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  1. #1
    Ajani
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    Thoughts on the future of HiFi

    I need a bit of distraction from real life at the moment, so I figured time for a new thread (actually I may start a few others soon)....

    So let me start with my thoughts on the future of HiFi:

    I think the folks at Chord Electronics are possibly the most forward thinking persons in HiFi at the moment. The Chordette and a few of Chord's more expensive DACs have a feature that I truly believe will be the future of HiFi – Bluetooth (or some kind of wireless tech)... These DACs are able to access the files directly from your bluetooth enabled cellphone or portable device... Now while I think Chord is crazy to have released such tech years (maybe even a decade) before I can see it being really practical for most persons, I do think it is the logical next step in Music Sever audio... Forget iPod docks with digital outputs, music streamers, HDD music servers, etc... Imagine walking around with your entire music library on a 2TB cellphone/tablet and being able to use wireless to send that info to your home stereo or your friend's stereo (when you visit) and still have that device as the controller for your system... Right now many affordable Music Server options are rather convoluted as you need a storage device, a streamer and a remote... Imagine having your iPhone/Android/iPad/whatever as all 3...

    I don't really foresee any other radical change in HiFi... CD will continue to fade out and eventually die, Vinyl will likely still remain a niche market, SS vs Tube is unlikely to be 'resolved', cable debates will continue, planar fans will remain planar fans and box fans will remain box fans... Audio Note will still be a religion (LOL – sorry I could resist a cheap shot at RGA – I'm just kidding though)... The only thing that might gain some traction is Class D amplification – because of the new tech in the NAD M2, which might revolutionize Class D (MIGHT being the operative word)... Oh and expect on-line sales both direct from manufacturers and from used/new dealers to continue to grow...

    Any other thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

  2. #2
    Forum Regular audio amateur's Avatar
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    Yes, i think CDs are a dying species, and I don't believe that they will be a part of the next generation of selling formats. However, there are so many of them and so many CD compatible players, it may take awhile to see that medium go away.

  3. #3
    Ajani
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    Quote Originally Posted by audio amateur
    Yes, i think CDs are a dying species, and I don't believe that they will be a part of the next generation of selling formats. However, there are so many of them and so many CD compatible players, it may take awhile to see that medium go away.
    I think CD players will be gone long before the actual discs are... Since many of us, music server users, buy our music on CDs and then rip it to our HDDs... Until downloads from iTunes, Amazon, etc are all lossless then CDs are likely to keep on selling...

  4. #4
    Forum Regular audio amateur's Avatar
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    Well that would mostly be Audiophiles then. I don't think your average listener gives a hoot whether it's lossless or not. Especially with such online music streaming options as Spotify and Deezer, music sales are inevitably falling. I really do wonder where the music industry is heading...

  5. #5
    Ajani
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    Quote Originally Posted by audio amateur
    Well that would mostly be Audiophiles then. I don't think your average listener gives a hoot whether it's lossless or not. Especially with such online music streaming options as Spotify and Deezer, music sales are inevitably falling. I really do wonder where the music industry is heading...
    Lossless and high res formats will be more prevalent eventually... MP3 only gained traction as a format for space saving reasons... they are quick to download and easy to store... With 1TB drives available so cheaply and broadband Internet access common, there is less and less need for low res...

    Apple's decision last year to upgrade iTunes downloads from 128K AAC to 256K AAC is a clear sign of the direction downloads are going... Even Amazon uses 256K MP3... So the next move will be lossless - which will offer Apple and Amazon a chance to "upgrade" customers purchased songs to lossless for a "small fee" per song (as Apple did with the last upgrade)...

