Why do you think that rap music don`t need HD studio recordings ?,
btw, it is paradox but from my experience to get real good sound of some rock band which include distorted lead guitar sound you need very HQ home audio system .
Actually, if one cares more about actual fidelity than fashion, fantasy, or hucksterism, it's cheaper now than ever before. Not good for your business model, but terrific for consumers. Sources indistinguishable from the masters are now commodity, and in the past 5-10 years, speakers have undergone a revolution. This is the golden age.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of the LP are the decades lost to mediocrity. Compare one Decca Phase 4 Stereo LP from the late 60ies and early 70ies with their contemporary other brand LPs, you cannot fail to notice the difference. All this means is that very high quality recrdings were available for a long time, but for "business model" to quote SY they were never produced en masse. Then the loudness wars came on, and that was it, a step back rather than forward, years lost.
Other parallels can also be drawn. Compare the first (cca 1984-1986) and a part of the second generation (cca 1986-1988) CD players and you may well come to the disappointing conclusion that the first generatio CD players, despite almost rudimentary technology inside, acrually sounded better as more true to life. True, a part of the reason for this was that it was the new medium and CDs needed to be produced well, but still. Too many "business models" in the way.
Other parallels can also be drawn. Compare the first (cca 1984-1986) and a part of the second generation (cca 1986-1988) CD players and you may well come to the disappointing conclusion that the first generatio CD players, despite almost rudimentary technology inside, acrually sounded better as more true to life. True, a part of the reason for this was that it was the new medium and CDs needed to be produced well, but still. Too many "business models" in the way.
Let's say that: For ME it is more expensive today than it once was to get the best fidelity possible in the home. I certainly can't make a 'bargain' audio product, even with IC's that is as good as the 'best' as heard by independent listeners.
Recently, I added an ultra tweeter that improves the sound of my Wilson Sasha loudspeakers. It wasn't a cheap upgrade, that's for sure, but worth it with the finest sources, (not CD, or TV) or even most FM, BUT when the source is right, it becomes worth the effort to add it. Most of the time I leave it off, especially with standard program material.
Recently, I added an ultra tweeter that improves the sound of my Wilson Sasha loudspeakers. It wasn't a cheap upgrade, that's for sure, but worth it with the finest sources, (not CD, or TV) or even most FM, BUT when the source is right, it becomes worth the effort to add it. Most of the time I leave it off, especially with standard program material.
First generation where done by engineers that want it to sound good . Second gen was for the unwashed masses. The business model is driven by those who do business for those who buy . Good enough is good enough for those with no passion about doing great work. Tubes to transistors then LP followed by CD have the same history as to quality . When ever there a change in type of design used first a drop because it different, then as the learning curve is climbed improvement happen. Then the cost controls kick in and thing become mediocre . If your lucky some driven people over come and thing get to live up to what it could be.
The error here is conflation of what commercially is done to the master versus taking the master and reproducing it in the home. The latter is the issue here, not the former- we can't do anything about esthetic and marketing decisions by the artists and producers on what that master contains.
We can do something if we are serious :
https://www.change.org/p/music-streaming-services-bring-peace-to-the-loudness-war
A project initiated by Bob Katz. Sign the petition for better sound!
Jan
https://www.change.org/p/music-streaming-services-bring-peace-to-the-loudness-war
A project initiated by Bob Katz. Sign the petition for better sound!
Jan
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I am referring to the traditional sources rather than the music/quality. Those sources are fading away. Replaced by other technologies for the main stream distribution.
Me? I like being able to hear first gen masters with minimal processing (a la HD) But I havent thrown away any legacy gear either... except LP and cassette.
THx-RNMarsh
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Erm. most HD re-releases are 're-mastered' for classic albums and new stuff is often squashed to death. So surely your choice is somewhat limited?
There is no doubt that we live in the 'golden age' wrt to POTENTIAL recording quality. No doubt about it, modern turntables, carts and DAC's offer performance only dreamed of 30 years ago.
However, when it comes to implementation, mass marketing and consumerism have gutted the quality out of most products sold as high fi. I've worked with some of these people and beneath the plastic and cheap veneer it's truly shocking. Not for nothing were the Japanese one of the first to introduce 'extended warranty' programs - their high volume consumer audio products aren't designed to last years.
Luckily there is still a market for quality products aimed at enthusiasts who have deep pockets and don't necessarily buy on specs but on 'brand appeal'.
However, when it comes to implementation, mass marketing and consumerism have gutted the quality out of most products sold as high fi. I've worked with some of these people and beneath the plastic and cheap veneer it's truly shocking. Not for nothing were the Japanese one of the first to introduce 'extended warranty' programs - their high volume consumer audio products aren't designed to last years.
Luckily there is still a market for quality products aimed at enthusiasts who have deep pockets and don't necessarily buy on specs but on 'brand appeal'.
Earlier Sy was saying that current speakers have improved over what we had in the past. I am wondering at what level he is talking about? I find it hard to believe that most commodity speakers from the likes of JBL, Klipsch, or most any other speaker that is aimed at the consumer has changed in the least in the past couple of decades. Now if he is talking about improved xo networks I can follow that but the basic devices don't seem to have changed and surely a cheap particle board enclosure hasn't changed except for the industrial design aspects. I'm not even convinced that raw drivers from companies such as Dynaudio or Scan Speak are much different than they were in the late 90's except for the incorporation of Neo magnetic material. What major improvements are we talking about here?
Not heard the JBL LSR series, or the new Elacs that people are raving about, but does seen you can get an awful lot of speaker for not much money these days and the law of diminishing returns cuts in a lot earlier. than it used to. Even the JBL M2 at 20k including amps, whilst expensive, is a lot of tech for the money.
But what do I know? I use 25 year old ribbon hybrids 🙂
But what do I know? I use 25 year old ribbon hybrids 🙂
The day I spend 20K on speakers has not come.
BTW talking about losing respect for someone who does know better...
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No joke: we're going to need some serious post-Great War Germany levels of inflation before I'll ever hit that day.
Even *if* there was some sort of "more money == population-wide preference" (however marginal), 20 kilobucks is a decent car, or a very nice family-wide trip overseas.
I'm clearly not the market.
I'm not the market either BUT the M2 what the JBL brains think is the 'best' that they can currently make. The Wilson Sasha2 is $30k and still needs an amp. The Sasha is the cheapest floor stander in the wilson range. So by some set of value calculations the JBL is good value. Certainly next to 100k+ bespoke behemoths. But at some point value breaks down when you hit the 'luxury' category, where consumption is what matters not how well it works.
I haven't even ever spent 20K on a car!
I haven't even ever spent 20K on a car!
Scott,
We really just don't....,
The outlet is upside down! The recent versions of the National Electrical Code call for the safety ground pin to be above the other two pins in a wall mounted socket. It also is not suitable for residential use under the current code as it is not tamper resistant. (That means no plastic doors on the power terminals.)
So you should be able to get such mis-marked junk quite cheaply. 🙂
FYI http://www.mrsupply.com/hubbell-hbl...cznHk7WxaH8abpG8kWnMQj8CqRBw1pGWecaAmbB8P8HAQ The real McCoy is more than $25.00.
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Bill,
I just got the P.O. for a single pair of three way loudspeakers for 28K. Actually a good deal. They will cover the entire lower level end of a stadium. They handle a bit more 5,000 watts of power.
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