Listening test - do you prefer CD or vinyl version

Which file do you prefer, by listening?

  • 1.wav

    Votes: 12 35.3%

  • a.wav

    Votes: 20 58.8%

  • They both sound same

    Votes: 2 5.9%
  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .
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#81
Or a kind of sentiment? 😉

I have Beatles vinyls from 1960's (I am old enough to collect them as a boy) and some of the new releases and frankly, I prefer, re sound, the latest mono reissue.
On the other hand, I do have newest mono reissue of the 1st Doors album, The Doors, and it does not sound good. But, I have no original from 1967 of this record, so I cannot compare.
 
#83
Pavel, I can tell the cuts off my CD of the Doors Greatest Hits and the pristine original vinyl of LA Woman were are very similar. The LP version is more relaxed, more chill than the CD. As one would expect.
 
#84
PMA said:
And, you guys are not supposed to listen to this test or to any vinyls with headphones 🙂
You sit in your armchair, that is at least 3 m from your big, floorstanding loudspeakers. You make your cup of coffee, sit down and start listening 😉
Click to expand...

That's what I did. No looking at files on the PC or turning it up at quiet bits to try and hear rumble or snap crackle and pop.

I thought the tranklements (that's a new word for you 😉) at the end of my voted for piece were better defined.
 
#87
PMA:

thanks, that was fun.
is the question to say which you prefer or guess which is CD (vs vinyl)?
with simple "relaxed" listening , i preferred 1.
i'll try critical listening at some point and see if my preference changes.
i wouldn't venture to guess which was CD.
🙂
mlloyd1
 
#89
I prefer (and voted for) the vinyl version, but only by a very small margin. While the music is great, they both sound … well … horrible. The vinyl can be identified (by listening) at lower levels (e.g. at the end), although it is remarkably low noise.

IMHO the CD version is actually a (LAME-encoded) MP3, which is quite clearly revealed if you look at the spectrogram.
 
#90
There is something (difficult to define exactly what) slightly irritating on one file, so I preferred the other, which is more consistent, and I belive that is the CD version. Strange, because usually I prefer vinyl over CD if I can choose.
 
#92
Pano said:
Release the key sometime late Sunday, I'd say. That would be Sunday night for you, Sunday morning for me, Sunday afternoon for the North and South Americans. 🙂
Click to expand...

1 : a : sound same = 8 : 18 : 2 by now.

File 1.wav is recorded from 2013 MC records vinyl reissue, # 534 196-3. When buying the record, there is a code for free digital download of the album. So, a.wav is from that digital download. The digital download is in 320 kbps mp3. I have transferred this 320 kbps mp3 to 16-bit/44.1kHz wav, which resulted in the a-wav in this test.

I have compared the 320 kbps mp3 digital download with the same track on MCA 1991 MCD 17756 CD issue. It has the same content, with the only major exception – data above 16kHz. 320Kbps mp3 is more or less extracting this information.

The a.wav file was modified regarding gain, to match the volume as close to 1.wav as possible. This was done based on average rms level of the whole file.
 
#93
PMA said:
1 : a : sound same = 8 : 18 : 2
Click to expand...

If we do file analysis (which I don't), I believe "a" has many things to like. But if we can hear accurately, I believe "1" has more to offer.

But the higher resolution of "1" is a double-edge sword. It can be ruthless to the ears. Especially with recordings of such low quality.

Preference test is better performed with recording that is preferred by the participants, including the quality. So modern recording (such as Britney Spears) is more suitable than a vintage remaster.
 
#94
Hmm, I guessed correctly after all. My audio ego survives another day. 🙂

But we can also conclude that these were taken from different masters, right? I could understand minor differences in frequency balance caused by even an excellent phono stage/ cartridge setup, but there are also differences in compression between the two that are audible and observable. I've never heard of a phono stage doing that.

Not that this is a bad thing of course - I just assume from this that the download is from the CD master, and there was a separate treatment for the LP pressing. Just means they did it right, right?

-- Jim
 
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