Stranger wrote:I think that CDs sound much better than LPs. I also think that people of my generation have wamer feelings for LPs because they remind them of their youth, which is supposed to be a better place (although I myself am much happier now than when I was 16...).
That is part of it, well have you actually heard high quality LP playback, a properly set up, high end turntable playing a mint condition record?
Stranger wrote:The only nostalgic associations I have with LPs are (i) after a party you never knew if you could ever use them again, and (ii) they often had a pre-echo, like Leonard's Last Year's Man; I still hear it in my mind when I play the CD....
Pre-echo may be because of the mastering tapes and not the record itself. LPs could not be directly mastered from the original tapes on which the mix was prepared, they first had to copy the tapes though compressors and equalisers and use those tapes for mastering (which is potential for introducing pre-echo), maybe with the exception of the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab half speed masters. Nevertheless, it can also happen on the record itself (groove echo).
I hear Denon produces CD players that make a warmer sound, have a higher bit rate or something. Does anybody know about this, as I need a new 5 carousel changer?
I did some searching but had trouble finding what you heard about, but it would help to know what you (or whoever told you) mean by "warmer" sound (wether you really mean greater sonic purity or (more) Valve/analogue like THD).
it's too geeky for me, but I was reading reviews of CD changers and the reviewer said Denon machines like 390 produced a better sound ( higher sampling rate? does that make sense?) and I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this?
Well, upsampling before conversion to analogue does offer improvement, it provides leeway for a lower order reconstruction filter, oh, and by the way, if you are listening to digital music sources, would you consider a Class D amplifier? I mean, a well designed one.
• I'll do a quick introduction 1st, i'm Victor, 20 years of age, and I am a graphic designer/illustrator.
I am a big Nick Cave fan, and I got introduced to Leonard Cohen trough watching an interview with Nick.
About a week ago i've downloaded "songs of Leonard Cohen" and fell in love with it on 1/2nd listen.
Today i was super lucky to find that album on Ebay(AU) for just $15 + $6 for postage so I immediately bought it.
now to the whole VINYL vs CD argument, here's my two cents.
I am a big fan of vinyl, i won't bother you with a story of how that happened, and no, my parents never had a record player,
but here's basically what I've learned.
• The CD format compresses your favorite music to a format of a square wave, thus losing a great range of frequencies that you
can hear on a well setup, high-end turntable.
• Artists put alot of effort into their albums, a great deal of planning and consideration goes into making an album. At the end of the day
(in my opinion) vinyl is the format music has to be appreciated in, without the luxury of skipping a track if you don't like the intro, an artist
wants you to enjoy their work as a whole piece, not just the single and another track that you kinda like.
Listening to records is a very intimate process, something you won't get from your ipod or cd-player.
With vinyl its not just a matter of pushing a button, its a physical process of actually taking a record out of it's sleeve, giving it a wipe with an anti-static brush
(or if you are a truly dedicated fan, giving it a proper clean), placing a record on the platter, turning on the motor and carefully sending
a needle on a long and joyful journey through some of your favorite music with only a small intermission long enough for you to pour another
glass of wine and flip the record.
• My last point, and this is from a designer point of view, when i buy a cd, i feel kinda ripped off. I get a tiny little book, with a small cover in a nasty, mass produced
plastic case. When i buy vinyl, even though it costs a little extra, I feel as if i'm getting the real deal, some of the records in my collection are beautiful
enough to hang on my wall and be proud of.
Anyhow, this is just my own opinion, in the end it is up to you to chose what you like more.
on another note, i've recently spent $800 on a Linn Sondek lp12 turntable (the analogue savvy ones will know what that is) which was manufactured in the 70's
and should receive it this week. After that i'm still going to have to invest at least $200 into setting it up nicely, and more money on amp and speakers.
After that, I will finally be able to get everything out of my music collection.
Thank you for reading this, and i hope it was if not useful, then at least some what interesting.
Hi Victor
Welcome to Leonard Cohen. I love it that young people like you are keeping vinyl alive. I still drag out and play my old records (the're not collectors items) on special occasions and I love them dearly.
I also agree that buying a CD is just not the same as buying a LP. In those days I had less money and I always picked carefully (but then often decided based on one track, a video clip or an appealing cover). It was a thrill to get an imported record without the censored cover or a cover that folded out or had poster and lyric inserts (the print on the CD inserts are too small for me to read comfortably) or the Police red coloured vinyl. I miss that.
And you're right, I know those albums word for word, song for song, so that when I hear one of those songs today I am like Pavlov's dog waiting for the next song to follow, with the seconds of scratching in between.
However, it's mostly the everyday convenience of the CD stacker in the car and the iPod for me. I get to listen to music all day if I wish, with little effort on my part.
For obvious reasons you'll find many Nick Cave fans here too. The 'Original Seeds' compiliation included 'Avalanche' and Cave has done some great covers of LC songs. Have you had a chance to see the Nick Cave exhibition at the Melbourne Arts Centre?
BM
the art of longing’s over and it’s never coming back
1980 -- Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
1985 -- State Theatre, Melbourne
2008 -- Hamilton, Toronto, Cardiff
2009 -- Rochford Winery, Yarra Valley
2010 -- Melbourne
2013 -- Melbourne, The Hill Winery, Geelong, Auckland
