An Audio-Quality Arms Race?

[StanleyMuso]

As digital audio matures, companies are touting improvements in sound quality to be heard above the din.

http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17642&ch=infotech

[PeruvianSkies]

This reminds me of something that just recently happened...

I had a friend come over the other day and we listened to some CD's on my system. He does not own a system at all, in fact he almost always listens to music via iPod, iTunes, or something similar. He was impressed with what we were listening to and kept on commenting on how it sounded 'different' to him than what he was used to. We were playing some CD's of songs that he had on his iPod or in iTunes and he kept saying...is this the original recording? It sounds different. I kept reassuring him that it was the same song, same recording, but he was just hearing it afresh and probably hearing things that he couldn't hear on his small iPod headphones. Finally I had to convince him by connecting his iPod into my receiver and playing it that way and he was stunned. I don't think he realized the difference, maybe compression or maybe just how good something can sound when played through better equipment. Needless to say I sounded like a salesman trying to get him 'hooked' on some good equipment and I think he is going to go with me soon to check out some gear and maybe bring his checkbook!!!