I don't quite understand why many of my favourite recordings of accoustic music (classical, jazz) are more than likely to be AAD or ADD.

I can't figure out whether it's because mastering/mixing was more of a craft back then on the older recordings, or if I'm subconciously conforted by the hiss sound.

Then if I listen to most CDs with DDD, it sounds sterile and lacking 'air' to my ears.

Anyone else experienced this?

You're not alone...I love analog too...tapes, vinyl - for some reason I find them a lot easier on the ears when I am listening for long periods of time.

I prefer CD/DVD sound quality in terms of definition - but analog cant be beat for listening pleasure...

I find even with the CDs I have with old recordings of early jazz where there is lots of hiss and crackle it has an emotional impact. Somehow the very defects seem to make the music more human and intimate, and bring me closer to the musicians.

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How funny, I just posted on another thread about this phenomenon, i.e. the defects of a medium being the very stuff that folks like. I am seriously beginning to think that contrary to audiophile current thinking that loads of folks should add equalizers to audio rigs and a CRACKLE and POP generator.

Do you ever listen to XRCD, XRCD2, and Super XRCD24 ?,They all compatible with redbook cd and the recording quality very amazing. A little bit hisses at the background but you can hear most of the aspect in the good recording quality.
I have two albums Esther Ofarim and Gary Karr Audiophile Selection the sound very amazing but the price was expensive.

Porta.

Yes, the XRCDs are exactly what I'm talking about. They sound so organic, even though the hiss is there it doesn't intrude.

My memory fails me right now, so no reference, but:

I remember having read (somewhere) that "hiss" is sometimes used deliberately to add "ambience" to historical recordings after the surface noise of the shellac recordings has been removed by Sonic Solutions, Cedar etc. AFAIK, this phenomenon is actually quite well-known.

Compared to my Corda HA-1, the headphone jack of my old and humble Pioneer amplifier produces a noticeable amount of hiss. Sometimes I perceive this as added ambience and treble.

Regards,

L.