listening, but I don't enjoy doing it, and definitely, don't do
it 80% time I listen to music for pleasure.
The Joy of Listening to Music is a matter of feelings and senses,
and with nowadays media, and decent player equipment, you won't notice any
difference due to the media per se. There are other factors, and who say
that enjoys vinyl's "warmth" are clearly (knowing or not) pointing that.
Today's equipment, from source to amplifier meets mostly "quality"
in terms of S/N ratio, maybe less in terms of IRL Dynamic range. But I
know very few systems on its whole, apart from PA or very very high end
expensive systems, that matchs dynamic range when reproducing music, and
there isn't a flat frecuency reproduction unless you have a precise
equazlizer matched to the sound room using pink noise and an spectral
analyzer. That's why people usually say live music can't compare with
"canned" one.
People, believe it or no, likes sound coloration, in some manner.
Vinyl's warmth is the most known. Sweet and balanced, "natural" sound that
Bulb amps gives is other. I haven't listen to a passive transistor based
amplifying system that sounds natural. Believe it or not, I also like
ATRAC type sound coloration, maybe due to the kind of music i like.
I assure you that if you listen to a record on a overall good
balanced system (say, a rega planar turntable/cartridge/stylus, with a
decent bulb or even mosfet amp and a pair of BW 602) you'll find quickly
that most people tendency is to go for high-end media reproducers (CDs,
DATs, DVDs), medium amplifiers, and poor, or poor amp matched speakers.
A practical example: I have a a couple of nice speakers, BW 602,
hooked to medium to good quality amp in terms of power, factor damping and
"transparence", a Denon PMR-1500.
I'll swap it as soon as I can: is such transparence what makes good
engineered recordings (say Crowded House, Metallica, most of succesful
British producers/engineers) sound great, but medium to poor (Red Hot
Chilli Peppers, please change engineer or producer, *please*) sound as
ugly as they were recorded. I put music *contents* (I like too much RHCP)
before music "envelope", and I'm pretty sure most of you, agreeing or not,
feel the same deeply inside, so in fact, all is a matter of coloration,
on the positive sense: natural, well balanced open stereo imaged sound,
that are present on very few old or today's hits recordings, so better
have your system to try to "adecuate" it for you.
greets,
*****---(*)---**********************************************---------->
Francisco J. Montilla System & Network administrator
[EMAIL PROTECTED] irc: pukka Seville Spain
INSFLUG (LiNUX) Coordinator: www.insflug.org - ftp.insflug.org
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