Is music quality moving away from the "audiophile"

Ben

Vampire Weekend is definitely a great new band which mixes it up like the Talking Heads from 1979.

You will probably like Santogold as well--fuses ska to hip hop--a little like M.I.A. I also like the new TV on the Radio album "Dear Science."

I personally think maybe its the other way around in that hi-fi equipment mainly loudspeakers most of which are are very expensive and quite a lot are more than the price of a house (not a present but when the housing market is at a decent level) do not do the 'lesser engineered' cd justice in playback. If any cd sounds awful through ones multi dollar speakers, then I think its the fault of the equipment rather than the cd.
If one has a cd that is unbearable to play because it sounds bad, but sounds acceptable through a ghetto blaster for instance, then surely something is amiss when the big boys have their turn and you grab the remote quickly turn it down or off? IMHO, naturally.
I am not a huge fan of Metallica, but I will try and purloin
a copy of their latest cd to have a listen to see if the quality is that bad on playback through hi-fi grade speakers, maybe the RMAF will be the place to take it?

I was browsing HMV during lunch when I felt a chill and a shadow passed by the window. Suddenly a Vampire Weekend CD appeared wedged between The Undertakers "Unearthed" and The Wraiths. Currently Vampire Weekend is in my pocket and I looking forward to listening tonight and hoping strange things will happen! Is it like a mandrake - do you put it under the bed?

Phasecorreec

The current issue of Rolling Stone has an article in it about the sound quality of "Death Magnetic". Fans are complaining that Metallica has cranked the sound levels so high on Death Magnetic, that the music is distorted and compromised. It goes on to state that 11,000 fans have signed a petition asking for a remix and remaster of Death Magnetic. Get this, other fans are trading a version of the album made from the less loud mixes intended for use in Guitar Hero III!!

Quote from David Chesky in the latest Downbeat said something to the effect that technology's reaching new heights regarding sound quality and yet, the masses are overwhelmingly supporting LOW-FI sources! In retrospect, I would argue that that's ALWAYS been the case.