Should Sound Quality of Computer Audio be improved

Petttyofficer,

You say you listened, but it is obvious from you're last answer you have not. You are just repeating some paranoid idea you have that computers will kill off high quality audio or other quality formats. Please show me the evidence.

No one is dumbing down, cheating or lying if you stick with the established retailers. Piracy is a problem, but I'm sure you can tell the difference.

No one is progressing backwards. You will find everything is available at 16/44.1 (CD quality). Now you will find some 24/44.1 and higher recordings. All the way up to 24/192. At a push you will find higher.

As time goes by there will be more. Give it time to appear. In the meantime you have the recording history upto today available for your listening pleasure. Not enough for you I guess?

Monopoly is an interesting word for you to use. People are using downloads because it's easy, and compatable with all modern equipment, and sounds as good as the orignal recording if kept at original sample rate. i.e. non data compressed.

For portable convenience some use data compression (MP3) to fit numerous albums on their phones/iPods etc. Still sounding way better than the Sony Walkman of the early 80s. But as we are talking about audiophile quality we won't count MP3s. Remember you could keep the original non compressed file in your library, & convert to MP3s to your portable device.

From a technical standpoint some recording masters used to create the glass master for CD manufacture are different to the masters for creating vinyl. This is not because of Microsoft or Apple. Its just the radio loudness war effecting things.

You see Petty, there is no standard anything. Besides you could probably find the masters used for creating the vinyl. After all they too were probably a wav or aiff file anyway...

Only like pulling teeth because you sometimes don't listen to what is actually being said - your own opinions powerfully drowning out any other voices.

I don't remember anyone saying "computer audio SHOULD replace all other formats". Personally, I do believe it WILL likely replace other digital formats but analogue is likely to continue being a niche market. This is not my wish, just market forces. It's just much cheaper for recording companies to offer these digital music files without physical media - and the majority of people are happy with MP3 quality (i.e. the 99% of the population not having these discussions on audio websites). For the rest of us there will be CD or greater quality downloads - as long as it is profitable for the record companies.

Again, this is not my WISH, just what I believe is likely to happen in the next decade or so. And I don't believe it is necessarily anything to fear. CDs don't really offer anything that a downloaded computer file doesn't - other than guaranteed 16/44 storage and something to hold in your hands while the music plays. As long as there is demand for CD or greater quality downloads and the recording industry can profit off of it, it will continue to grow as CD shrinks. Again, all in my opinion.

Please don't turn around and say I want to wipe out all other formats, adopters of high res computer audio want to wipe out other formats, Bill Gates wants to kill our first-born, etc, etc. If anyone is to "blame" here I believe it is the recording companies and the non-audiophile general public - they're the ones happy with MP3s.

Me - I'm more excited at the sound I get from my Mac -> Wavelength front end and at the possibilities of resolution far exceeding redbook CD.

"Someday all New Music will only be available as Music
Downloads". I can guarantee you that it is "NOT" likely
to happen. Computer Audio is still coming out as 50/50.
Half are extremely satisfied, half are extremely dis-satisfied with the Sound Quality. You want to pave over,
sweep under the rug, ignore, ridicule, anyone who has a
serious technical issue with the Sound Quality of Computer Audio. ANYTHING BUT CORRECT IT! You don't correct it, it happens again and again and again. Dis-satisfaction
accumulates, and it will make swiss cheese out of any
likelyhood of Computer Audio replacing all other Formats.
The wheels of Computer Audio are falling off way too many times, the word is already out on the street! I ask you
to atleast glue the wheels back on just to save this Format. You live in denial, and insist that it isn't a problem. Do nothing, and allow Computer Audio to rack up
enough failure to establish a pattern of unreliability.
I was trying to save Computer Audio, but if you want to make me the bad guy trying to end it- guess my job here is done! Computer Audio is likely to shoot itself in the foot
before it ever replaces any Audio Format. With the assistance of Microsoft, Apple, Macintosh, and you guys-
failure is guaranteed! So sad, it had such great potential!

Regarding your quip about ignoring and ridiculing - your continued inability to comprehend what is being said has unintentionally made you the master of irony!

And again, your last post leaves me wondering whether you really believe what you are saying or are just baiting us for chits and giggles.

I mean c'mon:
"The wheels of Computer Audio are falling off way too many times, the word is already out on the street!...I was trying to save Computer Audio, but if you want to make me the bad guy trying to end it- guess my job here is done!...With the assistance of Microsoft, Apple, Macintosh, and you guys- failure is guaranteed!"

Never mind the grammar and punctuation - the tale you tell is gripping! The fallen hero - trying to save Computer Audio but thwarted by us simpletons bowing at the altar of the big computer corporations, all conspiring to destroy music. You, standing as the lone warrior, single-handedly trying to save music as we know it!

LOL!!!

You are trying to save computer audio? I asked for real suggestions from you to take to manufactures. You mumbled out garbage. I'm sorry to sound this way, but you have ridiculed everything about computer audio without a single real suggestion of how to fix YOUR COMPLAINTS, not ours. You say yourself that 50% is extremely satified, I'd say it is more like 95%. Have you ever thought about asking someone experienced for advice?
Please state where you get the statistic that 50% are unsatisfied.
Where is did your facts come from that computer audio is unreliable? On this thread there are maybe 20, 25 or so people. I see 1 person complaining, not 50%... unless no one else counts and you are much too late, computer audio has already made it. I hope someday that you can find enough hi res downloads to make you happy. I have about 1800 songs downloaded and I admit only a 100 or so hi res, but I can attest that redbook cd's downloaded are better playing off files from my computer through my dac than any cd player that I've had in my system. I'm sorry that you are unhappy... Life is too short for that. Myself and it seems many others are very happy with our computer audio setups.... Maybe you should go fishin. Life is too short to be this aggrivated. Tim