Is New Vinyl Exempt from Loudness Wars?

Dear atmasphere: ""  This is absolute nonsense. The RIAA curve has nothing to do with compression.. """"

of course is not the type of digital compression and maybe you are ok with that RIAA curve but if the LP medium is so good why that RIAA curve?, all we know why that kuind of compression in the bass range that you accept it does not means that that severe bass range equalization to lower those frequencies is a compression to me.

That RIAA curve eq. always degrades the original signal but the analog medium has no alternative due to the severe limitation of the LP medium.

I'm ok when you try ( always ) to post that the LP analog experience is superior to the digital one when today it's clear it's not as 20 years ago. As I said digital technology improved " light years "  as never did the LP alternative.

I don't care if you accept it or not the digital alternative but I think that you have not any single " parameter " to always disregard the digital alternative, especially when I post about.

Stay calm, listen, listen, listen and learn as all try to do it each single audio day.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Let’s take a brief look at Led Zeppelin vinyl, courtesy of the Unofficial Dynamic Range Database.

Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy (2014 Vinyl) i 2014 11 10 12 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy [First UK Pressing] i 1973 13 11 14 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Houses of the Holy 1973 13 12 14 lossless Vinyl

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV [AT/GP] i 1975   11 11 13 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV (2014 vinyl) 2014   10 09 11 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin IV [vinyl] i 1982.  11 11 14 lossless Vinyl

Led Zeppelin Presence [Vinyl] i 2015 11 10 13 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Presence i 2006 14 13 15 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Presence [vinyl] i 1987 14 12 16 lossless Vinyl

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III (1970 USA LP Vinyl) i 1970 12 10 13 lossy Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin III i 2014 11 10 12 lossless Vinyl

Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti 1975 13 12 14 lossless Vinyl

Led Zeppelin Coda [vinyl] i 1987   12 11 14 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin In Throgh The Out Door [vinyl] i 1982   13 13 14 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Presence [vinyl] i 1987   14 12 16 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin The Soundtrack From The Film The Song Remains The Same [vinyl] i 1982   13 12 14 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti [vinyl] i 1987   13 11 15 lossless Vinyl
Led Zeppelin Houses Of The Holy [vinyl] i 1987   13 12 14 lossless Vinyl

Re: unofficial DR database. I would like Whart’s opinion on these Led Zeppelin ratings if he sees this post.

Geoffkait do you listen to Led Zeppelin through your Sony Walkman or through a regular stereo ? I have a problem with Led Zep. If I do put it on the Spl’s usually end up going high and I get in trouble. The new recent vinyl from Germany is very good & quiet.

on a sidenote.
I feel I have done my duty and listened to Adele 25 - 3 times now (cd).
I am now ready to start a movement for women against their bad boyfriends.

Someone mentioned Amy Winehouse earlier.

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Amy Winehouse Back to Black (HD Tracks 96/24) 2015
07 05 08 lossless Download

Amy Winehouse Back To Black (The Deluxe Album: The Classic Album + Bonus Disc) 2007
06 04 09 lossless CD

Amy Winehouse Back To Black [171 421 1 EU CD] 2006
06 05 07 lossless Unknown

Amy Winehouse Back to Black [UK & Europe vinyl] 2007
11 10 14 lossless Unknown

Amy Winehouse Back to Black (US vinyl) 2006
10 09 12 lossless Unknown

The only decent ratings come again with vinyl (last 2) and it is in my opinion not great. I have the 2006 vinyl album. You will need VTA on the fly and a tonearm that doesn’t change its alignment settings when you do use VTA with this one.

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Kate Bush 50 Words for Snow - this is a phenomenal vinyl album.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=kate+bush&album=50+words+

The ratings only show HD files and they all rate good. The vinyl must use these files ?

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It appears from limited surfing of the DR database that most vinyl rates better than bad digital. And with good digital, vinyl is still right up there.

??????

If there is anyone reading that does not think a regular cd can put you at the performance in your own space.

Get

Holly Cole - Girl Talk - cd

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=holly+cole&album=girl+talk+

Why does the HD tracks have the crappiest rating with the Holly Cole album ?

Must be really hard for the engineers who know how good digital can be ......to add all this loudness in due to the artists/market wishes.

Those DR ratings for Back In Black are a bit surprising but not fatal. I’ve always thought the CD copy I have to be a louder but otherwise good quality recording. Its a good example of why there is more to music than just absolute DR, especially in popular genres. I have many CDs especially newer remasters that have a lot to recommend even if absolute DR is not one of those things. Pop/rock/blues based amplified music does tend to be loud overall when heard live. Classical and other more acoustic forms tend to vary more. Those are the ones where bad DR tend to impact my enjoyment more. But like most here I suspect I still love a great recording with great DR.

Fact is if records were made to full DR potential, most players used today would not be able to track it and would probably even jump the grooves when teh real dynamics hit, like as used to be the case when the early Telarc digital recordings hit the market and would not play on any but the best vinyl setups of the time. With more dynamic CDs or digital a high power amp (Class D now offers smaller lighter and less expensive options for that) and A decent pair of speakers is all needed. Extracting the music from the medium is not as problematic these days with even decent quality digital found on a decent quality Iphone even.

Sorry to disagree but the DR for the CD of Back in Black is actually quite poor.  Terrible, really.  And nobody is saying dynamic range is all there is to the music but if it doesn't have any dynamics to it why bother?