  6. #6
    PDN
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    Yes perhaps in the future the concept of a "disc" will be done away with but let's not discount the pleasure derived from browsing a music store, listening to a few CDs, and then making your purchase. I love doing this and have for years and look forward to it each time. I like to come home, pop in the CD or DVD, and read the liner notes. I don't see CDs and DVDs dying at all for now. Walk into an FYE or Barnes & Noble and there are still thousands of CDs and DVDs being sold. I'm building my collection of SACDs now and love the new format. The market here is for remastering older lousy sounding recorded CDs of earlier classic rock, symphony music, jazz greats, etc. I think the future of multi-channel SACDs is bright and new SACDs are being added daily. Yes I'm middle aged and perhaps when we're all not here any longer, then maybe CDs will fade away. There are still many types of audiophile CD and SACD players still being produced. I look forward to someday upgrading to a new unit but for now, my Marantz Universal multi-channel SACD player sounds fabulous. LPs have long been predicted to fade away and they have not. New turntables are being manufactured everyday. So in my humble and hopeful opinion, music on discs is here for a while yet. Blu-ray is just starting to take off and that's all on DVD disc media.

  7. #7
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    I have to agree with Ajani on one point. Music delivery for the masses absolutely will be in the form of downloads in the future, not disc. High resolution music will come in two flavors, a download, or a disc. Disc still have the advantage in this area, as there is more high resolution music on disc, than there is available for download.

    Music servers will also be big, when they can get the prices down so the average Joe can afford it. In the mean time, there is a poor man's server consisting of 1-2TB of storage, and a media player. I currently have 3 2TB drives daisy chained that I have losslessly downloaded all of my music to, 3 TB of actual storage, and 3TB of backup.

    High quality USB DAC are also becoming the rage, which is great for the Ipod and any other portable music device.

    Vinyl will remain niche, and CD disc will soon be also if it exists at all.
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  8. #8
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    NIche me.

  9. #9
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    I have to agree with Ajani on one point. Music delivery for the masses absolutely will be in the form of downloads in the future, not disc. High resolution music will come in two flavors, a download, or a disc. Disc still have the advantage in this area, as there is more high resolution music on disc, than there is available for download.

    Music servers will also be big, when they can get the prices down so the average Joe can afford it. In the mean time, there is a poor man's server consisting of 1-2TB of storage, and a media player. I currently have 3 2TB drives daisy chained that I have losslessly downloaded all of my music to, 3 TB of actual storage, and 3TB of backup.

    High quality USB DAC are also becoming the rage, which is great for the Ipod and any other portable music device.

    Vinyl will remain niche, and CD disc will soon be also if it exists at all.
    As for downloads, they won't work for me 'till I get a lot better Internet speeds from my ISP than at present; I'm rarely faster than 1.5 Mbps even though I'm supposed to get "up to 5 Mbps". Rogers, (one of two major providers where I am), offers "up to 25 Mbps" but that costs $100/mo. which is over my limit for a luxury.

    I would like to see more multi-channel however distributed. SACD or Blu-ray disc would be fine with me provided I can legally rip at least RBCD quality to hard disc. Hybrid SACDs are fine in this regard -- what about Blu-ray?????

    As a Classical listener 95% of what I want to buy is still on CD; the rest is available on SACD which option I choose of the performance is acceptable.

  10. #10
    Vinyl Fundamentalist Forums Moderator poppachubby's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    As for downloads, they won't work for me 'till I get a lot better Internet speeds from my ISP than at present; I'm rarely faster than 1.5 Mbps even though I'm supposed to get "up to 5 Mbps". Rogers, (one of two major providers where I am), offers "up to 25 Mbps" but that costs $100/mo. which is over my limit for a luxury.

    I would like to see more multi-channel however distributed. SACD or Blu-ray disc would be fine with me provided I can legally rip at least RBCD quality to hard disc. Hybrid SACDs are fine in this regard -- what about Blu-ray?????

    As a Classical listener 95% of what I want to buy is still on CD; the rest is available on SACD which option I choose of the performance is acceptable.

    Bill are you kidding?!? 1.5 Mbps is like lightning speed. A typical torrent would come in under a minute I bet. A full discography in ten. I think that's great!! I only have 350 kbps but I am happy with it. My buddy has the package you have and it's stupid fast.

