Do you still play fun (NOT audiophile) music on your high end stereo?

You have been fortunate in your selection of vinyl then, as most vinyl records being released of late are actually digital to vinyl (or excessively digitally processed).

Record companies used to make recordings "simply miked" (ie. no more than three microphones, moved closer or further away from performer to balance) and recording that pure analogue music to a tape master (then make a "mother" cut from tape, and use it to press vinyl records). The process was expensive, vinyl and steam presses, all requiring people with a great deal of skill to make it work effectively (high overhead).

When computers came to be, and with that learning that music could be measured and those measurements recorded digitally, then converted from the digital into something that resembled the original music, the record companies took note. Sony and Philips designed the CD and the CD player and took over the market in an immense way. The CD was much much cheaper to produce product than vinyl pressing was. All the other record companies took up CDs as "the way" to market music from then on.

The problem, CD's are made by the taking measurements rapidly during a real musical event then converting those measurements back into something which gives an impression of the actual music recorded. But, digital music is in fact playing only what was measured, not the complete picture of actual music. The illusion created with digital can get closer to real music by taking more measurements, and playing them back faster (example: DAD, SACD, etc.)

The reason why SACD has come about is not because of the perceived better sound quality. The reason Sony music came out with SACD (and other record companies began using other high-resolution digital products) is because in the 90's home computers were capable of copying CDs exactly, cheaply (just like the record companies were doing and selling for $10.00 or more a pop). Suddenly, everyone was copying music and sharing it on their computers (and not paying the record companies for it).

First, the record companies tried to embed anti-piracy software into the CD, but people just stopped buying them. Then, instead of seeing the writing on the wall and going back to the far better sounding analogue-to-vinyl, stuck with digital and went the way of more bits, bigger bytes and faster sampling rates. Wonder when that too will no longer suffice? Whenever, it has been long enough now that except for a few specialist producers like Analogue Productions, fone', Music Matters, etc., better-sounding pure analogue records have pretty much gone the way of the Dodo.

 

The MoFi release of the KC and the Sunshine Band came out in 2011 and has been backordered forever. You can place an order for any backordered or awaiting repress MoFi title through Music Direct, or directly from MoFi. That's how I got my The B-52's copy back in November. I got the email that it had shipped and the next day it was right back to being listed as awaiting repress. It seems these popular titles sell out as soon as they get them in.

Or, if you don't mind paying a premium, there are a few sealed copies of the MoFi KC and the Sunshine Band available from US sellers on Discogs. Mine was a Christmas present that was purchased off eBay. She also bought me a 1st US pressing of Part 3 from a Discogs seller. Very thoughtful gifts!

 

lol never mind the fact that by this point much of the music being recorded and sold never was produced by an analog instrument in the first place . . .

 

yes, I play non-audiophile stuff all the time because it's part of my musical history. Sounds like it was made for radio, but there you have it.

 

I found this oddity a few years ago. I cleaned and played it. I laughed. It has some pops and clicks, so I'm hopeful it eventually gets the audiophile reissue treatment, preferably the MoFi One-Step process.



Or maybe not.

 

E V E R Y DAY

 

I play whatever I’m in the mood for.

About recording/sound quality…..Notoriously bad recordings such as Jethro’s Aqualung 1971 US pressing, or and old Pablo Casals’ performance, have a very true soul, regardless of their sonic shortcomings. OTOH, pristine “audiophile” recordings can lack such soul, that makes your heart thump.

Owning a nice hifi system should impose no limitations whatsoever on the type of music (or it’s audio quality).

Cheers!
Luis

 

I listen to everything I’ve got. The music rules. The system is there to play the music.

 

I play it all on the same system, even an occasional spin of an early Beatles album.

 

They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa! - Napoleon XIV

 

Absolutely - I listen to a lot (primary listening) of live concerts (GD, Widespread Panic, Goose, Billy Strings, etc. - AUD’s & SBD’s - warts and all) thru my main system. I have not had my set since moving in late October, my basement construction project is about finished and I am “chomping at the bit” to get it set up again get back to heavy listening!

