By Michael Laurance
http://shoestringaudiophile.blogspot.com/ As a guy in my late forties, the record player, turntable as we prefer, is not a new novelty. It’s how I grew up listening to music. It was my introduction to all the great things in life. For me, it never went away. I never threw mine in the trash and went without. There has always been, and will always be, a turntable in my system. In fact, there are no less than 4 of them running in my home. Yes, I’m addicted. Is it the sound quality? Is it the tactile feel? Is it the pure tangibility? Yes, yes, and yes. There is just something so real and cathartic about a record turning at 33-and-a-third revolutions-per-minute in front of me. I find it very soothing. Unlike a CD, the record doesn’t disappear into the player. It’s a constant visual, turning and giving back to you. It’s therapeutic, somehow. Read More...
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By Jeffrey Collazo
On September 3, 2017, just 20 days short of Steely Dan’s 40th anniversary of the release of their landmark recording, Aja, co-founder Walter Becker passed away, which is ironic as this album marked the pinnacle of Steely Dan’s creativity. So much ink has been spilled on the significance of this record. To understand and appreciate it, let’s delve into why this is a standout among millions of recordings.
By Juan C. Ayllon
Late last night, my wife, Belle, and I watched our old favorite standby, Saving Private Ryan, on DVD. Explosions rocked the room, but as beleaguered soldiers stormed Omaha Beach, her brows furrowed.
"This doesn't sound as good as it used to in our old house!" she announced. "The sound of bullets would wiz over our heads and surround us, but now it's all up front!"
By Ethan Winer
Guest Columnist http://ethanwiner.com/
There's a lot of interest in "high definition" (HD) audio by both audiophiles and professional recording engineers. Standard CD-quality recording uses a sample rate of 44.1 KHz with a bit depth of 16 bits. Sampling at 44.1 KHz allows capturing frequencies slightly higher than the accepted upper limit of around 20 KHz (for young people), and 16 bits provides a very low noise floor 96 dB below the music. Many tests over the years have concluded that nobody can reliably identify CD-quality versus higher resolutions, yet some people still believe that HD audio sounds better, with more realism and clarity. This belief is driven by two myths: 1) ultrasonic freqencies can affect frequencies we do hear, and 2) having 24 bits affords more resolution than 16 bits because there are more vertical "steps" between each sample's volume level. But neither belief is true - ultrasonic frequencies don't interact in the audible range unless distortion is present, and digital audio is continuous without steps. The only thing bit depth affects is the level of background noise.
One potential objection by HD enthusiasts to formal tests is that people are forced to listen through an unfamiliar system in an unfamiliar room. Another objection is they might be stressed from being put under pressure to "perform" while being tested. So I created sample files people can download and play in the comfort of their own environment, to learn if they really can hear a difference between CD-quality and HD audio at 24 bits and 96 KHz. You'll play these files through your own loudspeakers or headphones as often as you'd like, until you believe you can tell which file in each pair is the HD version. This avoids being put on the spot in front of others at a formal blind test, or missing some small detail you might have heard had you been able to play the files a few more times. Read more.... |
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March 2024
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