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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
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
n80
@geoffkait :"vinyl frequently has greater dynamic range than its digital brethren, sometimes shockingly so"

I have not noticed this ’frequently’. I have noticed it some. Rarely does the CD of any given recording have the best DR. Sometimes the vinyl does, sometimes the hi-res file does. I certainly have not seen enough of a pattern here to suggest one format is better than the other....and let’s be clear here....based on how it was engineered. 

>>>>>Go to the Unofficial Dynamic Range Database. All will be revealed. You type in the name of the artist and the recording (optional). Check it out. Vinyl rules!

n80
2,134 posts
 
I’ve been using the dr-loudness wars database. Is the one you are referring to more accurate or more extensive?

Edit: Never mind. They are one and the same. I am quite familiar with it. Use it to research nearly all my music purchases.

I looked through quite a few albums well known for their quality of production and find that sometimes the vinyl has better DR but especially for stuff done back in the 1980s the CD and the vinyl match up pretty closely. If there is an edge to vinyl it is often very small. In some cases the CD tests better but that is rare.

That’s just looking at the highest quality CDs and vinyl. Especially among CDs there is huge variation. Most CDs that are "remastered" are made considerably worse.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
It appears you agree with me. 
n80
2,134 posts
 
Perhaps.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
How reliable is that database?
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