CD Quality Versus Streaming Quality
Here’s another one for you, my most loved classical piece Rimsky Korsakov's "Scheherazade" Look what happens to the two streamed/download ones, squashed like a pancake, only one H/D Tracks used a "semi squashed" one. It’s criminal as this classic piece has the most amazing dynamics of any music ever written. https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=&album=scheherazade Cheers George |
I don't Stream music, I do have FLAC Stored Files and a CDT > DAC. In relation to Digital Sources used in my HiFi System, I only started to seriously consider the media in recent years. With that as a History I am keen to pick up on experiences and suggestions for the uses of ancillaries and the media source. With the questions raised over the provenance of the media and the DR. It does seem there may be a opportunity to have this addressed with a Similar Marketing Model as used by the Vinyl and CD Markets. Vinyl media has a small selection of Specialised Companies that are producing Pressings that are in general recognised as much improved over the mass produced copies. CD media has the same type of Specialised Companies offering a similar service for the CD as the one that is on offer to Vinyl. Streamed Media 'could end up' with the same type of offering. There is no reason why a Streaming Service 'could not invite' a recognised Brand to produce a Steaming Package, or create their own Off Shoot Package. Where the content to be streamed is meeting a criteria that is wanted by the audiophile communities across the globe. There must be a viable Marketing Model that makes such an option on a service worthy of incorporating into a existing structure of packages of offered services. |
I have a correction to a make (the hazards of writing stuff without checking my notes): The problem with the 1994 Genesis "Definitive Edition" remasters was excessive use of noise reduction. Their dynamic range was actually pretty respectable. The heavy-handedness of the noise reduction varied from album to album, with Wind and Wuthering being one of the least affected. It was the 2007-2008 remasters found on CD and SACD that are generally reviled for their excessive compression and loudness, plus the fact that they are remixed as well. Circa 2017 releases by Rhino apparently use the 2007-08 mastering. I replaced the 1994 remasters with mid-1980s releases by Atlantic/Atco and Virgin/Charisma. An exception is the DCC gold CD of "From Genesis to Revelation." Phil Collins' "Testify" CD (Atlantic, 2002) has the dubious distinction of the worst dynamic range in my collection--average DR5, ranging from DR4 to DR6. Five of twelve tracks clip. Here is an artist who clearly is gunning for the earbud market. |
Phil Collins’ "Testify" CD (Atlantic, 2002) has the dubious distinction of the worst dynamic range in my collection--average DR5, ranging from DR4 to DR6. Five of twelve tracks clip. Here is an artist who clearly is gunning for the earbud market. I wouldn’t be too hasty to blame the artist even though he’s probably very deaf after all that drumming, more the ones behind him and the ones behind the re-release marketing getting everything compressed, aiming for the earbud/ipod/car/background music. Trouble is, it’s these later re-issues, that the streaming/download companies use to sell to the public!! Cheers George |
Bob Stuart (May, 2017): "MQA provides the opportunity to deliver the exact sound heard from the real master without actually putting the crown jewels out there to be stolen." Protecting the "crown jewels" (maintaining control) was the whole pitch to the labels. Streaming is a convenience, not a replacement for CD. You only need to look so far as eBay and the like, to see how many pre-owned streamers are for sale. |
