Noel Galagher is the worst offender I have come across. He insists on loudness and puts a big damper on some good songs. Suppose he is a product of the 90s when the loudness wars really started with CD taking over.
When hi-res audio stops making sense…
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
I'm playing the 1980s CD after listening to the Qobuz 192 hi-res download of the 2001 remaster. The CD walks all over it. The hi-res version is flat and bland, in comparison.
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
I would go as far as saying (in the best possible taste) that most audio snobs are in need of some therapy.
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
They're coming to take me away .....
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
In the same way that people that appreciate fresh over frozen food are food snobs?
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
Main System
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DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
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Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ
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Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/Questyle M12i
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NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
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NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, TIS, SSP
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
This thread prompted me to make comparisons between Flac rips of CDs I bought in the 80s (prior to the loudness wars) with Qobuz streams which have been remastered in the past ten years. I played selected favourite tracks and in each instance the Qobuz stream was superior to these ears. I was unable to detect any real difference in dynamic range but the remasters sounded more transparent with greater resolution. I was only able to trace a DR for one of the CDs and it was very good. Don't know what the Qobuz DR is, but for a download listed it was poor.
This is my experience and it could be that in recent years dynamic range is receiving more attention in the remastering process, I have read things to this effect, or the CDs I bought in the 80s were poorly mastered. The format was still in its infancy.
This is my experience and it could be that in recent years dynamic range is receiving more attention in the remastering process, I have read things to this effect, or the CDs I bought in the 80s were poorly mastered. The format was still in its infancy.
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NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
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NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, TIS, SSP
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
80's CDs were, in general, poor-sounding. I updated my discs from the likes of King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, Genesis and Mike Oldfield with every remastered edition and every time there were noticeable improvements in playback quality as mastering techniques improved.
Along the way I also went through a series of different codecs for storing my CD's as computer files: WMA, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, ALAC, FLAC and WAV.
I'm very satisfied with the standard of playback I am getting with CD's ripped to WAV files using Exact Audio Copy and then upsampled to 352.8 KHz / 24bit by Volumio.
The likes of Tidal and Qobuz will probably be using the most recently remastered versions of albums at CD quality - and one has to wonder where any higher-than-CD-resolution streaming files are sourced.
Along the way I also went through a series of different codecs for storing my CD's as computer files: WMA, MP3, Ogg Vorbis, ALAC, FLAC and WAV.
I'm very satisfied with the standard of playback I am getting with CD's ripped to WAV files using Exact Audio Copy and then upsampled to 352.8 KHz / 24bit by Volumio.
The likes of Tidal and Qobuz will probably be using the most recently remastered versions of albums at CD quality - and one has to wonder where any higher-than-CD-resolution streaming files are sourced.
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
Something I often wonder, when someone like the Zappa Trust release the whole catalogue in hi res formats I'm inclined to believe that they are the real deal, and they do sound rather good to these Motorhead/Clash/Neubaten pummeled ears. Other 'hi res' offerings though I'm not so convinced about. Basically if the 'new' versions can trace some lineage back to the artist I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.
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Re: When hi-res audio stops making sense…
I have found that the Squeezer app gives a good indication of the dynamic range of an album although it is labelled volume adjustment. The higher the number the greater the amount of compression. I have found that if the number is above 11 sound quality is seriously compromised no matter how good the mastering. Below 8 I find DR to be good, but SQ can still be compromised by the mastering.
Main System
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, TIS, SSP
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ
Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/Questyle M12i
RIP Doc
NVA BMU, P90SA/A80s (latest spec), Cube 1s, TIS, TISC(LS7)
Sonore OpticalRendu, Chord Mscaler & Qutest, Sbooster PSs
Network Acoustics Eno, ifi iPurifier3, AQ JB FMJ, Cisco 2940 & 2960
DH Labs ethernet, BNC & USB cables, Lindy cat 6 US ethernet cable
Second System
NVA P20/ A20, Cubettes, LS3, TIS, SSP
Sonore MicroRendu, Chord Mojo 2 MCRU PSs, AQ Carbon USB cable & JB FMJ
Headphones
Grado SR325e/Chord Mojo, Beyerdynamic Avetho/Questyle M12i
RIP Doc