A pet peeve of mine is the apparent lack of a recording standard for sound level of CDs. There is considerable variability in sound from one CD to the next which I find annoying when listening over my 5-CD changer.
However, I just bought a CD which takes the cake: Paul Creston Symphony No. 5 by the Seattle Symphony; NAXOS 8.559153. Turns out this is a remastered reissue of a recording made in 1991 according to the liner notes. The average sound level is at least 10 dB below the average of most CDs and the quiet passages are virtually inaudible. Also, it sounds like it was recorded by a single MIC located at about row 40 in the auditorium.
This is the absolute worst sound quality CD I own. I bought it out of the NAXOS catalog thru Amazon. Had I bought it locally I would return it. Be forewarned if anyone out there is interested in this recording.
A pet peeve of mine is the apparent lack of a recording standard for sound level of CDs. There is considerable variability in sound from one CD to the next which I find annoying when listening over my 5-CD changer.
However, I just bought a CD which takes the cake: Paul Creston Symphony No. 5 by the Seattle Symphony; NAXOS 8.559153. Turns out this is a remastered reissue of a recording made in 1991 according to the liner notes. The average sound level is at least 10 dB below the average of most CDs and the quiet passages are virtually inaudible. Also, it sounds like it was recorded by a single MIC located at about row 40 in the auditorium.
This is the absolute worst sound quality CD I own. I bought it out of the NAXOS catalog thru Amazon. Had I bought it locally I would return it. Be forewarned if anyone out there is interested in this recording.