Good question and one that should favour the DAC on my CD player. One day I should find out.
Its interesting point, yes I've noticed some uncompressed originals do sound better converted mp3. Originally thought was an illusion but many others agree.
I guess someone could spend time and do a paper but for sure its true.
Maybe only the 'bad' bits thrown away?
-bruce
Yes. Used it for that purpose before. Works better than VST plugins for fixing some things.
Don't get political. . .
I have heard that analog tape as a stage in the mastering process has been used to great effect. It has a way of "gelling" the different sounds together. Its about getting the desired illusion at the end of the chain, not about flawless capture of the original sound.
I have heard that analog tape as a stage in the mastering process has been used to great effect. It has a way of "gelling" the different sounds together. Its about getting the desired illusion at the end of the chain, not about flawless capture of the original sound.
It appears that the BEST analog tape recordings still exceed what can be done with digital. This was shown by the opinions of impartial listeners, and it was certainly a wonderful surprise to me, but not too surprising.
The analog tape listened to by TAS, and others was not made in a typical analog recorder, and it was FULL TRACK AND 30IPS, equalized down to 10Hz, and with a frequency response extended to over 40KHz. This did not come easily, or with IC op amps, and that is the difference as well.
I was happily surprised that the tape, made 33 years ago still sounded excellent, I would have expected serious degradation by now. Yet it shows what even the best digital CANNOT DO YET! Dave Wilson can afford ANYTHING, yet he still reverts to this 1/3 century old analog recorder to really show off his latest loudspeaker. You guys could learn a trick or two listening to me about what is important in analog design, even today. Of course, I could make an even better analog recorder design if I had all the money that I needed, with the added experience that I have today, but I put a lot of effort into that recorder, to the point of almost bankrupting myself (I never charge enough in advance) in order to not compromise it sonically.
Now, let's make digital even better, and quit rationalizing that digital is virtually perfect already.
Please also realize that IC op amps could not make the same quality recorder, even today.
The analog tape listened to by TAS, and others was not made in a typical analog recorder, and it was FULL TRACK AND 30IPS, equalized down to 10Hz, and with a frequency response extended to over 40KHz. This did not come easily, or with IC op amps, and that is the difference as well.
I was happily surprised that the tape, made 33 years ago still sounded excellent, I would have expected serious degradation by now. Yet it shows what even the best digital CANNOT DO YET! Dave Wilson can afford ANYTHING, yet he still reverts to this 1/3 century old analog recorder to really show off his latest loudspeaker. You guys could learn a trick or two listening to me about what is important in analog design, even today. Of course, I could make an even better analog recorder design if I had all the money that I needed, with the added experience that I have today, but I put a lot of effort into that recorder, to the point of almost bankrupting myself (I never charge enough in advance) in order to not compromise it sonically.
Now, let's make digital even better, and quit rationalizing that digital is virtually perfect already.
Please also realize that IC op amps could not make the same quality recorder, even today.
Me too. Less is more? Perhaps I am a poor piece of hi fi. I like music, that's all I know.
If anyone wants to see the mythical ultramaster there are some pics here Studer UltraMaster
Now Dave Wilson being ever the showman I expect the reason for getting the tapes out is because his latest speaker is the new WAMM. Now the original WAMM was not a commercial product, but a speaker made to show off how good his recordings were as he felt there were no speakers out there good enough. Then people upset everything by wanting to buy WAMMs. As audio reviews are all old and grey and remember fondly those demos from the 80s it makes sense that he brings the tapes out again.
Or I could just be a cynical curmudgeon.
Now Dave Wilson being ever the showman I expect the reason for getting the tapes out is because his latest speaker is the new WAMM. Now the original WAMM was not a commercial product, but a speaker made to show off how good his recordings were as he felt there were no speakers out there good enough. Then people upset everything by wanting to buy WAMMs. As audio reviews are all old and grey and remember fondly those demos from the 80s it makes sense that he brings the tapes out again.
Or I could just be a cynical curmudgeon.
Not picking on you DF96
there's just so much material there.AM is how I became hooked on valves.
While bringing a 50's Transocean back to life, tuned in on some local AM music.
Sometimes you just don't know what you don't know.
The ancient design had class-A output incorporating a FB winding on output transformer.
That astounding Zenith AM tube sound influenced all of my future builds.
Now a valve is always in the signal chain.
-
Last edited:
When I heard my first WAMM in the 1980's, I was very impressed. Now the price for the WAMM has increased 20 times! I'll never catch up now! '-) Still, even the original WAMM could do things that I still cannot do with my present system.
