1. Home
  2. digital
  3. 1249263768

Can even a Novice hear differences in Sound Qualit

Just wanted to relate an experience I recently had with a friend of mine. Those that have read my Threads before, have heard me wax enthusiastically about a DIANA KRALL-The Look of Love-DVD Audio Disk. The Recording has a Multi-Channel Surround Sound version Recorded in 24-bit/96 kHz. The Disk is being played through a Pioneer DV-58AV Universal Player, connected to a SpaceTechLab A-102 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amp, Driving a pair of Grado RS-1 Headphones. Only having 2-Channel capability, the Pioneer can Downmix the Multi-Channel version to two. A 65 year old friend of mind, not an Audiophile with limited hearing, was given a chance to listen to this Recording. His jaw had dropped to the floor. After listening for five minutes, he took the Headphones off and said "why don't they make all of them sound as good"? This Man was unimpressed with the multiple 2-Channel SACD/2-Channel Hi-Rez DVD-Audio Disks that he has heard on this Pioneer. The only thing that I can say is "out of the mouth of Babes...."! Sorry to keep harping on the point, but I believe that this is the only solution to the lack of Harmonic Content on all 2-Channel Digital Recordings, no matter the sampling rate. I also believe that it is the only solution to closing the gap of Harmonic Content between Analog and Digital, minus the ticks and pops. It would be a damn shame to lose it!
pettyofficer

Showing 7 responses by tvad

tvad
9,467 posts
 
I believe by "Teenager's Paradyne", you mean the third definition of the word paradigm (not paradyne), explained here.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
There can be only one King of the Malapropism: Norm Crosby.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Pettyofficer, some people are more embarrassed by someone telling them they have spinach in their teeth than they are by discovering when they get home that they were speaking all day with spinach in their teeth.

I promise never to do it again.

Sincere apologies.

To address the topic, I believe a novice can hear differences in sound quality, but not *all* novices can do so, and many novices don't care. I also believe companies in the business of selling recorded music are unlikely to make a concerted effort to invest more time and money in higher quality/higher resolution recordings. The music buying public essentially rejected the high resolution experiments (SACD/DVD-A) by not buying enough recordings or playback equipment. So, discussions among audiophiles about the future of high resolution recordings are now essentially rhetorical.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
08-06-09: Uru975
It was not so much the public deciding against the hi-rez sound as their makers wanting to make a killing and in doing so almost killed the format.

Price was certainly a factor. PS...have you noticed how the prices of out-of-print SACDs is skyrocketing?

When I wrote the public rejected high resolution formats, I didn't mean the public said, "Hey, we don't like the sound of high resolution audio". What I meant, and which goes to your point, is that the public simply didn't buy the products in sufficient numbers to make business sense for the music companies and hardware manufacturers to continue with the formats on a large scale.

Portability is the focus of the present mass market music business (the only market the music companies and hardware companies really care about). Only when portable playback devices have the inexpensive, large capacity drives to store high resolution music files will better quality recordings perhaps receive attention from the mass market music business in downloadable formats.

Wishing for better quality recordings is noble. It doesn't take a great deal of listening experience or music ownership to know what's possible even in the redbook CD format.

We'll see in a year from now if any real progress has been made by the music companies and hardware manufacturers toward higher quality, mass-marketed music.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
08-07-09: Pettyofficer
I am going to find some way of nailing the Recording Industries carcass to the wall!...

I refuse to be the Recording Industries Dog to be kicked around like a Mutt! This is one Demographic that is going to take MP3, and shove it deep in the Recording Industries back door!
Please keep us posted with the details of your action plan, and how it works out.

Cheers!
tvad
9,467 posts
 
To reiterate the Pettyofficer Action Plan for Better Quality Recordings:

1) Steam roll over those who are apathetic enablers of the Recording Industry.
2) Stop digging.

Is there any reason why recording industry executives shouldn't welcome a dialogue with you toward finding a solution to better quality recordings?

Onward!
tvad
9,467 posts
 

08-08-09: Pettyofficer
Seems to me that it is going to take every ounce of effort in my action plan, just to get anyone to even concider a change in direction!

Thus far, you have no action plan. You do have lots of nonsensical ranting about how we're all music buying idiots, egomaniacs and victims.

It's difficult to reconcile your posts with the concept of constructive progress toward a solution to the problem you identify.

If you're trying to start a revolution, I believe the tone of your comments and your overall approach here lack persuasiveness, although they originate from a place of caring.

I'll leave it at that.

Cheers.
More to discover