General Forum

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

PD — Fri, 04 May 2007 03:29:56 GMT

Peter:
Off to the Sage tonight to listen to something live though! A little Bach , I believe followed by dinner on the Quayside!

What Bach did you hear? I sang the St. John Passion on Sunday night (sadly not as the Evangelist!) - I love that work.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

soundproof — Thu, 03 May 2007 18:23:33 GMT

He-he. The conductor Daniel Harding was ecstatic when he tried out the Advanced Sound System in an S8. He claimed that he would spend all his free time in the car, if he owned such a system - and that it was better than what he had at home.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Christian — Thu, 03 May 2007 16:14:47 GMT

Puncher:

On the same tack I've never understood why people spend a fotune on in-car "hifi" (not just the kids with the ridiculous boom boxes etc) and I would include the Audi A8 in this group. Firstly there will always be engine, tyre and wind noise to raise lower the signal to noise ratio to way below what would be acceptable for "hifi" listening and then there is the environment - surrounded on all four sides with glass (probably the most reflective of surfaces) and multiple speaker feeds for a stereo signal (compare against the often run thread comparing four speaker vs two speaker music playback).
Just how "hifi" can it be. I'm sure its just the Marketing bods stealing our money in yet another underhanded fashion

In connection with the Struer trip, we all had a chance to hear the Audi A8, and I must say, the design of the soundstage was just unbeliveable. The sound was superiour to anything I have ever head, and I mus say, that I am convinced that the 6000 €s is well spend, especially if you use alot of time in you car everyday commuting.

Anyway, the car is just anoter Link Room

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Alex — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:50:00 GMT

Listening to music properly is always through my CD7000 or Planar 3, MP3 or other compressed audio does not come close to lossless in a direct comparison, unless you start to get up to 320 kbps.

When I had my iPod Mini, it was 128k MP3. Once I got an 80 gb, I moved up to 192k AAC, which was a pretty huge difference. However, one song which REALLY suffers from compression (badly) is Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing. The reverb used on the drums warbles even at 256 (the level I use), and the track has fantastic bass.

However, the album I always use as an all-round hifi test, is Fleetwood Mac's Rumours (recorded at Sausalito by the way). I know this album like the back of my hand, and even 320k AAC of this sounds a little bit 'dull' in comparison to an AIF rip.

Although as Peter says, nothing like live music! Especially with modern music, nothing gets near the energy of being with a load of other fans in a hot, sweaty club...

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Peter — Thu, 03 May 2007 12:09:21 GMT

I record at 320kbps and in a blind trial, cannot tell the difference. Probably down to cloth ears but it has the advantage that I listen to music on anything. Quite happy with my Sony cassette CD and also my Pentas! Off to the Sage tonight to listen to something live though! A little Bach , I believe followed by dinner on the Quayside!

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

beobeo — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:50:21 GMT

Great post.

I only go for original CD's, the same way I always bought vinil albums rather than recording them on tapes. When I bought my BS9000 back in 2001 this philosofy was even more enphasized. I cannot bear the sight of a non-original CD through the immaculate cristal of the BS. So my ears are only used to CDs. I really enjoy the act of openning the CD case and reading the booklet, in original printing. I understand some people may not notice big difference between sources. Even myself I'm not sure I could find a big difference. But I'm happy with the way I enjoy music. I'm planning to upgrade my beolabs to BL9's so I guess I won't change my mind in the near future.

IMHO having expensive music gear and listening extensively from poor sources it's like eating a Too Bacon burger with large fries and then drinking Coca Cola light and pretending to loose weight. Which, by the way, many people do.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Craig — Thu, 03 May 2007 11:10:35 GMT

When I started riping all my CD's to my PC, I did a back to back test of a track at 128mbps and the original CD. Both played through my Beocenter9000. There was a slight difference. Now as most others seem to do, I use mp3's for background listening. CD's and Vinyl for more serious listening.

Craig

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Kevin — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:10:29 GMT

Justin:
There's something about living with something as well, eventually you don't miss the difference as you get used to a lower quality - until you hear it properly!!

Good point.

With the number of ipods etc around, with the emphasis on how many tracks you can cram into it I think we'll need to start a Real Music campaign soon!

Or should we all just go back to viynl which we all know is far superior a listening experience

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Dave — Thu, 03 May 2007 10:00:34 GMT

I'll shut my mouth now. You are right, and i have not tested the difference on beolab 5's for instance.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Tom — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:56:46 GMT

I only use MP3s on my BS3, but at least at 256 kbs, as I listen to it a lot using my A8s. I could imagine playing MP3s via a BS4 in the living room, but then only as background music.

I will always buy an album I like, because I think that you have to own an album you love, not just have it as an MP3!!! (Nietzsche: You have to own a book you love)

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

soundproof — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:53:21 GMT

Ah. Wish you were here right now. I put Pandora on, sent it to the speakers, and one of my favourite tracks of Tord Gustavsen Trio came up. Listened to it for a while, then I switched to the Lossless I have on my computer. Laughably big difference between the two. Pandora is OK for background listening I guess, when you're moving about - but all the details, nuances, phrasing of the tones was gone from the track. And the music grew from coming out of a box (Pandora's?) to being created by three musicians in a room.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Justin — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:43:54 GMT

There's something about living with something as well, eventually you don't miss the difference as you get used to a lower quality - until you hear it properly!!

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

soundproof — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:40:42 GMT

philipsmz333:
Well said, and i used A8 Earphones to test... that in my opinion was the best way to test this.

I would say, essentially what really matters is that we are satisfied, however we may listen to our music.

Agreed on the satisfaction point. Don't know whether I'm with you on the A8s as the best way to test this, though. They're good earphones, but they're kind of scaled down to a reduced musical experience, nonetheless.
The benefits of full resolution music become apparent when you are able to experience the details and weight of the soundstage, and that requires speakers. Full resolution music creates a better, more threedimensional soundstage - height, width, depth. It's extremely noticeable.

Here's my simple take on this. You can buy Tiramisu in a plastic cup out of the freezer at the supermarket - and you can have it served to you in a good Italian restaurant, made there. If you have eaten good Tiramisu, then the supermarket one will benefit from your memory of that good experience; if you haven't, then you don't know what you've been missing out on and you'll think you're eating Tiramisu.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

Dave — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:22:08 GMT

Well said, and i used A8 Earphones to test... that in my opinion was the best way to test this.

I would say, essentially what really matters is that we are satisfied, however we may listen to our music.

Re: Which do you think is winning us over?

soundproof — Thu, 03 May 2007 09:17:25 GMT

It is a mystery.

I have, however, tried it in various settings, in proper listening rooms and with a variety of listeners (also from one CD - though I have wanted to emulate how people actually listen, which is often from computers/iPods). Simply because I wanted to be "certain" before I began making extravagant claims. The quality of and placement of your speakers matters quite a lot, by the way, as do the reflective properties of the room you are listening in.

And that is an important point. If your listening environment and speakers aren't right, then it really doesn't matter to coax more out of your source. But there's more there, if you are willing to savour it.