Noticed something interesting tonight, analog affect?

pretty nice bunch of replies for a post about analog sound on here. I was kind of relieved to see the tension level go down. True, a few of us told the OP he didn't really experience what he experienced, but even those folks were generally nice about it. Maybe there is hope for us.

 

naw

 

That's odd as I do remember hearing it on the radio, the only place I would've heard it, back in 67-8. If I heard it on the radio in 72, which I'm sure I did, I probably assumed it was just played as a standard on FM. That was the year I graduated high school so I was hearing a lot of FM radio.

 

Maybe it was because the cassettes were mixed like your guests were used to hearing the songs on cassettes, radio and LP's years ago. Back in the day bought Alan Parson "I Robot" on vinyl and always liked it. I gave it away many years ago and have since bought it on CD, DVD-A, and SACD and never really enjoyed it. Then the other day I bought a copy of the original LP in a thrift store for $2.00. Immediately after it starting playing I felt taken back in time... THIS was the version I had played hundreds of times and is seared into my memory .. this is how it was SUPPOSED to sound. I listened to the whole album and have done so several times since enjoying it every time. I went back and compared it to the other versions I have and I can't say that the actual sounds quality was a lot different but the mixes certainly are. I think the first version of music you hear, especially if listened to a lot in the past, will always sound better.

 

No, I did not announce it nor was it really noticed visibly that I had changed formats.

 

Earlier tonight I got to talk to one guy that was at the get together and he's more of a music guy than most of the other folks that were there, ( I only know him casually, he came with a friend I know much moreso) and he said that when he was playing pool and heard A Horse With No Name playing he got distracted from his pool game by trying to listen more attentively to the music, and when the next cut came on, Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress he just handed his pool cue to someone else who had been waiting to play to finish the game for him and he went and sought out a good listening spot.

He did say he was not aware of the format change, as he had earlier saw only the CD's I had laid out to play. He found it kind of funny that a cassette caught his ear so easily and quickly as he has always been of the mindset that cassettes are sub par, he's big into vinyl, some CD's and hi res digital.

He's not saying he's a convert now from this, but next time he stops over he want's to hear some needle drops of records I have made tapes of which he also has the same exact records in his collection. It's got his curiosity piqued.

 

Yeah, like I said, I missed it the first time around as I was a bit young in 1967, so when Nights In White Satin re-charted and got a lot of airplay in 1972 I was of the impression it was a new release, it was only when I bought the album did I discover it was from 1967, I was a bit shocked really.

And when you think about, I don't feel/think that song sounds like it belongs to/in 1967, it just does not seem to fit the music of that era IMO, but considering the uniqueness of the whole album it makes sense.

 

To be fair I think you need to start with cassettes some night and see if people sit down to listen. Most similar parties I have been to there seems to be a point where the lure of the table games Peter out.

 

Naw...I'm good. I have heard digital gear that was more than the cats meow. Clearly it sounds wonderful, no noise just music and very powerful sound...Like I said has nothing to do with what is better, for me its what is more engaging to get me to simply sit down and listen to the music.

The cash I would have to layout to come remotely close on a digital system is not something I want to do......Having to rebuy all my rekkids on digital and really would have to be 24bit hi-res, which very little of what I listen to is on hi-res or even DSD, seriously I have ZERO desire to do that. The thought of downloading a DSD file is well not something I have any interest in.

Thanks for the offer....I love what I have.

 

This is likely the reason for the vinyl revival.

 

I would say its more to do with 20 years of loud,compressed,brickwalled mastering..Digital is not 'hard' .But a lot of modern recordings are.

 

Yup, I get that response quite often, no use hearing something that might change your mind.

 

My friend noticed that vinyl brings people together. When he's streaming music off of, say Spotify, or even the regular radio, it's just background music. But pull out the records and people start requesting songs, checking the LPs out, etc. It's nice

 

This thread reminded me of an experience I had a number of years ago, back when I was of the naive mindset that CDs were the ultimate format. One night I decided to play an LP of John Lennon's "Wall and Bridges," and there was something undeniably captivating about the sound. My impression at that time was that it felt the same way it did in the '70s when I would play a favorite record. It wasn't just the music, there was something else that stimulated my memory.

 

The tone and "air" around the music is particular to vinyl playback (imo). Sometimes cds just sound like you are listening to music over a telephone or something.

 

It's really hard to articulate, but when you hear it, you hear it. I had a difficult time forming the post that you quoted, and I still don't think that I expressed it 100% clearly.

 

Yeah, some things are hard to describe. If someone plays a violin, what did you hear? (someone playing the violin?, doesn't really describe the sound, does it?...)
But if it is a recording, and it REALLY sounds like a violin, you still have the same problem.

 

As far as I can tell, you have some pretty world class equipment. I have no doubts that your digital playback sounds much better than my analog and if I were to sit in your listing room I would sit quietly if not slack jawed and be very happy. The true comparison would be if you had an analog chain that was on par with your digital and went between the two.

My analog and digital is pretty close in quality to my ears and I have seen a different attention span given to the analog by visitors to the listening room.

I might be weird in that I really don't see it as an either or proposition. I like having the different flavors and many times different content to choose from. I picked up a couple original Black Sabbath Vertigo label LP's this past week and I don't have any CD's that sound like that.

 

You still do not get it nor are reading what I am saying. Does it "sound" better than what I have? Quite possible, and in most cases I agree.....Is it more engaging...NO!

 

You still don't get it,until you've heard it how do you know?
I've been to Tim's many times,his digital rig is equally as engaging as his analog rig is/was. imo,and that's coming from an analog die hard.
His SME 30/12 was one of the best tables i've heard,by the way.

 

Seems you don't read posts either......I already said I have heard digital systems that are the cats meow. Systems that would make your wallet run with fear, but I digress because you cannot put a price on what your mind and body feel when listening to music. It's not just about pressing the PLAY button. I have no doubt what he has is engaging for him, he would not have spent the time and money to assemble the system if it did not.

Don't misunderstand me, I am not one of those "analog/vinyl is the only way to go and digital suxs", again read my posts, I already stated that I have always felt digital should be KING! But a las as of today it is not, still has a ways to go IMHO.

 

It's the hiss (analog white noise).

 

Yep, that too.

 

My sincerest apologies if I miss read your post, it was not my intention.