flint wrote:
You are comparing a CD mastered with a Peak of -6dB taken directly from Alan
Parson's master tape to one with a Peak of 0dB taken from the label's
re-mixed master tape.

Correct.

Aside from any differences the tapes may have in EQ and mix, one is simply
louder than the other.

Fair enough.

If you listen to any CD at one level then compare it to the same CD
with the volume turned up 6dB, the louder one will sound better.

"The louder one will sound better"... I like that. I think you
understand me better than most when I say "my remastered WAVs sound
better than their source CDs". Because "the louder one will sound
better", yes, thank you.

Louder = more audible frequencies = more clarity in the upper and lower
ranges = livlier, more energetic sounding music = better MP3s = more fun
= more personal satisfaction = my original argument.

There have been hundreds of papers and articles written over the years
discussing this very point.

Obviously, then, many then still prefer "quiet", "dull" and "muddy"
sound, no?

With music, louder almost always seems better.

Almost always, yes. Thank you.

This is why it is so important to balance the levels to less than 0.25dB
when comparing the sound of electronics in ABX tests.

Yes! Because by balancing the levels you eliminate significant
variables which would otherwise mask other less obvious differences.

I can't tell you how sweet it is whenever I encounter two copies of the
same song from two different CDs to simply be able to equalize their
levels (with "normalize") so that I can *then* discern which one of them
is mastered from a cleaner source. I do this constantly while creating
MP3s. Only the "winners" survive. All previously encoded MP3s which
fail in this competition are deleted forever - and I always keep notes
in my MP3 headers which remind me later about the CD from whence it came.

Forget everything you think you may have proven. Erase it from your head.
Then try listening to the Gold CD with the volume turned up 6dB.

Why don't I just make a digital copy of my 1994 Capitol remaster to an
Imation CD-R with the digital input gain turned down to -6dB?

In fact, I think I could even make that my standard practice for *every*
CD copy I create. And then if anyone complains about it, I'll just tell
'em to "pump up the volume" because "it's *supposed* to be that low".
How far d'ya think *that'd* fly? It's the same thing.

No harm, no foul,

Myke

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