The use of dynamic range (over)compression in most popular recordings is an old story and one of the reasons that audiophiles tend to use recordings of music played on acoustic instruments with minimal compression as a basis for judging the sound of an audio system.

Also the use of dynamic range compression is just one of the many ways that modern recordings are butchered. Digital manipulation of the sound, digital compression, poor mastering and poor use of multi-track recording are just some of the other culprits in the assault on good sound.

The answer: don't buy these recordings.

Good article!

Not only does it highlight our concerns for sound quality, but it provides a glimmer of hope -- that's the first I heard of the Turn It Up! movement.

I seem to recall that records were once released in different versions - the single was shorter than the album version so it would fit on a 45. Were there not also different mixes for each version -- the radio version with more compression and mid-range bias?

Market fragmentation is a feature of our age, so why not both an iPod and an audiophile version of a recording?

I suppose the SACD movement is an attempt to address this issue, but if it didn't require a different player, there may be more chance of success.

How about a CD that can play on different sides with a different mix (like widescreen and regular DVDs) or choose your download version?

Wes posted that link in his blog a couple of days ago:

http://blog.stereophile.com/wesphillips/122807loudness/

Besides restricting the dynamic range or recordings, I bet they restrict the frequency range too. The majority of the listeners are listening with bandwidth limited equipment and if they played full audio bandwidth data it would overload their system to the point of making it unlistenable. Marketing dictates selling to the majority.

Quote:
Robert Levine in Rolling Stone.

Clicky Here

Chaps

I have a different slant on this.

It

Given that hard drives and flash drives are still increasing in capacity, on computers and in iPods/etc --
and that broadband connectivity is becoming more widespread too -- doesn't it seem like much of the reason for compression to MP3's is going away? Shouldn't these developments allow for increasing bitrates in the future?seems like the

How do you propose one gets to listen to their favourite artists music? One of the releases mentioned was Rush - Vapor Trails and the cd is the only medium available to the best of my knowledge so what's a guy to do?

Quote:
How do you propose one gets to listen to their favourite artists music? One of the releases mentioned was Rush - Vapor Trails and the cd is the only medium available to the best of my knowledge so what's a guy to do?

Go ahead and buy the CD and then go onto the official Rush website (I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure that they have an "official" website) and complain about the dismal sound of the CD. Probably won't do much good but hey, it can't hurt.

Also rip the CD onto your hard drive using the default settings in iTunes and then listen to the CD on the type of audio equipment it was made for: an iPod with earbuds or with iTunes via crappy computer speakers. Save listening on your main rig for better sounding recordings.

Quote:

I am somewhat heartened by the appearance of the article. Robert Levine is a well-known and respected music writer. The article appears in a mainstream magazine.

Yup. He reviews recordings for another mainstream publication: Stereophile. He was also my editor at the now defunct andante.com.

jason victor serinus

Thanks for the link Elk. Just got around to reading it- not new, but there seems to be a glimmer of hope with the growing backlash about MP3 sound and CD compression. Now...I think I'll go put on another record...aaaaahhh.