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RE: Cassettes generally have considerably better dynamic range than either LP or CD. Nt

Posted by Todd Krieger on April 25, 2021 at 03:06:52:
Dynamic range is kind of a deceiving spec..... Sure CD has a dynamic range of 96dB, which has to do with the dB reference from the 16 bits turned off to the bits all turned on...... Analog dynamic range is often referenced to the noise floor, with no consideration of the signal being audible *below* the noise floor.... Vinyl's dynamic range is often understated for that reason.....

Cassettes have a noise floor as well and use Dolby C (or other noise reduction variants) to improve S/N ratio and dynamic range.... But unlike vinyl mastered off a good 15 or 30 ips open reel mastering machine, the Dolby tracking on cassettes just isn't linear by comparison, the signal at lower levels just doesn't track well with what it was on a good analog master tape..... So I would disagree that dynamic range of cassette tape (especially when using non-metal formulations) is superior to that of LP or CD. The dynamic gradations below the noise floor of a good open reel master just cannot be captured and preserved on cassette tape.