    I am making some major moves here at the homestead. My computer will be moving upstairs, to merge with my H/T. I plan on upgrading to a capable BR and CD player, whether that's seperate or not I'm not sure.

    Basically I will slowly upgrade my H/T. My 2 channel is approaching a level I can live with. I want to finish retubing the SE40 and then will begin saving for a +$1K TT.

    I'm actually excited about it. Lately I have REALLY been enjoying my digital in the H/T. My Jazz DVDs are super fun and sound great. It will mean more time spent enjoying my hobby on the main level of the house. In the summertime, that's important. Sorry about the rambling.

    I'll be looking for help from all of you futuristic, sci fi audio types.

  11. #11
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    As for downloads, they won't work for me 'till I get a lot better Internet speeds from my ISP than at present; I'm rarely faster than 1.5 Mbps even though I'm supposed to get "up to 5 Mbps". Rogers, (one of two major providers where I am), offers "up to 25 Mbps" but that costs $100/mo. which is over my limit for a luxury.
    I understand your boggle. I am very very luck though. I live right across the street from the switch box, and when I had DSL I was getting 6.0mbps, exactly what I was paying for in spite of a lot of people in my area having it. Now I have the 24.5mbps package with fibre optics all the way up to the house, and nobody in the neighborhood has it. I am now getting speeds up to 35mbps, so downloads and streaming are quite a hit in my place.

    $100 buck for 24.5mbps?? That is insane. I am paying $45 bucks for that!

    I would like to see more multi-channel however distributed. SACD or Blu-ray disc would be fine with me provided I can legally rip at least RBCD quality to hard disc. Hybrid SACDs are fine in this regard -- what about Blu-ray?????
    Managed copy has been implemented on Blu ray, but nobody has encoded it on disk yet.

    As a Classical listener 95% of what I want to buy is still on CD; the rest is available on SACD which option I choose of the performance is acceptable.
    My collection is mostly classical as well, but I have a fair amount of Jazz and Gospel in the mix. I am on the screeners list for Surround Records and 2L, so all of my new music has been in the form of Blu ray disc. CD is still the biggest part of my collection, and most of it has been ripped and stored on a 2TB drive that I can access anywhere in the house.
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  12. #12
    Forum Regular pixelthis's Avatar
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    Cool

    there will always be a place for "HI-FI", but the equipment will change.
    AS LONG AS there are old farts there will be big honkin amps and speakers,
    and antique input sources like records and CD's.
    But it will gradually fade, the big explosion of HI FI that got started in
    the fifties will eventually disapear.
    End of an era, and very sad, really.
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  13. #13
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    ...

    $100 buck for 24.5mbps?? That is insane. I am paying $45 bucks for that!

    ...
    Ain't that the truth. It's really just competition or, more precisely, lack of it.

    Two outfits dominate the ISP business around here: Rogers, as mentioned, and Bell Canada. Rogers, which is cable-based, seems to have the technical advantage and can offer much higher speeds than Bell which is DSL. Rogers only just matches Bell's price for similar capacity, (as do a few minor players). But Rogers is the only one with the infrastructure to deliver above 10 Mbps and they charge whatever they like above that level.

  14. #14
    RGA
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    All the tech stuff is great - CD was invented and WAS popular because it was convenient. Real Audiophiles stayed with Vinyl because it sounds better. SS came about because it was more user friendly and promised much - Real Audiophiles stayed with tubes. And it appears even audiophiles like me that grew up on CD and SS have moved to tubes and vinyl because despite their pain in the ass nature they sound so vastly superior it's not even remotely close.

    But user friendliness was why those others became popular because so few people are audiophiles. MP3 sounds much worse than CD but it is killing CD because it is far far far more convenient. So presumably anything that is more convenient and user friendly will come about and crush MP3. There is nothing really new here. At least MP3 doesn't claim perfect sound forever and lie to everyone. I am not against any of this - I have an iPod connected it up to my car cd player with XPOD and it's great - can listen to 80gigs of music in my car. That's a lot of songs - and it sounds good enough (it is a car after all) and I'm all for making convenient access to music.

