Digital media or vinyl?

Anarchist420

Diamond Member
Feb 13, 2010
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Which do you like better? I like the way vinyl sounds better in general (better highs and mid range), but digital media can be made to sound nearly as good if mastering is good, if processing is used intuitively, if the amp you use is warm sounding with a wide range, and if you have speakers that do good mids and highs.

So digital media is better IMO because it is more flexible. You can skip to your favorite tracks, which you can't do on vinyl.
 

WildW

Senior member
Oct 3, 2008
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You can skip to your favourite tracks on vinyl. You just have to be able to count the rings and get off your backside.

Are we doing "digital media" meaning mp3 or those new-fangled compact discs? I find I'm buying more CDs these days than I have in a long time. I have a small vinyl collection because I like the pictures of giant guitar-shaped spaceships on the covers.
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
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The problem with music today is not so much the medium but how it's mastered. Especially as songs are mixed to give loudness top priority today. Which is why old vinyl and CDs sound better than new CDs and MP3s. Bumping up the volume at track level causes clipping, which cuts out punchier sounds and muddies the music.

Even a 256kbit AAC file can sound good with correct mastering. Problem is so few are.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,359
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The problem with music today is not so much the medium but how it's mastered. Especially as songs are mixed to give loudness top priority today. Which is why old vinyl and CDs sound better than new CDs and MP3s. Bumping up the volume at track level causes clipping, which cuts out punchier sounds and muddies the music.

Even a 256kbit AAC file can sound good with correct mastering. Problem is so few are.

You are correct.
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
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Years ago, someone asked a question on Goldmine - US Colletor's magazine:

"What should I buy? CDs or LPs?"

Goldmine answer was:

"If you want just to listen to a music - buy CDs...If you want to listen to a music and to own a piece of History - buy LPs"...

My main music collection are LPs, But my stereo(TT, Amp, Speakers) isn't as good as my DAC player HifiMan 601 player and HfiMan RE-262 earphones....

All albums are different...I'm not big fan of Steve Wonder, but lately I do listen a lot to "Songs In The Key Of Life" - not only good music, but production, sound is incredible...
I did like Def Leppard 1st 2 albums, can not listen to these anymore - sound, production is terrible...

I'm getting recently more into Jazz music...no wonder, that most audiophile bought gear are to listen to classical or jazz music....I like some Vocal Jazz, Pop Jazz...

anything below losseless - mp3 - just if I can not get on flac and I want to listen to it very, very, very badly....

When I see people BUY mp3 music, I just wonder, how legal Music Industry FRAUD is....

HD Tracks sell higher than CD quality music at reasonable prices
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
1
71
The problem with music today is not so much the medium but how it's mastered. Especially as songs are mixed to give loudness top priority today. Which is why old vinyl and CDs sound better than new CDs and MP3s. Bumping up the volume at track level causes clipping, which cuts out punchier sounds and muddies the music.

I would not want fully to agree on this. Today, a lot of musicians do produce music themselves - they have their own recording studios, equipment to produce an album...
But I do have another tought...I don't think, that musicians can be perfect from writing, playing and recording music..and producing an album...Maybe some other people should be involved in this process - to make it sound better...

Even a 256kbit AAC file can sound good with correct mastering. Problem is so few are.

Even ANY 320 can NOT sound good - not close as ALAC or FLAC....
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
97,032
16,250
126
given storage is cheap, just rip your CDs to flac and call it a day.

too bad DVD-A died.
 

Gintaras

Golden Member
Dec 28, 2000
1,892
1
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too bad DVD-A died.

It haven't...I do see a lot of DVD Audio rips - in flac...

Do I care about these? NO...

A lot are from 70's, 80's....
5.1, DTS audio - just synthesized audio...not how it were recorded...
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
97,032
16,250
126
It haven't...I do see a lot of DVD Audio rips - in flac...

Do I care about these? NO...

A lot are from 70's, 80's....
5.1, DTS audio - just synthesized audio...not how it were recorded...

err, most have stereo mixes too. The DTS thing is just crap DTS put out.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,060
576
126
I buy vinyl 90% of the time. Plus Amazon gives you a digital file anyway so that makes it easy to have a copy for the car. I can't lose!