What if digital had never happened

What do you mean when you say tones have nothing to do with music? I've never heard someone say that.

As far as test tones, they indicate how a system will replay a particular frequency of the music we listen to. If a system cannot properly replay a test tone, how can it be expected to properly handle something more complex, like a piece of music? Do you think some sort of masking/compensation occurs when a piece of music is played?

 

I believe we are actually listening to tones.

 

It was absolutely better for those very reasons.

Besides that, at the very start of CD, my friends and I were convinced that CDs were all going to be audiophile releases for some reason, as the "mastertape" and "half-speed mastering" had been hyped for audiophile releases for some years by that time, since the late '70s as I recall. So somehow we got the idea that there was going to be a blanket step up in SQ across the board.

Ironically, this all coincided with highest quality, quietest vinyl ever produced (in Japan, bear in mind). I can still find dusty vinyl records in junk shops in Japan that were manufactured in the 1970s or 1980s that play silently before I even treat them to a cleaning regimen. It is astounding. It's shame that the these huge vinyl formulation technology advances in Japan went in tandem with Japanese mastering engineers jacking up the EQ, especially the high end to near pain threshold levels.

People who bought lots of records during the latter '70s and early '80s in the US were absolutely primed for CD. I know I was. The domestic US quality control for producing records during that era stunk to high heaven -- noisy, crappy vinyl new out of the shrink wrap -- at the same time music sales were likely at their historic peak as well as when record company profits were at their peak. Great way to say 'thank you' to your customers.

Lousy vinyl quality was another reason people who could afford it were heading to the import section in the record store in the '70s. I recall finding a UK press of one of my favourite, rare Hollies albums in the regular racks at at Tower Records in the mid-70s and scooping it up immediately -- not a second thought. Later on, early '80s, I remember one high-end audio equipment store in my little town had its own little record corner -- only MFSL, Japanese and UK pressings and a small handful of American -- American Gramophone was one label I recall.

I would say audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike were flat primed for CD. In fact, looking back on it now, it really sometimes seems like we'd been funneled into it. What with absoltue crap quality control for records (combined with escalating prices for product shoddy/faulty right out the shrink-wrap), non-stop perfect sound hype, then having records pretty much disappear from the stores by 1988 or (from what I remember), it seems like we experienced one huge push.

Fast forward to 1999 when, after having largely returned to vinyl for SQ, I went into a mall electronics store to see about ordering a Shure V15 cart and the salesguy (it was a Radio Shack I think) flipped out at the cost and said, "WOW, that must be a digital-quality phono cartridge." I just smiled and said thanks for looking up the price.

 

Same issue they review the VPI Prime Scout, IMO a bad review by Art Dudley....The speed was off 3177.4-3177.7Hz, he did not like the clamp nor the mat with the cheesy VPI log.
He talked about how the music he played was so good.....dude how can that be when your speed was off so much? He then proclaimed his Garrard 301 from 1950's with original idler wheel had better wow measurement than the Prime Scout...Ouch!!

His conclusion, "If you liked the Scout, you'll really like the Prime Scout..." Really Art???

Sometimes I wonder what these guys are doing as they write these reviews and articles....Regarding the digital article, it was a nice read but full of wow & flutter and the speed was way off at 3177.4Hz, might be time to get a new writer.

 

I think the point was....
If something can not play back a simple test tone, at various levels, mostly distortion free, then as you say, music being a combination of even more complex tones and dynamics will challenge more.
Reproducing a simple sound, to me is step one to reproducing more complicated sounds.