When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Shadorne,

How do we know that some here, especially those younger, do not in fact have fully functional human ears that can actually can discern things clearly even beyond 20000hz unlike most of us?

If they are over forty, that would be a huge exception though, so perhas there really is not much of a market.

I am over forty and know for a fact I cannot hear anything up there the way Iused to be able to back in college.

Maybe that's why CDs sound just fine in many cases to me and many others but not some.

Ironically, the higher resolution stuff may be technically superior, but most people will never be able to hear the difference. Those who can are probably younger and even less likely to be able to afford it.

Shadrone, Love your summary. It's been said before though. To no avial, unfortunately.

IMHO, the reality is that a lot of folks need to reinforce their personal observations/beliefs so they make a polorizing statement to find support from like believers. A human condition that defies any rational cure. After they have found their counterparts they form a gang and attack all others as non-believers.

It all starts with the title of the thread. If anyone thinks that any particular format has 'soul' they are listening to the wrong thing. Any 'soul' to be found is found in the music, and it can be heard live or over boom boxes by those who have an open mind and ears, those who are not just obsessed with the quality of sound reproduction.

Interestingly the self-proclaimed 'music lovers' who decry and avoid any one particular format because of its inability to convey the soul of music, have no real interest in music. It is just a vehicle for the sound. What they worship is the sound.

One of my favorite performances of Mussorgsky's Pictures is a 1956 recording of a live performance by Richter. I have it on both LP and CD. It is a terrible recording! In either format! But, IMHO, no better performance has ever been recorded. I suspect many audiophiles, in particular, but especially format freaks, would never 'hear' its greatness, or even listen to it, because of recording issues.

Its OK to focus on sound quality, after all it is the foundation of this hobby, but lets not get sanctimonious and pretentious about format preferences having 'soul' or being able to convey 'soul'. That is nothing more, or less, than a bumper crop of crap, being farmed by a bunch of past, present, or future merchants. IMHO of course.

If 'soul' is something to be discussed, why don't we just start a new thread about which religion best portrays or encoumpasses 'soul'. Now that would really be fun!

Rant over. :-)

Really, what the h--k is everyone complaining about? We have more choices now than ever in the past regarding how we satisfy our personal music related urges and it will only get better from here. Maybe if just accept......

.....Nah!

But I do think there is a good future episode of South Park perhaps buried in this thread somewhere.

Newbee - I did say that 44kHz sampling, and not a CD, is a joke. I still enjoy the music on CD and practicallity of it. I remember seeing similar threads on SS amps lacking the soul compare to tube gear.