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
Hi @geoffkait

For some odd reason I haven't the desire to quibble with you over the meaning of "early." 

Carver showed early on that some CD's were compressed both in dynamic range as well as reduced channel separation. Of course, individual CD's varied, and the loudness wars continued even then.


Best,
E
Again, I think we're all talking at cross purposes:

1) Each medium has its own inherent DR limitations. This isn't really much of an issue unless you're really seeking out the limits of SQ. Most of the easily available info on the internet suggests that CDs have a wider DR than vinyl and this was a huge issue for classical music fans and one of the reasons they adopted the CD quickly and abandoned vinyl. My uncle was an audiophile and classical music aficionado. I remember a full wall in his French Quarter home nothing but vinyl when I was a kid. McIntosh components and HUGE Klipsch speakers too.

When I visited him a number of years later all of the vinyl was gone, completely replaced with CDs and there was the CD player, probably the first I ever saw.

I think sever DR compression is found more on CDs than other media simply because of timing. The loudness wars began when CDs were still the primary music media and the renaissance of vinyl was still early or even a ways off.

That anecdote aside, I have no idea which medium has the better DR and don't really care, because:

2) The bigger issue is intentional and extreme DR compression. It crosses all media and if you want to avoid it you have to do the research. There are no guarantees. And sadly, with many if not most new artists it is simply unavoidable whether CD, digital file or vinyl.


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