Dan says:

I have reformatted the original post from Anthony in order to make it
more readable. I intend to pin it on the wall at the radio station I
work at. As a service to you all, I am pasting it again below, and
attaching it in a text file.

Dan

On Wed, 6 Jan 1999 20:55:39 -0500, "Anthony PDC"
wrote:

Having been interested in audio for a number of years, I wonder
whether fellow readers/contributors might care to comment on the
following:

1. Audio magazines and their reviewers cannot be objective since their
proprietors depend on advertising money from the audio equipment
manufacturers;

2. Audio equipment dealers in general measure up the punter and sell
them the most expensive kit they think they can flog to these innocent
souls. “Facilities” figure highly in the sales pitch, as do “watts”.
These dealers know little about hi fi and rather more about sales
targets and shifting boxes. However, they are not as disingenuous (but
only out of sheer ignorance) as the specialists “see below”;

3. Specialist “mid/upper-fi” audio dealers are driven by smaller
profit margins and therefore have to compromise their integrity fairly
nakedly to the objective observer. Among other things, deals with
particular
manufacturers figure largely in how they pitch their ‘advice’ to the
half-savvy punter. Photocopies of favourable reviews are much in
evidence in the showroom – a product of the same little conspiracy
that fuels the audio magazine industry. The brands most often pushed
change year-on-year, depending on the deals struck with manufacturers.
Last year’s top model becomes this year’s crapola. Their staff are
reasonably bright, but suffer from a mild form of self-guilt over the
fibs they have to tell. However, by default, their stuff is usually OK
anyway, since it achieves the minimum standards for decent sound
reproduction;

4. High-end “audiophile” dealers usually operate from a converted
house/barn/ bus stop/trailer-park (though there are exceptions – there
are a number of “New Jerusalem” outlets in big cities. These often
concentrate on just a few brands since they are de facto factory
outlets (not at factory prices however!) for the elite manufacturers
).
On the whole, however, profit margins are exceedingly slim, thus the
high level of desperation and self-deception among their proprietors.
And can one blame them? – well , erm…yes and no. The tyro’s first
foray
into these dealers’ premises can recognise them thus:

? the staff often sport (often greying) pony-tails, and perhaps a hint
of unreconstructed hippyism; ? there is a large second-hand equipment
section, fuelled by the dealers’ victims’ cast-off equipment (as a
result of the permanent paranoia instilled by the dealers’ perennial
prosetlyising;

? analogue equipment such as LP turntables and valve amplifiers will
be
much in evidence – a mithrab will be set aside for stupendously costly
stuff, eg a Linn Sondek LP12 or Pink Triangle turdtables powered by an
elastic band, together with a mechanical pivoting tube with a needle
attached at the end; (apparently these devices are dragged across a
plastic matrix with grooves moulded in);

? romantically named cables and interconnects at fabulous prices
(notwithstanding the testimony of any competent electrical engineer’s
evidence to the contrary of the “golden- eared” (hey – hairy-eared!)
dealer);

? a purposeful, nay maniacal, advocacy of particular esoterica eg
cones
($50 and up for three bits of cheap brass billets in velvet-lined
jewellery cases - giggle); astronomically-priced interconnects; bits
of
silver wire, and a Tolkien-beating fantasy about the sonic advantages
of
anything analogue costing the earth;

? …and recently (as profit margins have dictated) a Damascan
conversion
to CD (read digital) – but only from the (hitherto unconverted – tee
hee) “high end” analogue equipment manufacturers. Their
banks/accountants said “hey guys/Neanderthals… get your asses to
digital
or else…”. And of course they did. Now we hear the likes of Naim/Linn
et
al saying stuff like “…we believe we have now achieved digital
playback
to rival the very best vinyl turntables”. Please…I mean how do
manufacturers and the magazines which promote their business
differentiate between CD players that sound substantially the same as
a
$145 Sony? By pricing them at $1500+ of course – and by virtue of the
terminally insecure disposition of the “audiophile community”.

