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Help with compression and dynamic range

I'm 51. After a 15 year period of dealing with mortgage payments and childcare needs, I'm trying to get back into higher-end audio quality - especially when it comes to dynamic range in concert DVDs. I've recently spent countless hours trying to research CDs, MP3s and compression issues - with no resolve.

How can I tell which concert DVDs offer wider dynamic ranges? Or, for that matter,CDs? Is there a rating on the covers? I'm willing to do my homework if anyone can give me a reference. I've just read "Get Better Sound" by Jim Smith with no resolve.

Also, I'm looking to purchase a DVD player which will maximize sound quality when I can determine which DVDs and CDs are recorded with minimum compression and wider dynamic range. Can anyone explain what to look for when purchasing a higher-end DVD player. I've seen ratings for DACs, but am unsure what they mean.

ANY help is appreciated.
kewadinbob
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61
5,343 posts
 
That's not a definition of audio compression. What you're referring to is bandwidth limiting. In the example you suggested 3 octaves of bass, but less than a half octave of treble are removed. With anything approaching a full range musical passage that level of bandwidth limiting would sound unnatural.
wildoats
339 posts
 
Onhw61. You're right. Compression is basically making the softer parts of the song louder so that there is no longer any or little volume difference between the loud and soft passages. That's why it's called the loudness wars. It's worse when they kick up the volume of the loud passages too. Then you barely need to turn your volume knob and it's blasting horribly. I did read an article that the recordings today are made to sound better on poor sounding equipment, ear pods, car stereos etc., where you wouldn't be able to hear the soft passages very well on low compression recordings.
needfreestuff's avatar
needfreestuff
572 posts
 
You are at that age where your hearing could be deteriorating perhaps you should get a hearing test? Hope you find your problem soon. Best of Luck
saki70
907 posts
 
Different strokes for different folks .
What I am referring , to by whatever term , is indeed very real .

" With anything approaching a full range musical passage that level of bandwidth limiting would sound unnatural. "

And that sir is exactly what I have been describing !

Happy Tunes
wildoats
339 posts
 
But compressing is not limiting the high frequencies or the low frequencies. It is raising the volume of all frequencies of the soft passages of a song so the volume equals that of the loud passages of the song.
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