For some of us, ultimate audio quality is a goal that we seek. We don't find it easy or cost effective, but we do it to achieve subjective success with ourselves and audio reviewers. Every detail counts, even the many that are discounted here as being too small to be important.
For some of us, ultimate audio quality is a goal that we seek. We don't find it easy or cost effective, but we do it to achieve subjective success with ourselves and audio reviewers. Every detail counts, even the many that are discounted here as being too small to be important.
If you remember John, Sid Smith took me to one side and said " Nigel you really must believe this, capacitors do matter ". He went on at length saying why. I was so happy. For once my quirky world was the same as the professional and he had doubts I believed. I was for one moment a DF96. It will never return and it was nice.
I didn't really want to name drop. It was to say that an open mind when someone who trained in the military is very refreshing. I think many people here do not trust their ability to know more about music. Perhaps like those who can dance and the rest, perhaps some hear differently. For all that I am sure by having better hi fi the ability comes.
The reason many AM radios were liked is they were very like the specialised high end gear albeit made for nearly zero money. 100 Hz to 4 kHz perhaps at 8% THD full volume. At 85 dB output this might drop to 1% absolute total ( transmission to loudspeaker ). The sound will be vey open when of reasonable build quality. In those moments it can be close to excellent. The brain can put in the missing octaves as often a recent concert said how it should sound. My AM radio was Sobel with a 10 x 6 Goodmans speaker. It had a moving coil 78 input. In 1959 when my dad was at work I player all the 78's. My mother had to tell him off when he found out, " he listens to it all day long and never damages anything". Not long after that I started making things. I have a terrible soldering iron scare ( Henly Solon ) aged 8. Again dads iron. One day I had the back off that radio aged 4. Instead of getting mad with me dad said how it worked ( he even said it was an SE type and how the transformer was a step down type). He worked with radar, he was the last person who could work CH. Now something people here might reject. Dad was selected because he could see aircraft inside noise ( even inside window ), maybe some hear this way. In the cold war CH was still used as it gave early warning. When CH was switched off dad and his technicians converted a CH set to do TV to watch the tennis ( Dover or Rye ). They also heated their food in the micro-wave radar. He is approaching 87 now. My dad wasn't really allowed to talk about this until 2010 although all had been on TV. As far as I know dad can still be called up in time of war technically. He was often in prison for being late on duty when seeing my mum. He and the gaurd went down the pub usually. RAF Rye.
If German my dad built your 1950 radar system.
The reason many AM radios were liked is they were very like the specialised high end gear albeit made for nearly zero money. 100 Hz to 4 kHz perhaps at 8% THD full volume. At 85 dB output this might drop to 1% absolute total ( transmission to loudspeaker ). The sound will be vey open when of reasonable build quality. In those moments it can be close to excellent. The brain can put in the missing octaves as often a recent concert said how it should sound. My AM radio was Sobel with a 10 x 6 Goodmans speaker. It had a moving coil 78 input. In 1959 when my dad was at work I player all the 78's. My mother had to tell him off when he found out, " he listens to it all day long and never damages anything". Not long after that I started making things. I have a terrible soldering iron scare ( Henly Solon ) aged 8. Again dads iron. One day I had the back off that radio aged 4. Instead of getting mad with me dad said how it worked ( he even said it was an SE type and how the transformer was a step down type). He worked with radar, he was the last person who could work CH. Now something people here might reject. Dad was selected because he could see aircraft inside noise ( even inside window ), maybe some hear this way. In the cold war CH was still used as it gave early warning. When CH was switched off dad and his technicians converted a CH set to do TV to watch the tennis ( Dover or Rye ). They also heated their food in the micro-wave radar. He is approaching 87 now. My dad wasn't really allowed to talk about this until 2010 although all had been on TV. As far as I know dad can still be called up in time of war technically. He was often in prison for being late on duty when seeing my mum. He and the gaurd went down the pub usually. RAF Rye.
If German my dad built your 1950 radar system.
Nigel, I would have liked to have met your father. 'Chain Home' wasn't it? I have seen a few documentaries on it. Your father's 'ability' was at least, not ignored. I bet it saved many lives.
Last night, I spoke with Richard Sequerra, a good friend of Sid Smith's when he was alive. Sequerra is 88, I'm pretty sure, and I look up to him regarding 'deep' audio matters, and I use his and Sid's Marantz 10 tuner, now over 50 years old. Sounds great!
Last night, I spoke with Richard Sequerra, a good friend of Sid Smith's when he was alive. Sequerra is 88, I'm pretty sure, and I look up to him regarding 'deep' audio matters, and I use his and Sid's Marantz 10 tuner, now over 50 years old. Sounds great!
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.