The latter category of dealer is, by and large, by far the most
dishonest, or self-deluding, plain crazy, or a combination of all
these
things. Isn’t it time this whole business was exposed, debunked, or
otherwise demystified by a paper from a competent person whose skills
combine the following: audio engineering; music (lover) (performer)
(composer) (concert-goer) (statistician – for blind testing of audio
equipment with informed listeners and interpretation of results)?

To you all in anticipation.

Ant

PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio are
genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with ears
can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers. Trouble is (for the cottage industry, ever
intent on exploiting vulnerable and insecure people with an audiophile
self-esteem problem) one can buy a universal
SACD/DVD-Audio/progressive scan video DVD player today for $160, which
rather craps on everything analogue that ever moved in terms of
consumer-level playback quality. Said device is the Pioneer DV-563A -
get it at Best Buy or elsewhere.


Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Anthony PDC said:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]


If the whole idea of learning what's good value and what's not is so
terrifying to you, then you most certainly deserve to be fleeced by
some unscrupulous "high end" dealer who's only in the business to make
a succession of quick bucks. And if you're so disbelieving of
everything you read in print that your limited brainpower falls victim
to your mindless paranoia, you should definitely scale down your
materialistic lust and buy the cheapest yet adequate ensemble you can
find at Circuit City or Best Buy.

Stay away from all carriage-trade goods and services. Never go to a
fancy restaurant; ignore jewelry completely; consider only vehicles
that are value-priced. Accept your mediocrity and adapt your
expectations to suit your insipid taste.

And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.

On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:40:12 -0400, George M. Middius
wrote:



Anthony PDC said:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]


If the whole idea of learning what's good value and what's not is so
terrifying to you, then you most certainly deserve to be fleeced by
some unscrupulous "high end" dealer who's only in the business to make
a succession of quick bucks. And if you're so disbelieving of
everything you read in print that your limited brainpower falls victim
to your mindless paranoia, you should definitely scale down your
materialistic lust and buy the cheapest yet adequate ensemble you can
find at Circuit City or Best Buy.

Stay away from all carriage-trade goods and services. Never go to a
fancy restaurant; ignore jewelry completely; consider only vehicles
that are value-priced. Accept your mediocrity and adapt your
expectations to suit your insipid taste.

And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.



Ooops - I hit a sensitive spot with you didn't I?

At any rate, it's great you kicked off the debate - though not in a
way that's much removed from um...well, puerile and hysterical.

I'm speculating here, but you sound like someone whose perception is
determined by the superfice of the *package* - rather than the
*content* Myself, well I don't know much about jewellery or fancy
restaurants...umm. I'm not an aesthete as you guessed, and in that
sense I suppose I proved my point apropos elitism and similar
indulgences.

Tatty bye.

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Anthony PDC sniveled de novo:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]


If the whole idea of learning what's good value and what's not is so
terrifying to you, then you most certainly deserve to be fleeced by
some unscrupulous "high end" dealer who's only in the business to make
a succession of quick bucks. And if you're so disbelieving of
everything you read in print that your limited brainpower falls victim
to your mindless paranoia, you should definitely scale down your
materialistic lust and buy the cheapest yet adequate ensemble you can
find at Circuit City or Best Buy.

Stay away from all carriage-trade goods and services. Never go to a
fancy restaurant; ignore jewelry completely; consider only vehicles
that are value-priced. Accept your mediocrity and adapt your
expectations to suit your insipid taste.

And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.



Ooops - I hit a sensitive spot with you didn't I?

No, stupid. You displayed a soft spot in your own brain, and a pretty
big one at that.


At any rate, it's great you kicked off the debate - though not in a
way that's much removed from um...well, puerile and hysterical.

You're entitled to your opinion.

Anybody who believes high-end audio, and by extension other value-in-
the-eye-of-the-buyer goods, can be reduced to a series of objective
comparisons is what we on RAO call a 'borg. Yes, it appeals to
people's desire own fancy stuff. No, it is not necessarily
distinguishable from lower-priced, utilitarian-designed, mass-market
hardware.

Finally, in direct response to your childish insult ("hysterical"),
such tactics are, in my opinion, the best and most direct way to
counter obvious trolls. Don't pull that passive-aggressive **** on us,
whiney-boy. We've seen your type all too often. Usenet is largely a
giant playpen, and you are no more than one of the sly children on the
playground who start fights quietly, and then run for cover when the
sound of adult supervision is heard.