I am going to be ordering a Salamander audio rack, some rubber isolation feet for my Thiels, some isolation for my turntable, potentially a new head shell for turntable after making sure my set up is dialed in.

 

Here is a non-audiophile recording of Johnny Hodges playing "I've got it bad, and that ain't good" (listen to him bend notes on his saxophone!) on my hi fi, if anyone is interested.

 

Any system that won't play the music I like has no value.

Love the Eagles but never play Hotel California becasue it is audiophile music.

Diana Krall will never be played on my home or office system.

 

I only play the intro and guitar solos at the end of hotel California, but you are right. it has turned into a test track for me and not for enjoyment

 

It how I judge my system, how well does my system sound with the crappy/compressed recordings… I’ve always been a music guy first audiophile guy second..

 

I am a bit partial to 1960s/1970s 'easy listening' music, although I can't quite manage James Last. Someone in my room at an audio show once spotted a mono LP of Acker Bilk's 'Cocktails for Two' and asked for it to be put on, so I did (with Miyajima Zero Mono B cartridge) and the horror on most other faces in the room was a lesson in what audiophiles come to audio shows for - a good proportion do actually expect to hear 'audiophile music'. Next time I'll play another favourite LP - 'Music from the Greek Islands' by Taktikos and his Bouzoukis - a joyous musical experience.

Personally speaking, I will run a mile in the opposite direction when anyone even suggests putting on a Patricia Barber recording. 'Audiophile' recordings are too often just cr@p music, IMO of course.

 

HAHA - that last part is funny - specially because way back in the when, when I started joining and reading hi-fi/audiophile forums, I avoided the music discussions!

I actually was sure audiophiles listened to a loop of Patricia Barber, Diana Kraal and the Jennifer Warnes Blue Raincoat album .

Turns out they are way deeper than that, but I also see that there is a kernel of truth in there - there lots of love for Patricia Barber, Diana Kraal, the Blue Raincoat album... and other "female vocal" stuff like Jacinta and Vanessa... (ugh, forgot the last name, but you know who I mean) that I don't share.. I mean, I understand why is liked; it is very well recorded with beautiful voices... just have never connected to it...

v

 

Quite: I can remember a couple of us clearing a room at one show by playing some Elvis Costello (something off Spike) and Zeppelin (Nobody's Fault But Mine); and at another show a certain dealer decided not to continue with punters' choices after I got to blast out Six.bySeven's Ten Places To Die (it is well recorded, albeit pretty distorted, dynamic rock) and they went back to "girl with a guitar" generic bland pap...

 

I try to maintain a balance between the fun stuff and the non-fun stuff.

 

Please define and give some examples of non fun music so I’ll be able to avoid playing any of it and end up feeling low down.
I like being happy.

 

Absolutely. But lately my "fun" music is on CD and my audiophile stuff is on Vinyl. The CD's sound just as good when it comes to 70, 80, 90's pop and rock.

Now is a great time to I trade in my "Fun" 70's and 80's vinyl and get quite good value for use on CD's which are really inexpensive. Can get 2, almost 3, CD's for one vinyl.

 

I only listen to test discs.

 

personally, i don't consider anything by the eagles audiophile -- the only reason hotel california was played at audio shows was because of the version on "hell freezes over" with the drum bit at the beginning.

as for diana krall, i understand many consider her overplayed, but her voice (to me) is incredible . . . and she's a decent piano player, too.

 

Krall grates on me for some reason, but I like a lot of what some may consider "audiophile" music. It's not my main thing, but Famous Blue Raincoat and The Well are amazing albums, as is Dusty in Memphis, and Just a Little Lovin (Shelby Lynne). Some misc audio review referred to 'Bicycle Tricycle" by Rosie Thomas. When I checked it out, I found that it was on an awesome album ("When We Were Small"). But none of these are my mainstays, and frankly I would put Eva Cassidy's Live at Blues Alley at the pinnacle of any such list, though I've never seen it referred to a "audiophile". Are Rosanne Cash's "River and the Thread or She Remembers Everything audiophile records? Who cares, they are both amazing.