Can even a Novice hear differences in Sound Qualit


Just wanted to relate an experience I recently had with a friend of mine. Those that have read my Threads before, have heard me wax enthusiastically about a DIANA KRALL-The Look of Love-DVD Audio Disk. The Recording has a Multi-Channel Surround Sound version Recorded in 24-bit/96 kHz. The Disk is being played through a Pioneer DV-58AV Universal Player, connected to a SpaceTechLab A-102 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amp, Driving a pair of Grado RS-1 Headphones. Only having 2-Channel capability, the Pioneer can Downmix the Multi-Channel version to two. A 65 year old friend of mind, not an Audiophile with limited hearing, was given a chance to listen to this Recording. His jaw had dropped to the floor. After listening for five minutes, he took the Headphones off and said "why don't they make all of them sound as good"? This Man was unimpressed with the multiple 2-Channel SACD/2-Channel Hi-Rez DVD-Audio Disks that he has heard on this Pioneer. The only thing that I can say is "out of the mouth of Babes...."! Sorry to keep harping on the point, but I believe that this is the only solution to the lack of Harmonic Content on all 2-Channel Digital Recordings, no matter the sampling rate. I also believe that it is the only solution to closing the gap of Harmonic Content between Analog and Digital, minus the ticks and pops. It would be a damn shame to lose it!
pettyofficer
You got it half right, Mapman, now take the Club and bash your brains in. Now with whatever brain cells you have left, repeat to yourself "It sounds good enough" a thousand times. Now repeat to yourself "I am not worthy of a better sounding Format" a thousand times. Next, go out and buy a $10,000.00 Upgraded Gold plated High Fidelity Club, and repeat this exercise ten-thousand times. Next, brag to your knucle headed, knuckle dragging friends about the wonderful High Fidelity,of your Skull cracking, utilizing your Upgraded $10,000.00 Club. Next, use your club on anyone who disagree's or threatens your $10,00.00 Ego bragging rights. Next, use your club on anyone who has a better idea for a better Sounding Format, other than bashing your brains in, and is a threat to your $10,000.00 Ego bragging Tool! Lastly, shun and isolate anyone who disagrees, or doesn't participate in this same exercise.
Now, I am supposed to lay out $10,000.00 for the honor of participating in this High Fidelity Skull Cracking Exercise, how dare I rain on everyones Parade or upset the Apple Cart! You are damn right I have issues, I happen to like my Skull the way it is, thank-you very much! How many more times is everyone going to turn to the little boy who screams, "The Emperor is not wearing any clothes", and SHOOT the messenger! You would think that all little boys would learn to keep their big mouths shut! Well, that is a scene that puts us right back in the Stone Age, everyone running around naked for the sake of imitation, and no-one dares object! I am not crawling back up into the trees, I am not crawling back into the Ocean, I am not lowering myself on the Food Chain, and I will fight for Technological Progress in all things, not De-Evolving or De-Constructing it! That includes Technological Progress in the Sound Quality of New Formats, not sacrificing it for the sake of convenience! What you people are doing is simply Un-Natural, Illogical, Un-reasonable, dragging Human Progress down and me with it! I am just going to have to take your $10,000.00 Gold Plated High Fidelity Club, and shove it deep into your Soul, where the Sun doesn't shine! You can go ahead, and brag about how much High Fidelity you are getting from that!
It is obvious, that this means War! On one side, are those fighting for Technological Progress for the sake of improvement in Quality. This includes Sound Quality, as well as other things. On the other side, are those fighting against Technological Progress for the sake of improved Quality, who would rather forsake Quality for the sake of convenience. Despite the recent Technological History of decline in Recorded Sound, focusing on Digital Reproduction, looking at Mankinds History in Technological Progress in its entirety, it is obvious with each new advancement that results do matter! Rarely do you ever see any Technological advancement offer lower Quality, although most do promise more convenience. Most have tried to offer both, rarely do you see one that sacrifices one for the other, rarer still to see any one actually sacrifice Quality for the sake of convenience. Many Technological advancements have simply faded off of the Market, because they offered convenience, but no real Quality to back it up! Pet Rocks, and Cheta Pets are extreme examples of this!
I can not explain the accepted decline in Sound Quality, in the last 30 years, with every New Format, except to concider it an abberation that is building momentum for a dramatic Market Correction! It is just as hard to predict, as Earthquakes, even though you know one is on the way, just don't know when! History shows, that when any Market has a severe decline in Quality, that there is always someone just around the corner who sees a huge business opportunity to offer a little more than everyone else. The Temptation grows to try and Corner the Market, after all, every other competitor has left itself wide open and vulnerable by offering further and further declining Quality in Music Reproduction. The stresses along this Faultline are growing exponentially, something is eventually going to have to give. Things couldn't possibly remain as they are, and they certainly couldn't remain as they are forever. I am counting on it! I think that it would be ridiculous not to!
Not yet. I would give it some more time. I also plan on sending three other similar E-mails to three other contacts at Capitol Records. I also plan on sending an E-mail to Marcussen Mastering Studios, the Studios who Mastered the High Resolution Surround Sound for this Dianna Krall release. I presume that they were Subcontracted by Capitol Records, they could be the ones who actually did the work. They could be the ones I need to contact. I couldn't help notice Multi-Channel releases of Dianna Krall on SACD. The Dianna Krall-The Look Of Love, is a Multi-Channel 24-bit/96kHz DVD-Audio Format. I am not particularly a Dianna Krall Fan, but after hearing this DVD, I might end up being one. I would like to hear if anyone has even tried this DVD, Downmixed or Separate Surround Sound Channels, on a Pioneer DV58-AV or other Universal Player. I would like to know if anyone has had the same experience, Downmixed it sounds a hell of allot like a Record! Has anyone had any similar experience with Her Multi-Channel SACD Releases, Downmixed or otherwise? Has anyone had any similar experience with other Multi-Channel SACD from other Artists? It would seem that some are having a hit or miss, with good Sound Quality from SACD Disks. Maybe the really good sounding ones should be double checked to see if they might be actually Multi-Channel being downmixed by our Transports. Just a suggestion.
I didn't expect immediate results, preserverence will determine the outcome. I could give up after only one try, but you should know me better than that! I will keep you updated. Some feedback would be nice, just to make sure that I am not losing my mind, and hearing things! Can't believe that no-one has discovered this Silver Disk Gem before! It sounds miles ahead of any Silver Disk that I have heard, there isn't even any comparison! I just picked it off of the shelf at random! Why can't they make them all sound as good? They can, and we deserve it, I know that I do!
What might be interesting, is whatever processing was utilized, could be utilized in other ways. Universal Players could be designed to take ordinary CD, Upsample it to 24-bit/96kHz, sent through a similar Micro-Processor for Surround Sound/ Multi-Channel, and then Downmixed within our own Players. This could be done to add back all of the missing harmonic content that is stripped during the Digital Conversion Process. I don't know why 2-Channel Higher Sampling Rates, or SACD, still seem to strip the Music of its Harmonic Content. I don't know why this seems to be the only Process that actually, and substantially puts it back. The Foundation for this Harmonic Content during the Processing, is still based on what little Harmonic Content remains on the 2-Channel Digital Recording. You can argue that this Process corrupts the original Music Event, I would argue that Digitizing the original Music Event so radically corrupts the Harmonic Content, that this Processing might be the only way to correct the damage! Imagine being able to listen to your CD collection again, without getting Migrane Headaches after the first few Disks! I guess that everyone prefers to really aggrivate their Migraine Headaches, by buying into MP-3! Gee- I hope that I am successful, and the Masochists don't win, but I am really outnumbered!