I'm speculating here, but you sound like someone whose perception is
determined by the superfice of the *package* - rather than the
*content*

No, stupid, you have it completely backwards. High-end audio is
largely *about* the package. That is a large part of the *point*. More
so in the ultra-expensive part of the market, anyway. It's not a
question of perception; it's reality.

Myself, well I don't know much about jewellery or fancy
restaurants...umm. I'm not an aesthete as you guessed, and in that
sense I suppose I proved my point apropos elitism and similar
indulgences.

Yes, you certainly did. You've shown your grungy fingernails and
sweaty blue collar to the world. You've also shown us that you don't
comprehend how pathetic and revolting your parochial viewpoint is.

Anthony PDC a écrit :
On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:40:12 -0400, George M. Middius
wrote:



Anthony PDC said:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]



[snip feodal garbage]


And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.




Ooops - I hit a sensitive spot with you didn't I?

At any rate, it's great you kicked off the debate - though not in a
way that's much removed from um...well, puerile and hysterical.

I'm speculating here, but you sound like someone whose perception is
determined by the superfice of the *package* - rather than the
*content* Myself, well I don't know much about jewellery or fancy
restaurants...umm. I'm not an aesthete as you guessed, and in that
sense I suppose I proved my point apropos elitism and similar
indulgences.

Tatty bye.

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Thank you for opening the window, we need fresh air.

I would like to know the average statistic cost of one hour of music
(divide the cost of high-end audio equipment by the time the owners
really spend to listen MUSIC).

Concerning fancy restaurants you can have a lot of pleasure, here in
France, for about USD 150.00 including the wine (50-60% of the cost).
Let say you have 1 to 3 such good meals per year and you are an happy man.

Concerning the way your interlocutor answer, please be informed that Mr
George "Ayatollah" Middius himself proclamed "Resistance Commander" of
his own holy war has all the rights here, including insults, threats,
fatwa...

Lionel

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 11:48:45 +0200, Lionel Chapuis
wrote:

Anthony PDC a écrit :
On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:40:12 -0400, George M. Middius
wrote:



Anthony PDC said:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]



[snip feodal garbage]


And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.




Ooops - I hit a sensitive spot with you didn't I?

At any rate, it's great you kicked off the debate - though not in a
way that's much removed from um...well, puerile and hysterical.

I'm speculating here, but you sound like someone whose perception is
determined by the superfice of the *package* - rather than the
*content* Myself, well I don't know much about jewellery or fancy
restaurants...umm. I'm not an aesthete as you guessed, and in that
sense I suppose I proved my point apropos elitism and similar
indulgences.

Tatty bye.

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Thank you for opening the window, we need fresh air.

I would like to know the average statistic cost of one hour of music
(divide the cost of high-end audio equipment by the time the owners
really spend to listen MUSIC).

Concerning fancy restaurants you can have a lot of pleasure, here in
France, for about USD 150.00 including the wine (50-60% of the cost).
Let say you have 1 to 3 such good meals per year and you are an happy man.

Concerning the way your interlocutor answer, please be informed that Mr
George "Ayatollah" Middius himself proclamed "Resistance Commander" of
his own holy war has all the rights here, including insults, threats,
fatwa...

Lionel

Thank you Lionel In fact, I have already dined in a real French
Restaurant (in Normandy) and very delightful it was too!

As for Mr Middius, yes I must admit I was somewhat taken aback and yet
intrigued by his rather disproportionate response to my trollish post,
so I looked at some of his earlier, umm, contributions. Sure enough,
my initial suspicions were confirmed on seeing his long history of
posting prodigious quantities of (largely defensive) comments, fueled
by an almost maniacal degree of hatred and spite. The cheese certainly
seems to have fallen off his cracker years ago.

Moreover, far from trying to lecture anyone on the proprieties of
Usenet, Mr Middius might care to look in the mirror and ask himself
why he and his apologists have turned rec.audio.opinion into a
disgraceful flame-fest, peppered with the kind of bileful vituperation
one would normally associate only with someone suffering from profound
emotional problems. And on a scale which reaches far wider than mere
audio; the absence of subtlety, irony, or even smart sarcasm and wit
in his language is telling. I'm afraid he's also just a rude oaf.

