| From: | Martin Nicholson |
| Date: | 9 Aug 2000 at 01:30:49 |
| Subject: | Re: Cd`s & Record Decks |
Hiya Tudor
On 08-Aug-00, Tudor Davies wrote:
> How did we get to here?????
Erm, after a complex discussion on mp3s, I kinda said Vinyl might be
the closest to an infinite bitrate that Andrew was on about <sheepish
grin>
However, people seem to have forgotten that I also said that Vinyl
sounds good on some stuff, and CD on others. The whole Vinyl vs CD
debate is, I think, deeply flawed for a couple or so reasons;
1. Most people have only compared a cheap (sub £50) turntable, with a
more expensive (circa £250) CD Player. Try comparing like with like. A
Mini is a good little car, but I'd rather have Jaguar.
2. Another group of people listen to CD on Hi-Fi systems that were
designed pre-CD. A good Hi-Fi set-up will make nice noises, no matter
that it's getting on a bit (within reason). But the line output of a
CD overdrives the standard Aux input of an amplifier. If you don't
have a dedicated CD Input, you aren't hearing it at it's best.
3. Some CD re-issues of albums that were previously released on vinyl,
are God awful. This has improved a lot in the last few years, but
certainly in the early days EeeeeeeeekKKK!! This helped put some
people off CD for good. So did the over-hyping of early CD. Promises
that it either couldn't realise at the time and level of technology,
and some it can never realise, i.e., perfect sound.
4. People get too caught up with the technology and with measurements.
While Hi-Fi is to some extent quantifiable, it is also qualitative to
some degree. One man's meat is another man's poison. For example,
Greenboy, who obviously knows his stuff, in one post mentions tweaking
the sound using graphic equalizers, etc. Me, my amplifier doesn't even
have tone controls. I stripped the equalizer and tone controls and
balance out years back. The headphone socket went too :) Why? Because
every switch is also the source of RF interference. SO you have some
people who like minimalism in Hi-Fi, and those who don't, and of
course you have the flashing pretty lights brigade and their *stereos*.
If whatever you have can make music, the numbers won't matter. The
whole point of HiFi *should* be that the equipment doesn't get in the
way of the music. I've heard turntables that just disappear into the
background, I've heard CD players that do the same. The trick is not
to believe the hype. Vinyl is good for some recordings, CD is better
for others. Much like my oven is better for cooking some stuff, and my
microwave is better for other stuff.
Vinyl wasn't killed off by a superior system, it was killed off by superior marketing.
Wonder why I get a sudden feeling of Deja Vu?
With Regards
Worzel
I got a new shadow. I had to get rid of the other one... It wasn't doing what I was doing.
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