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Digital done right will be better than LP playback

203.117.146.138

Posted by jeromelang on June 7, 2004 at 22:07:30

In Reply to: Re: The problem is not digital recording posted by DaveV on June 7, 2004 at 20:32:17:

Here's the test in case you are interested to know:

Play a CD, any CD, but preferrably a dense mix with ample ambience recorded. Any of these CD titles listed here would be ideal for the test:

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat, track 3 and 7
CCR - Cosmo Factory, track 5,6,7,9
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms, track 4
Dire Straits - On Every Street, track 9
Eagles - Hell Freezes Over, track 10

Start by playing the selected CD. Use a preceeding track first, and not the ones listed here. Let it play through to the desired track, or if you are impatient, after 30 seconds, use the skip forward key to advanced to the desired listed here. You may then play this track to its entirety or just for 2 minutes. Take note of the sound, its timbre reproduction, the scale of the presentation, the transparency. Stop play.

At this point, if you have a mute button on your pre-amp, use it to mute the output.

Next open and close disc tray to cache the ROM. Now select the test track using the numerical key. If it is the track 4 of Dire Straits Brothers in Arms, press number 4 on your remote control. Do not use any of the skip keys.

Watch the counter on your CD player tick. At the 12th seconds point, hit the skip back key to repeat the track. Do not use the numerical keys.

Unmute the pre-amp. Compare the sound you hear against the sound you heard before.

If you hear a change. Congratulate yourself.

Your system pass the test.

How you select the track on a CD affects the reproduction sound quality. The problem happens at the beginning of every track on an optical disc. At this point I can only speculate that this is a operating software problem related to the TOC reading. You name it, every digital player and transport I have tried has this problem - Accuphase, Audio Mecca, Bow, Burmester, Forsell, CEC, Gamut, Naim, Sony, Marantz, Musical Fidelity, Philips, Pioneer, .... The reason why a dense mix is preferred for this test is because, jitter, induced by this problem tend to reduce the player's ability to separate out all the different elements in the mix, fusing fundamental notes and their subsequent reverbs and harmonics. This is what causes the "harshness" that is often attributed to all thing digital.

See my previous post about this issue:

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.pl?forum=hirez&n=134771&highlight=Downside&session=

So you think this justify that LP is better? Not so. If anything, LP is even worse. With digital you can much more easily overcome this problem with your hand-held remote (if you got a open/close button that is) without ever lifting your butt from your comfy sofa. The problem with LP playback (note: I say LP playback) is that needle/groove interaction that is at the heart of its very information retrival process, needs to be overcome physically.

We got the humble little Aiwa coming in a few months time....

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