    It won't replace the niche market - the niche market and Real audiophiles with the good ears kept vinyl and tubes around. But with many philes with thousands of CDs - it ain't going anywhere for at least a decade.
    Last edited by RGA; 05-30-2010 at 10:52 AM.

  15. #15
    Suspended Smokey's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    All the tech stuff is great - CD was invented and WAS popular because it was convenient. Real Audiophiles stayed with Vinyl because it sounds better. SS came about because it was more user friendly and promised much - Real Audiophiles stayed with tubes.
    Are there any shades of gray in your Black and White world

    Convince was part of CD attraction, but I think CD was mainly invented because of vinyl’s limitations such as noise, distortion and Dynamic range that could not be over come. And worst part about vinyls was that it was degradable which mean any time you played it, sound quality would go down a notch due to wear and tear factor.

    If vinyl does sound better than CD as some audiophiles have noted, most blame have to fall on method of recording rather than the format. But if everything equal, there is no way vinyl can compete against remastered CD in term of sound integrity and quality.
    Last edited by Smokey; 05-30-2010 at 12:15 AM.

  16. #16
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokey
    Are there any shades of gray in your Black and White world

    Convince was part of CD attraction, but I think CD was mainly invented because of vinyl’s limitations such as noise, distortion and Dynamic range that could not be over come. And worst part about vinyls was that it was degradable which mean any time you played it, sound quality would go down a notch due to wear and tear factor.

    If vinyl does sound better than CD as some audiophiles have noted, most blame have to fall on method of recording rather than the format. But if everything equal, there is no way vinyl can compete against remastered CD in term of sound integrity and quality.
    Ditto these comments.

  17. #17
    Music Junkie E-Stat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokey
    And worst part about vinyls was that it was degradable which mean any time you played it, sound quality would go down a notch due to wear and tear factor.
    Unless, of course you have a RCM and take care of your collection. I've used a VPI HW-16 for over twenty five years and have some records that old that still sound pristine.

    Quote Originally Posted by Smokey
    But if everything equal, there is no way vinyl can compete against remastered CD in term of sound integrity and quality.
    Everything isn't equal and analog remains superior in some respects to Red Book playback. Having said that, I have replaced a number of my favorite vinyl records with CD counterparts and agree that they most certainly have advantages. The future is high resolution digital. Ironically, the current generation who thinks iTunes is wonderful doesn't want or understand that yet.

    rw

  18. #18
    Forum Regular YBArcam's Avatar
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    I'd have to agree with the last few posters. I don't have a tonne of vinyl experience, but I did just by a record player recently. IMO, a well recorded CD beats vinyl. The clarity and dynamics, it just kills vinyl in these respects. I can only imagine what high res downloads fed to a great DAC would sound like. The problem with CDs is that far too many are not well recorded. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with the medium itself, or is simply due to recording techniques which can affect both mediums. I admit, many CDs sound atrocious.

    But all I know is that a well recorded CD is convenient and a pleasure to listen to. Don't get me wrong, vinyl is great and some of my records sound fantastic and better than their CD counterpart. Maybe they all do. But I wonder if it's worth the hassle, because in many cases it's not even close to being a night and day difference. Maybe my expectations of vinyl were too high; if I felt it was vastly better then I could easily put up with the inevitable snap, crackle, and pop noises no matter how well you care for your albums, and the needle wearing the grooves on each successive playback (even if you have an RCM, it's still direct physical contact from a hard needle on soft grooves). The cleaning, the getting up and flipping the record over/changing song. Etc. But if it's not always better, or only just, is it worth it?

    So surprise, surprise. It all comes down to the care taken in mixing and mastering an album. If the proper care is taken a CD will sound fantastic. If not then it won't. I suspect the same is true for vinyl, only with less glare and a smoother sound vinyl will not exacerbate the harshness of a poor recording. But one can tailor his system to do the same for CD.