What it boils down to is an incapacity to debate or otherwise
communicate rationally, as a grown-up, mature, and fully-formed
individual. I'd venture to guess Mr Middius gets off on the anonymity
Usenet affords him as a form of catharsis, by way of compensating for
his possible failure to participate fully, normally, in the adult
world. (Someone privately emailed me following Middius' reply to my
original post and alleged that Middius dons a "Star Trek Admiral's"
uniform when posting here. Well, people may very well say that; I
couldn't possibly comment).

Maybe he has Social Anxiety Disorder, who knows? - it's a particularly
debilitating mental illness which turns some (a tiny minority) of
painfully shy people into monstrous bullies manque, given the
opportunity to vent their alter ego in a medium like Usenet. In the
real World of course, most people would just give him a good slapping
if he spoke to them thus, and of course he would learn from that, like
most children do. Ever see that film the "Green Mile" which features a
sadistic, wretchedly inadequate prison warder who sneaks around
getting his "own back" on prisoners within his (externally-sourced)
power. Do you see the parallels here?

Whatever, Mr Middius appears to have problems of much more serious
dimension than the circumscribed and (let's be honest) ultimately
trivial world of high-end audio. How a person like George Middius can
invest so much of his *life* lurking around here in this virtual World
of a *single* Newsgroup, sniping away like a demented ferret, is also
astonishing, and also somewhat telling. As William Shatner once
implored of the crazier Trekkies; "Get A Life!"

Finally, it's surely a pity Admiral Middius' problems haven't been
fixed - both for his sake and for others with whom he interacts. So,
at the end of the day, one should try to exercise restraint with
regard to George Middius. Resist his perennial attempts to enjoin you
in his sad and spiteful little Universe lest you allow yourself to be
sucked in, for it's surely a sad, ugly and exceedingly lonely place to
inhabit!

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 21:30:25 -0400, Anthony PDC
antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote:

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 11:48:45 +0200, Lionel Chapuis
wrote:

Anthony PDC a écrit :
On Thu, 28 Aug 2003 23:40:12 -0400, George M. Middius
wrote:



Anthony PDC said:

[snip irrational, dogmatic upchuck of superficial stereotyping and
infantile posturing]



[snip feodal garbage]


And finally: Shut the **** up, you sniveling twit.




Ooops - I hit a sensitive spot with you didn't I?

At any rate, it's great you kicked off the debate - though not in a
way that's much removed from um...well, puerile and hysterical.

I'm speculating here, but you sound like someone whose perception is
determined by the superfice of the *package* - rather than the
*content* Myself, well I don't know much about jewellery or fancy
restaurants...umm. I'm not an aesthete as you guessed, and in that
sense I suppose I proved my point apropos elitism and similar
indulgences.

Tatty bye.

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Thank you for opening the window, we need fresh air.

I would like to know the average statistic cost of one hour of music
(divide the cost of high-end audio equipment by the time the owners
really spend to listen MUSIC).

Concerning fancy restaurants you can have a lot of pleasure, here in
France, for about USD 150.00 including the wine (50-60% of the cost).
Let say you have 1 to 3 such good meals per year and you are an happy man.

Concerning the way your interlocutor answer, please be informed that Mr
George "Ayatollah" Middius himself proclamed "Resistance Commander" of
his own holy war has all the rights here, including insults, threats,
fatwa...

Lionel

Thank you Lionel In fact, I have already dined in a real French
Restaurant (in Normandy) and very delightful it was too!

As for Mr Middius, yes I must admit I was somewhat taken aback and yet
intrigued by his rather disproportionate response to my trollish post,
so I looked at some of his earlier, umm, contributions. Sure enough,
my initial suspicions were confirmed on seeing his long history of
posting prodigious quantities of (largely defensive) comments, fueled
by an almost maniacal degree of hatred and spite. The cheese certainly
seems to have fallen off his cracker years ago.

