SACD
Wed, Dec 1 2010, 4:07AM
#2
RE: sacd coverage
Sorry,Andrew, but the SACD coverage in Gramophone can be described in two words;IT STINKS. For a magazine that tries to establish Quality,the woeful lack of SACD coverage is "criminal"
Wed, Dec 1 2010, 7:45AM
#3
RE: sacd coverage
Sorry,Andrew, but the SACD coverage in Gramophone can be described in two words;IT STINKS. For a magazine that tries to establish Quality,the woeful lack of SACD coverage is "criminal"
And it was worth reviving a thread after six months to say that? Thank you for your kind words, and welcome to the forums, but as I said somewhere back in the mists of time, I continue to do what I can in the limited space available to me in the audio pages of the magazine.
Fri, Dec 3 2010, 1:16PM
#4
RE: SACD
I think all genuine music lovers want higher resolution program material. SACD was one way to obtain that, but I think the format is dying, just as I think CD and BluRay will be the last of their kind. Downloads are so obviously the future, for all the reasons that have been mentioned.
Two years ago I had a sabbatical abroad, and I had to find some compact audio system (the wonderful appartment I was given would only have tv). My first thought was to get an ipod, until I realized that my laptop could do the same in a less portable format, but with much more storage capacity. I decided on internet radio and a few dozen of my cd's ripped to my laptop (played through a lightweight Tangent AMP50 amplifier and Wharfedale Diamond 9.0 speakers). It did not sound like my Quad electrostatics at home, but it was far better than what I had on previous foreign stays. The internet radio in particular was great for international news, even if the bitrate was too low for quality audio. The same issue surfaced with my ripped cd's. Being the novice that I was, I had originally ripped them with the default 256bps bitrate. When I discovered I could also rip them lossless, I did that, and the sound was much better, even with this basic system (and without a more musical dac).
All this was very convenient in a compact package, and it convinced me that this is where we are going, but also that lossless music formats are a necessary condition. The good news is that such formats do not need a new and hard to introduce hardware standard, but only better software protocols, versatile dacs, and program material suppliers who are prepared to enter such niche markets. Downloads essentially bring down the cost of high resolution material to the cost of quality recording.
Since bandwith and storage are more of a limitation with HD video than with high resolution audio, I would expect BluRay to survive for longer than CD.
Willem
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WS 2010 wrote "are there any record labels around who still release classical on LP?" Indeed there are but they are expensive! They are also superb on flat 180 gram pressings with virtually silent backgrounds.
Testament have done a number of EMI issues whilst Speakers Corner in Germany have done many early Decca stereos, some DGs and a few Philips. Classic Records in the USA have done some fabulous RCA Living Stereos including many Reiner Chicago discs and a number recorded for them by Decca in the UK (some of which have never appeared on CD). All use facsimiles of the original sleeves (except Testament have to use the EMI logo instead of Nipper but most of the RCAs have a Nipper record label).
The sound of most of these recordings cut on new laquers from the original master tapes is in most cases simply stunning. Nothing can equal an early Decca Kingsway Hall or Walthamstow Town Hall issue usually made by Kenneth Wilkinson. Roy Wallace developed & pioneered European stereo recording, for Decca in Geneva, with Ansermet & his Suisse Romande Orchestra and two of Ansermet's best recordings in amazing sound are Falla's 3 Cornered Hat and a compilation of Bolero, La Valse, Sorcerer's Apprentice and Honneger's Pacific 2-3-1. Google Speakers Corner, Classic Records and Testament to see what's still available.
In the USA a few years ago Chesky did some reissues on LP (with their own sleeves & labels) of some of the superb recordings produced in London by Charles Gerhardt & engineered by Wilkinson for RCA/Readers' Digest. (Reiner in Brahms, Earl Wild, Boult etc.) but I don't think these are still available.