    I reserve the right to change my opinion after I've put in a lot of hours listening to my vinyl collection, and maybe after I've upgraded to a nicer table and cart. But for now let's just say I'm a little bit underwhelmed.
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  19. #19
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Any comparisons between vinyl and digital have always used the lowest form of digital audio in that comparison. When you compare 24/96khz, 24/88.2, 24/176.4khz. 24/192khz or DXD digital to vinyl, it does not have a chance, even the most pristine vinyl.

    Bernie Grundman has said that if you are looking for accuracy, do not look at vinyl. No matter how euphoric vinyl sounds, it is not accurate by any means.

    MP3 was never created as a codec for critical listening, it was a codec of portability. Young people today do not critically listen to music, it is a welcome distraction while doing other things.
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  20. #20
    RGA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokey
    Are there any shades of gray in your Black and White world

    Convince was part of CD attraction, but I think CD was mainly invented because of vinyl’s limitations such as noise, distortion and Dynamic range that could not be over come. And worst part about vinyls was that it was degradable which mean any time you played it, sound quality would go down a notch due to wear and tear factor.

    If vinyl does sound better than CD as some audiophiles have noted, most blame have to fall on method of recording rather than the format. But if everything equal, there is no way vinyl can compete against remastered CD in term of sound integrity and quality.
    I don't think there are shades of gray when it comes to the sound. There are factors with regards to degrading sound and I think a poor vinyl rig can sound shockingly bad while a cheap cd player can still provided decent cd sound. My Sony mega changer sounds not too bad and it's about as cheaply made as it gets. While I have bought used Dual turntables that some vinyl philes rave about and no they are not better. It takes more expense to get vinyl to where it needs to be to fend off CD.

    The best gear reproducing the best sound is from vinyl. Whether it is against remastered cd or SACD. being a slave to measurements doesn't impress me in the least since $199 SS should sound better than the best Single Ended Tube amps - and it's not the case. And people who make the suggestion on forums are usually the people who have never got their ass off the couch and bothered to audition. Instead they read magazines and forums and parrot back what they have read.

    I have heard the new Linn top of the line streaming cutting edge replay - the TT3 kills it. Vinyl does not win in the noise floor camp or the occasional pop and click and that will take many listeners out of the game right there - it did for me for a long while because it is noticeably less than perfect. But CD has an awful time with with nuance and getting the entire sound to the fore. Again all of the noise shaping and filtering takes the MUSIC OUT with the bathwater and over time it is highly annoying. The CD player I am reviewing currently is the best I have ever used in my system despite a relatively reasonable price and has zero error correction, or filtering and is by far the most natural digital I have had in my home. It also very likely measures worse than any other type. So be it. I like the guys who actually listen rather than try to impress with spec sheets and sell numbers to the sheep.
    Last edited by RGA; 05-30-2010 at 11:11 AM.

  21. #21
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    All the tech stuff is great - CD was invented and WAS popular because it was convenient. Real Audiophiles stayed with Vinyl because it sounds better. SS came about because it was more user friendly and promised much - Real Audiophiles stayed with tubes. And it appears even audiophiles like me that grew up on CD and SS have moved to tubes and vinyl because despite their pain in the ass nature they sound so vastly superior it's not even remotely close.
    If what you state is true, then why did Bernie Grundman who is perhaps the best lathe cutter on this planet state that if you are looking for accuracy, do not look towards vinyl? Apparently based on his experience, vinyl does not sound like the original masters it was cut from, and that it "colors" the sound in a way that is appealing to the ears.(complimentary distortion). It is difficult based on his words to label vinyl vastly superior in spite of the the issues with earlier digital recordings, and the relatively low resolution of redbook CD.

