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What is the least compressed signal?

Hello everyone.I was wondering what everyone's thoughts might be about what is the least compressed front end signal? A friend of mine recently told me that radio signal is compressed. So I thought maybe a direct connection to a CD player? Or, since CDs are pretty compressed, maybe a record player? Thoughts?
the reason I ask is, my friend recently gave me a fantastic pair of speakers. And I've been listening to the radio through them. He had a disgusted look on his face and told me I was not using these speakers how they were meant to be used, because the radio signal is kind of crappy and compressed. I would love to use the speakers as they were intended. Meadowlark kestrel hot rods hooked up to an Integra receiver w/ kimbers
ddjr
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
A live concert.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Sorry to be disagreeable the data on the CD is compressed. That’s why they sound compressed. That’s what compression means, that it’s dynamic range is compressed, squeezed down, suffocated, strangled, flatlined.
erik_squires
16,838 posts
 
Sorry to be disagreeable the data on the CD is compressed.

You aren't disagreeable, just generally wrong.


There is no data compression on the audio data for Redbook CDs. HDCD is, of course, an exception.


Dynamic range compression and level shifting is up to the engineer who makes the master. This varies a great deal depending on genre and era.  In addition, plenty of evidence of reduced L to R separation and significantly different EQ being used, not just from medium to medium but even from release to release on the same medium.


Also, while I dislike the loudness wars, the opposite, excessive dynamic range is also a bad thing. Like watching a movie when you have to turn up the volume to hear the dialogue, but then the action scenes are deafening.


Some compression is probably a good thing, and brings out more details and more room ambiance than otherwise, so treating any medium as absolutely more or less compressed ignores all of the complexities that occur when it lands on your stereo.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
If the engineer compresses the data what do you think appears on the CD? Three guesses. The first two don’t count. There is no evidence of ANY advantage to overly aggressive dynamic range compression other than being able to make the CD louder. There is no correlation between dynamic range and resolution. Dynamic range is simply a ratio. There is no resolution function or ambience function in dynamic range. That’s probably what the recording industry would have you believe. That’s what the whole debate is about. That’s why they call it the Loudness Wars. If there are no dynamics it’s not music. Digital is the new wimpy.
ddjr OP
31 posts
 
I assumed when you guys say LP you are referring to Long play vinyl records? Which is good to hear, if I am right, because I have an excellent record collection😄
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