Classical Corner Classical Music Corner (thread #32)

This doesn't answer your question exactly, because I don't have the Naxos, but the 2003 EMI GROC release ripped to FLAC (compression level 5, dBpoweramp default) resulted in tracks with bitrates ranging from 277 to 344.

 

Thanks.

So if the Naxos is similar, theoretically (and assuming that MOG uses a good CODEC), a stream at 320 KBPS might only be marginally different from the CD.

 

With 78 materials in particular, it's the mastering that counts. The 78 format is often a bit lo-rez to begin with. EQ and noise reduction have to be judiciously applied if the result is going to sound like music.

 

I guess since you are talking about streams, that is a different technology. But, if we are talking about music files themselves pre-stream, 1411kbps is lossless.

 

For WAV, yes. But isn't apple lossless, APE and FLAC all around half that due to the compression?

 

OK - I'm still not expressing myself as clearly as I would like. (And this is all theoretical.)

If I could compress the Naxos recording to the same extent as the EMI recording (i.e. 277 - 344 KBPS depending on the track) using a lossless CODEC, how different would that sound on playback as compared with 320 KBPS stream (assuming the stream used a reasonably good, but lossy CODEC)? (Assume the same DAC is used for both.)

 

The average for Apple Lossless seems to be about 40% compression, but the compression rate varies substantially with the music. On the whole, I can compress classical recordings losslessly to a greater extent than rock recordings.

 

I'd be blown away if anyone could actually, reliably distinguish the two files.

 

It varies. I have FLAC files that are compressed to under 250 kbps, and some that are over 1000.

I judge the quality of a recording by its FLAC bitrate, the higher the better.

 

That sure beats actually having to listen to the music.

 

I've owned the original HMV 78 issues of the Pablo Casals Bach Suites. That had the most sheer energy of sound of all the transcriptions of his famous recording. The various transfers of those recordings all sound different to me. After the processes that you speak of as regards codecs, I doubt that the two different rates of data reduction would have nearly as much difference in sound as the difference between the original HMV, or Angel LPs or early [pretty bad] CD transfers or later CD transfers. So I don't think the codec is nearly as important in this case as the transfer.

 

Just for fun I sorted my tracks by bitrate. It looks as if the lowest FLAC bitrate for any classical work I have is for Michelangeli's 1942 recording of Chopin's Scherzo No. 2, from the Icon box. The bitrate is 177.

The highest bitrate for a FLAC rip from a classical CD is for Davitt Moroney's Prelude & Fugue in B major from Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, at 1123.

 

No question on this. The difference between codecs applied to a specific transfer will be undetectable, or very nearly so, while the difference between transfers, irrespective of codec, probably wouldn't be too hard to recognize.

 

Absolutely. Listening is a silly waste of time when you can spend it ripping, tagging, and backing up files. Or so one might think given how I've spent a lot of the past two years.

 

nice one

 

I'd say the latter.

I can hear the difference a mile away on different transfers.

 

that's a great one... my preferred version in my early days of collecting! i saw leonhardt perform a bach recital back in the 80's and it was like watching bach perform!

 

i bought that after reading some reviews and only gave it a casual listen, so i can't say much one way or another except that it's a piece that will require some work to come to terms with...

 

One of my New Year's resolutions was to buy more music I've never heard or heard of before and much less of new versions compositions already in my collection. In keeping with that, here's something I got today. I am listening right now to the Trombone Concerto.



Not something I'd urge everyone to get, but I used to play the trombone as a kid so I like to hear works for it. Olsen was a Norwegian composer 1850-1927 who apparently was popular in northern Norway and wrote in a popular style, of which this piece is no exception. Nice melody to the slow movement, the rest isn't all that memorable.

 

We need a Tuesday night activity. Or I do. I can tell if I just listen to music tonight without multitasking on the Web I will fall asleep too early.

List your favorite labels for new releases. Mine are as follows:

1. Hyperion
2. Chandos
3. BIS
4. Harmonia Mundi

HM gets fourth even though they have some of the best stuff because they do not offer lossless downloads.

 

Have you heard the Barber Piano Concerto? This recording is awesome!

 

I have not, and in fact I don't even think I was aware he wrote one. I will check it out, thank you!

 

You missed my post. I bought this recording over a year ago ...

 

Now playing CD2 from the following twofer, another recent arrival for a first listen ...