SQ vs. Music

I would like to say that I always listen to the music first.

However that wouldn’t be true.

Just a few weeks ago I found myself beginning to feel a bit sick listening to the Jam compilation Direction Reaction Creation.

Something felt wrong, despite an apparently nice full sound there was a distinct lack of dynamics, particularly bad on the more punchy tracks such as Start! or Going Underground, Funeral Pyre etc.

I later managed to get hold of a copy of Snap! yet another compilation, but far closer to original vinyl, and all was well again.

Digital compression nowadays seems to be a huge problem with heavy rock as fans of bands such as Motorhead or the Dead Kennedys might testify.

Why anyone would want to deliberately mute the dynamics of music (essentially its life), especially of rock, is disturbing.

If the majority of consumers genuinely prefer that mush, then they need to get to an Hi-Fi dealer and see just what they’re missing.

Who knows, maybe when listening on some weak-assed Walmart system, they might feel that kind of compression is adding some much needed body to the sound?

If so, they’re ruining it for many of us who are not using such systems.

Having said all that I usually can forget about sound quality once the actual listening starts - providing the sound is listenable.

Of course I might never quite stop wanting a little more, I’m a long time recovering audiophile.

@ejr1953 ,

I could not make it thru the first track of the original "Born to Run" CD, as the "highly resolving" system being demonstrated brought out all the rough edges in a way that was not at all pleasing.


The story behind the recording is pretty epic. A killing amount of rerecording resulted in an album with a sound that Springsteen hated.

According to his biography he initially felt crushed at the outcome. Time proved his concerns unfounded but no one will ever claim it’s a sonic masterpiece.

Various attempts at remastering over the years have made it a little more presentable. My 1993 gold cd disc version sounds acceptable and the 2014 Bob Ludwig 30th anniversary is about as good as it possibly will ever get.

@nicktheknife,

"There’s good advice to be had on some of these forums but imo reading them too much can result in the audiophile neurosis that people talk about. I think that was happening to me. Listening to my gear and not the music.One piece of advice I took from a poster was this:If you want to enjoy your system and music, then stay off the forums!"


I'm beginning to suspect you're right.

Maybe carelesslyreading too much about our passion isn't actually a good thing!?

The best thing for me is to get together with friends and just listen to new music with conversation centering around that but not exclusively limited to just that.

For some of us this past year has been an incredibly slow and the social aspect has been much missed. Yet I've also spoken to some people who say they've enjoyed it!

Although audio remains seductive, I have tried to restrict my urge for better sound quality to primarily seeking out the best masterings of favourite albums. This in itself can be a complicated busines due to the whims of the recording industry and what they think will sell.

I also try to pay increasingly less regard to what reviewers may say though I do have a few favourite YouTube channels - audioholics, cheapaudioman, parlogram auctions and stereo review X to name a few.

These guys all seem to tell it like it is and unlike many magazines with their over the top reviews, don't seem to trigger my own personal audiophile neurosis.

Please, not that. Never again!