Moreover, far from trying to lecture anyone on the proprieties of
Usenet, Mr Middius might care to look in the mirror and ask himself
why he and his apologists have turned rec.audio.opinion into a
disgraceful flame-fest, peppered with the kind of bileful vituperation
one would normally associate only with someone suffering from profound
emotional problems. And on a scale which reaches far wider than mere
audio; the absence of subtlety, irony, or even smart sarcasm and wit
in his language is telling. I'm afraid he's also just a rude oaf.

What it boils down to is an incapacity to debate or otherwise
communicate rationally, as a grown-up, mature, and fully-formed
individual. I'd venture to guess Mr Middius gets off on the anonymity
Usenet affords him as a form of catharsis, by way of compensating for
his possible failure to participate fully, normally, in the adult
world. (Someone privately emailed me following Middius' reply to my
original post and alleged that Middius dons a "Star Trek Admiral's"
uniform when posting here. Well, people may very well say that; I
couldn't possibly comment).

Maybe he has Social Anxiety Disorder, who knows? - it's a particularly
debilitating mental illness which turns some (a tiny minority) of
painfully shy people into monstrous bullies manque, given the
opportunity to vent their alter ego in a medium like Usenet. In the
real World of course, most people would just give him a good slapping
if he spoke to them thus, and of course he would learn from that, like
most children do. Ever see that film the "Green Mile" which features a
sadistic, wretchedly inadequate prison warder who sneaks around
getting his "own back" on prisoners within his (externally-sourced)
power. Do you see the parallels here?

Whatever, Mr Middius appears to have problems of much more serious
dimension than the circumscribed and (let's be honest) ultimately
trivial world of high-end audio. How a person like George Middius can
invest so much of his *life* lurking around here in this virtual World
of a *single* Newsgroup, sniping away like a demented ferret, is also
astonishing, and also somewhat telling. As William Shatner once
implored of the crazier Trekkies; "Get A Life!"

Finally, it's surely a pity Admiral Middius' problems haven't been
fixed - both for his sake and for others with whom he interacts. So,
at the end of the day, one should try to exercise restraint with
regard to George Middius. Resist his perennial attempts to enjoin you
in his sad and spiteful little Universe lest you allow yourself to be
sucked in, for it's surely a sad, ugly and exceedingly lonely place to
inhabit!

Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

Antony DUDE u just dropped a ****in nukelar bomb on that Middius ****
and let me tell U a whole bunch of ppl here where waiting 4 somone 2
get that smarmy guy and u just blew him out the water cuz u r cute
smart and u beat him up gr8 and hey u know what he deserved it. i was
smieling big time when i read your words.that guy has been hangin
around here 4 ever with his star trek **** and he says bad stuff that
hurts cool ppl but inly cuz he is a loser and crazy. i cant wait 2 see
how hes gets his freako head back after u smashed him right into his
loser face cuz hes crapped on RAO 4 way 2 long. man U R a STAR way 2
go dude.

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message


PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio are
genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with ears
can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers.

The difference you can hear with SACD and DVD-A discs, as compared to
earlier CDs is due to the fact that they were remastered. The basic
technology has zero audible benefits for listening to music.

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 05:50:08 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message


PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio are
genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with ears
can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers.

The difference you can hear with SACD and DVD-A discs, as compared to
earlier CDs is due to the fact that they were remastered. The basic
technology has zero audible benefits for listening to music.


Then I am happy they were remastered (if I agree with your basic
assumptions a la Emperor's New Clothes, with which I do not). But hey,
we are all agreed thay sound better, so what's the problem?



Regards,

Anthony

Asus P4P800/XP

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 05:50:08 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message


PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio
are genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with
ears can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers.

The difference you can hear with SACD and DVD-A discs, as compared to
earlier CDs is due to the fact that they were remastered. The basic
technology has zero audible benefits for listening to music.

Then I am happy they were remastered (if I agree with your basic
assumptions a la Emperor's New Clothes, with which I do not). But hey,
we are all agreed thay sound better, so what's the problem?

