The Hunt fir Innovation
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 10:57AM
The Hunt for Innovation
Reading, The Gramophone over the
past couple of years, I noticed the emergence of a new hi-fi vocabulary. Technical
reviews are dominated by the hunt for increasing bit rates and a bewildering number
of formats (MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC, FLAC, etc.) Enthusiastic reviews of streaming
devices costing around ₤3000: these without amplifier or even a CD drive.
As these innovations continue there
still seems to a core of audiophiles who claim that the most satisfying way to
listen to music is still the trusted vinyl disc (LP).
Is this claim still valid?
I am writing from a position
where the replacement of analogue by the digital disc was the best innovation
by the industry since electrical recording. In one fell sweep, the LP and tape cassette
could be replaced. Absence of surface wear, stretched tapes, longer playing
times, lower cost front ends, etc. etc. As soon as CD players were integrated in
car radio units, the cassette was dead. At the time, no sound engineer claimed
that the tape cassette was superior in sound than vinyl, but it was
nevertheless commercially very successful. Without the CD the magnetic tape
would still be with us.
I accept that streaming music
from computers or memory devices has its attractions. I do much of my listening
these days from an iPod (ALAC) connected to an AV receiver. My point is that do
these relentless innovations with unaffordable hardware and ridiculous storage
capacity requirements really matter as far as 99 % of the music buying public
goes? After all, “it’s the music stupid”.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 5:28PM
#2
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
I would respectfully refer bhg to the posting on LP vs CD when as ever the proponents of the two media would not agree on which produced the most satisafactory sound quality. On the EMI SACD posting some advocate complementing their CDs with the new SACDs. A decade or so ago I was going backwards and complementing my CDs with the new vinyl issues of the same recordings which in most cases I preferred to the CD. Currently LP issues and sales are on the increase.
By the time of the introduction of the CD the record industry to some extent shot itself in the foot by producing poor quality LP pressings using recycled vinyl whilst the cassette was partly an answer to this problem with added advantage it was recordable and could be played in a car. In the meantime other systems have come and gone, remember minidisc, pre-recorded and recordable? DVD audio; dead and buried?
The cassette sound was inferior to the LP as the MP3 download is inferior to the CD but both still sold and sell on convenience for those who are not interested in the best audio quality available. I have purchased some uncompressed CD rate downloads from Chandos's site but have no interest in lower quality from i tunes or spofify. High resolution may be the future but my current DAC only operates at 16 bit 44.1 kHz and I do not consider currently there is enough hi res material available to justify the purchase of a new DAC.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 5:32PM
#3
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
By the time of the introduction of the CD the record industry to some extent shot itself in the foot by producing poor quality LP pressings using recycled vinyl ...................... other systems have come and gone, remember minidisc, pre-recorded and recordable? DVD audio; dead and buried?
Interesting that you should mention that, 33lp. The poor nature of LP pressings was the sole reason for my purchasing a CD plyer in the first place back in 1983 (what a frightening thought - nearly 30 years ago!). I was more than happy with the sound I was getting from my SME/Shure V15 set up, but the poor standard of LPs was unacceptable.
I still have a few hundred mini-discs on which I recorded broadcasts and copied CDs though never bought any pre-recorded. How long ago that now seems, too.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 6:40PM
#4
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
The "audiophile" pressings from Speakers Corner (mainly Decca originals), Classic Records (RCA Living Stereos - including many recorded by Decca), Testament (EMI issues) show that it is possible to produce LPs with virtually silent surfaces. I haven't though heard any of the latest HiQ records EMI issues.
I did try a minidisc player years ago which I thought might be useful for transfering some old low fi open reel tapes (recordings from am radio) before the tape machine finally wore out but the minidisc player was faulty so returned and I didn't bother again.
Fri, Apr 20 2012, 7:17PM
#5
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
I did try a minidisc player years ago which I thought might be useful for transfering some old low fi open reel tapes (recordings from am radio) before the tape machine finally wore out but the minidisc player was faulty so returned and I didn't bother again.
I have a pretty decent Sony job with a number of digital inputs, so recording lengthy broadcasts (and making pretty good digital copies of CDs) was such a major advance over cassette tape with its inherent time limitations. But that was when the ubiquity and capacity of hard-disc recorders were but glints in a deigner's eye. It's now dissconnected, but I might dig it out for a burst of nostalgia some time.
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 8:23AM
#6
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
To Parla
I understand your position. My point was that 99 % of music buyers are not much interested in searching for the Holy Grail of subjective perfection. I don't think the industry will survive catering for a tiny minority. Having said that I must assume that the equipment manufacturers have done their market research.
regardstth
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 9:02AM
#7
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
LPs with virtually silent surfaces. I haven't though heard any of the latest HiQ records EMI issues.
To 33lp
Surely the LP silent surfaces is only temporary.
The process is based on dragging a sharp object made from the hardest material known to man over a soft plastic surface. Drag creates wear, which is cumulative and irreversible. How many plays does it take for surface noise to emerge.
regards
Sat, Apr 21 2012, 12:30PM
#8
RE: The Hunt fir Innovation
Maybe I don't play individual records enough times but I haven't noticed any deterioration since the days I abandoned my Garrard autochanger with a crystal pickup, which could chew up records, for something a little more sophisticated. Handled with care with a good cartridge and tone arm I don't have any problems.
Most noise was clicks & pops due to imperfections in the vinyl and as was mentioned in a post a long time ago one of the worst offenders were the Saga LPs where their factory was reputed to use scrap material purchased from another nearby pressing plant. Occasionally of course the stamper could get damaged which could lead to an identical fault on every pressing made from it.
After all it's not the music (stupid); it's the recorded music we're talking about. And that make some (see huge) difference in the means we use to have access and make proper use of what we have access to.
Parla