Solid State vs. Tubes - What if Transistors came first?

Specifically with LPs vs CDs, **usually** the CD is more compressed! The reason has nothing to do with the capabilities of either format. Its has to do with cars. Because CDs are expected to be played in cars, they are compressed.

When CD's first came out, there were several measurements showing greater compression, and less channel separation between CD's and vinyl. There's even an interesting blog post somewhere showing how Thriller got more and more compressed with each re-release. Not a result of the medium. 

However, it doesn't have to be that way, and some of this has cooled off, but this varies by industry. 

Listen to Trombone Shorty on CD for an example. :) 

Best,

E

Look, tubes sound like music. Everything else doesn’t. Unless it’s very low power transistors in portable CD players. Then it sounds like tubes, not transistors. If in fact portable CD players have transistors and not tiny little tubes. Tubes have air, tubes have lots of dynamics and tubes have warmth. If you like your music to sound like paper mache then transistors are for you.

I should have said "...this varies by *genre*" 

"...tubes aren’t bad nor are they obsolete"

Watch out for a new tube-driven iPhone coming out at tomorrow's Apple conference.

erik_squires,

"Pineapple and pepperoni pizzas are wonderful things."

Should oregano go directly on dough, on sauce, or on top of everything?

I have been asking this question for the longest time around here and not even geoffkait knows the answer. Mankind is doomed, indeed.