In Reply to: SACD bombed very, very badly. So, posted by tinear on May 15, 2007 at 07:46:14:
Tinear:I was listening to some Chopin from AIX records at 24/96 last night. I am going to buy more from AIX records. Why? They are not about "formats" - they are about recording quality. I've never heard piano with such attack, but what is perhaps more compelling is the complexities of all of the string harmonics as they decay.
I honestly think we have the learnings now to make very very good recordings - on ANY format. But if these learnings are not used, then how would a format make any difference? Poor recording techniques are going to have the same end result, and format will not improve this.
I think the disappointment in hi-res is not because the formats themselves have "failed" (if 24/96 and 24/192 'work' as per their white papers how COULD they be worse than CD??), but because trends in recording have gotten worse instead of better from an audiophile perspective.
I have shelved or given away a considerable amount of DVD-A material simply because it sucked and was not worth the 8 extra bits!
Anyways, I think good recordings from the 70's on vinyl, good modern vinyl recordings, good CD recordings, and good hi-res recordings all have one thing in common: they're superior to a bad recording on ANY format!
Maybe we should be looking at other reasons why some recordings are better than others even on the *same* format.
Am I suggesting that audiophiles should only collect GOOD RECORDINGS?
YES!!
Wine officionados don't collect shitty wine for the sake of variety. Food critics don't eat shitty food for the sake of variety. Why should variety trump QUALITY when it comes to audio?
I also think some people who "love music" and are willing to accept ANY performance with ANY recording quality, and are too quick to criticize those who also "love music" but have some standards.
I say arm yourself with enough machines to play ANY format and just collect music you like that is recorded well.
Cheers,
Presto
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Follow Ups
- I dunno, man... - Presto 09:02:13 05/15/07 (35)
- Re: I dunno, man... - audioengr 15:39:47 05/15/07 (3)
- Which Metheny album sounds so awful? - Dave Pogue 05:23:55 05/17/07 (2)
- Re: Which Metheny album sounds so awful? - I thought the DVD Audio of Imaginary Day sounded terrible. (nt) - Teresa 01:35:55 05/20/07 (1)
- Imaginary Day is an atypical Metheny album, IMHO - Dave Pogue 05:19:58 05/20/07 (0)
- Woohoo! - markrohr 09:28:40 05/15/07 (30)
- I never said that. - Presto 23:20:38 05/15/07 (17)
- You hit the nail on the head! Would you drink the beer you LOVE if it was WARM? - Teresa 00:53:35 05/20/07 (0)
- this seems completely artificial to me... - tunenut 22:51:26 05/16/07 (3)
- maybe you don't like the artists on Reference Recordings? Or the music? - Teresa 00:45:06 05/20/07 (0)
- Artificial? I think not. - Presto 10:56:19 05/17/07 (1)
- that's very idealistic - tunenut 11:19:00 05/17/07 (0)
- "This is not MUSICasylum. It's AUDIOasylum." ---Sez it all. - markrohr 10:18:28 05/16/07 (11)
- Well, you did say... - Presto 11:29:59 05/16/07 (10)
- Please, for goodness' sake, stop with the analogies already. - markrohr 13:46:59 05/16/07 (9)
- Well I don't drink beer anymore but... - Presto 17:11:45 05/16/07 (8)
- "I really don't think asking for both is as limiting..." I agree with you 100% also - Teresa 01:04:57 05/20/07 (0)
- So you won't listen to a great performance of a classical work, or a killer pop record, unless it sounds good. - markrohr 11:18:22 05/17/07 (6)
- with all the 100's of recordings this old MONO "Das Lied" is the ONLY one that has ever moved you. - Teresa 01:09:36 05/20/07 (0)
- That depends on how you feel about being called an audiophile I suppose!! :o) - Presto 16:55:14 05/17/07 (4)
- If "improvements" to your system make iffy records sound worse . . . - markrohr 05:32:18 05/18/07 (3)
- No, having more than one system is the ONLY direction - Presto 10:23:44 05/18/07 (2)
- Re: No, having more than one system is the ONLY direction - markrohr 12:01:26 05/18/07 (1)
- Re: No, having more than one system is the ONLY direction - Presto 13:38:28 05/18/07 (0)
- give me great music on a shitty recording any day! - hifitommy 18:45:30 05/15/07 (8)
- I prefer a third option: Great music on great recordings and I get it too! - Teresa 01:14:09 05/20/07 (2)
- thats wonderful when it happens - hifitommy 08:43:18 05/20/07 (1)
- Also great sounding are the multi-mic'ed Decca/London Phase 4 recordings conducted by Berrnard Herrmann. - Teresa 17:30:21 05/20/07 (0)
- Re: give me great music on a shitty recording any day! - Dave Pogue 05:23:11 05/18/07 (1)
- iec - hifitommy 11:44:31 05/20/07 (0)
- Emailed you last week - need your address fine sir to send CDs. [nt] - chris.redmond2@bushinternet.com 10:08:57 05/16/07 (1)
- ooopsy - hifitommy 20:06:49 05/16/07 (0)
- Absotutely! nt - clarkjohnsen 10:00:02 05/16/07 (0)
- "Who has time to listen to great recordings of lousy performances?" - musetap 11:22:46 05/15/07 (2)
- Quite correct, my great recordings of lousy performances go on eBay. (nt) - Teresa 01:17:04 05/20/07 (0)
- Well said. (nt) - Presto 11:01:21 05/17/07 (0)