    But user friendliness was why those others became popular because so few people are audiophiles. MP3 sounds much worse than CD but it is killing CD because it is far far far more convenient. So presumably anything that is more convenient and user friendly will come about and crush MP3. There is nothing really new here. At least MP3 doesn't claim perfect sound forever and lie to everyone. I am not against any of this - I have an iPod connected it up to my car cd player with XPOD and it's great - can listen to 80gigs of tubes in my car. That's a lot of songs - and it sounds good enough (it is a car after all) and I'm all for making convenient access to music.
    The sonic attributes are not why MP3 has bested CD, it is just what you outlined, convenience, and the ability to download fast and easy.

    It won't replace the niche market - the niche market and Real audiophiles with the good ears kept vinyl and tubes around. But with many philes with thousands of CDs - it ain't going anywhere for at least a decade.
    If these audiophiles really had the "good ears" then why couldn't they identify that the thing the love about vinyl is its distortions? Whether euphoric or not, it is what it is. So what you are saying is the audiophiles with the "good ears" love distortion. Does not sound like their ears are so good to me.
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  22. #22
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by poppachubby
    Bill are you kidding?!? 1.5 Mbps is like lightning speed. A typical torrent would come in under a minute I bet. A full discography in ten. I think that's great!! I only have 350 kbps but I am happy with it. My buddy has the package you have and it's stupid fast.

    ...
    Would I kid you, Chad? No, but I guess I lied: today I'm getting more like 2.4 Mbps. Here's my speed result from from Speedtest.net ...



    Note that I'm using Odynet in London, here. Their price for "up to 5 Mbps" is C$35/mo; this is no better than Rogers or Bell, but I have the satisfaction of not dealing with either of the corporate gougers.

    Tisk, tisk!! What are you Torrentling? Don't you know that most of that stuff is pirated? (If I torrented anything, I won't admit it. )

  23. #23
    Ajani
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    Quote Originally Posted by Feanor
    Would I kid you, Chad? No, but I guess I lied: today I'm getting more like 2.4 Mbps. Here's my speed result from from Speedtest.net ...



    Note that I'm using Odynet in London, here. Their price for "up to 5 Mbps" is C$35/mo; this is no better than Rogers or Bell, but I have the satisfaction of not dealing with either of the corporate gougers.
    That's really sad... this is what I'm getting in Jamaica:


  24. #24
    M.P.S.E /AES/SMPTE member Sir Terrence the Terrible's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RGA
    I don't think there are shades of gray when it comes to the sound. There are factors with regards to degrading sound and I think a poor vinyl rig can sound shockingly bad while a cheap cd player can still provided decent cd sound. My Sony mega changer sounds not too bad and it's about as cheaply made as it gets. While I have bought used Dual turntables that some vinyl philes rave about and no they are not better. It takes more expense to get vinyl to where it needs to be to fend off CD.
    And to take your last thought further, it takes more expense for vinyl to fend off CD, but it could never at any expense sound better than high resolution digital even if its price was far less.

    The best gear reproducing the best sound is from vinyl. Whether it is against remastered cd or SACD.
    I profoundly disagree here. There has never been a comparison of SACD and vinyl, so you cannot quantify that statement. What comparisons that have been done have been high resolution audio versus vinyl versus the live feed. Vinyl did not win that one at all, at least not among those listeners that participated in the test. At least 10 of those listeners where vinyl fanatics who before the test were certain vinyl would trounce digital easily.


    being a slave to measurements doesn't impress me in the least since $199 SS should sound better than the best Single Ended Tube amps - and it's not the case. And people who make the suggestion on forums are usually the people who have never got their ass off the couch and bothered to audition. Instead they read magazines and forums and parrot back what they have read.[/QUOTE]
    Sir Terrence

    Titan Reference 3D 1080p projector
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    Datastat RS20I audio/video processor 12.4 audio setup
    9 Onkyo M-5099 power amp
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    3 custom 3 way horn DSP hybrid monitors
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    THX Style Baffle wall

  25. #25
    Shostakovich fan Feanor's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
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    London, Ontario
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    8,127
    Quote Originally Posted by Ajani
    That's really sad... this is what I'm getting in Jamaica:

    INDEED

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