I've heard a lot of remastering jobs that were IMO steps backwards,
sonically speaking. Two ways that this can happen involve adding dynamic
range compression, and adding artificial reverb. I haven't heard that any of
the remastered SACD/DVD-A releases have added artificial reverb, but several
of them have had their dynamic range substantially compressed.

As always, newer does not always mean better.

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 05:59:55 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 05:50:08 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message


PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio
are genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with
ears can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers.

The difference you can hear with SACD and DVD-A discs, as compared to
earlier CDs is due to the fact that they were remastered. The basic
technology has zero audible benefits for listening to music.

Then I am happy they were remastered (if I agree with your basic
assumptions a la Emperor's New Clothes, with which I do not). But hey,
we are all agreed thay sound better, so what's the problem?

I've heard a lot of remastering jobs that were IMO steps backwards,
sonically speaking. Two ways that this can happen involve adding dynamic
range compression, and adding artificial reverb. I haven't heard that any of
the remastered SACD/DVD-A releases have added artificial reverb, but several
of them have had their dynamic range substantially compressed.

As always, newer does not always mean better.


Hmmm...well, all I can say to you is that IMHO you are mistaken -
profoundly so. As a cathedral chorister over many years, and a person
who listens to live music regularly, DVD-A and SACD are immediately,
stunningly, better than CD (and LP) in terms both of dynamic range,
resolution, accuracy and...blah. If you cannot hear the sonic
improvement over CD and LP (and all my non-audiophile friends CAN)
then there's something, somewhere, seriously awry!

Regards,

Anthony

"Anthony PDC" wrote in message

On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 05:59:55 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message

On Fri, 29 Aug 2003 05:50:08 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote:

"Anthony PDC" antdeclan_at_hotmail.com wrote in message


PS: Four years on from that post above-quoted, SACD and DVD-Audio
are genuine advances over CD and high-end LP playback. Anyone with
ears can discern the higher quality immediately with half-decent
amplification/speakers.

The difference you can hear with SACD and DVD-A discs, as compared
to earlier CDs is due to the fact that they were remastered. The
basic technology has zero audible benefits for listening to music.

Then I am happy they were remastered (if I agree with your basic
assumptions a la Emperor's New Clothes, with which I do not). But
hey, we are all agreed thay sound better, so what's the problem?

I've heard a lot of remastering jobs that were IMO steps backwards,
sonically speaking. Two ways that this can happen involve adding
dynamic range compression, and adding artificial reverb. I haven't
heard that any of the remastered SACD/DVD-A releases have added
artificial reverb, but several of them have had their dynamic range
substantially compressed.

As always, newer does not always mean better.


Hmmm...well, all I can say to you is that IMHO you are mistaken -
profoundly so. As a cathedral chorister over many years, and a person
who listens to live music regularly, DVD-A and SACD are immediately,
stunningly, better than CD (and LP) in terms both of dynamic range,
resolution, accuracy and...blah. If you cannot hear the sonic
improvement over CD and LP (and all my non-audiophile friends CAN)
then there's something, somewhere, seriously awry!

Yep, and the problem is that:

(a) You don't know how to evaluate audio gear - you've confused being a
musican with being an expert in all aspects of reproducing music. Music is
just another technology/art that no single person can master all of.

(b) SACD and DVD-A come up as zeros, psychoacoustically speaking. They were
brought to market despite decades of scientific knowledge that basically
said that they can't provide an audible advantage.

Anthony PDC wrote in message . ..

As a cathedral chorister over many years, and a person
who listens to live music regularly, DVD-A and SACD are immediately,
stunningly, better than CD (and LP) in terms both of dynamic range,
resolution, accuracy and...blah. If you cannot hear the sonic
improvement over CD and LP (and all my non-audiophile friends CAN)
then there's something, somewhere, seriously awry!


Anthony - What sort of stereo do you have? In particular, the SACD
player and speakers would be good to know.

Thanks.

The subject could be "Is the quest of pleasure is a mild form of mental
illness ?"

For me, before anything it is a problem of mood.
My avarice doesn't allow me to invest on such hazardous value...

Others, rich and prodigal people can be interested in the following link.

http://www.shakti-innovations.com./hallograph.htm

Once again, thank you for the question. :-)

Lionel