[KidA]

When listening to music on high end headphones (i'm using an RS-1 right now) I quite often hear what i can only really describe as a staticy 'crunch' sound. I've heard it on everything from new Tori Amos to classic John Coltrane. I don't hear it all or even most of the time, but every once in awhile i get this sound. I don't think its my source cause i've listened to the same albums on different sources and heard the same sound. Does anyone else experience this? is it simply the result of recording errors that detailed cans expose?

(if anyone cares to check it out, I hear it at 2 minutes 50 seconds on 'Resolution', the second track from John Coltrane's amazing "A love supreme')

 

[seeberg]

Hmmm... Could it be the phenomenon of "hotmix" distortion I've heard about? I've got the article bookmarked somewhere, and it shows a chronicle of new and old Rush CD's and how the new stuff has static distortion everywhere when suitable high end stuff is used for playback. I dunno, honestly.

,
Abe

 

[cmirza]

Was that the article that talks about how music as of late is mastered at higher volumes so that it sounds 'better' on cheaper audio equipment?

 

[bigshot]

That's exactly what it is...

Rip Rowan: Over The Limit

See ya
Steve

 

[seeberg]

Yep, that's exactly it. The Rip Rowan article. You guys are on the ball, keep it up!
And yeah, hotmixing sounds "great" on lowfi equipment, but sounds like someone let a hot steaming pile on a recording when played back through the real stuff, the hifi kind of stuff.

,
Abe

 

[BowerR64]

What are some other CDs that have the louder is better problem?

Do you have thriller? ive always thought that album was a bit loud.

 

[NOTHINGness]

One of the classic examples is Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Califonication. At the time of pressing it was the second hottest pressed album ever. Sadly the page I read that on is down, so I don't know the name of #1. Also check out this link: http://www.airwindows.com/analysis/A...les/index.html It gives several examples of highly compressed albums and sonograms to go with them.

 

[jpr703]

Californication and Vapor Trails both bring a tear to my eye for two reasons. First they sound so bad that prolonged exposure makes you feel like your ears are starting to bleed and secondly because they could have been great albums. Makes me want to kick a recording engineeer to two squarely in the nuts.

 

[appar111]

Evanescence's "Fallen" is another good example of hotmix distortion. It drives me mad when I want to enjoy a good album on decent equipment, and can't because the way it was mixed is too distracting to make it enjoyable.

 

[radrd]

System of a Down's new album is mixed extremely high, but I haven't had a chance to listen to it on anything better than my Athena speakers and my Koss KSC35s, so I'm not sure how bad the distortion is. I can tell it's there though.

 

[redshifter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NOTHINGness One of the classic examples is Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Califonication. At the time of pressing it was the second hottest pressed album ever. Sadly the page I read that on is down, so I don't know the name of #1. Also check out this link: http://www.airwindows.com/analysis/A...les/index.html It gives several examples of highly compressed albums and sonograms to go with them.

fascinating link. thanks.

 

[walkman666]

Really interesting link. A shame. I was doubly interested cos at one time Rush was one of my favorite bands. [Coincidentally, I stopped at this Rip Rowan guy got started, but I still know the first 7 albums by (closer to the) heart.]

I am naively surprised that the band itself does not have more say in the mastering process and get them to remaster the cd after hearing how awful it represents their sound, but I guess the label is just a wee bit more powerful. Another sham(e).

- walkman

 

[seeberg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpr703 Californication and Vapor Trails both bring a tear to my eye for two reasons. First they sound so bad that prolonged exposure makes you feel like your ears are starting to bleed and secondly because they could have been great albums. Makes me want to kick a recording engineeer to two squarely in the nuts.

Agreed 1000%. And then some. Music shouldn't be mixed so it sounds "good" on cheapo Sony Streetstyles and V150's, stock earbuds, etc. Music should be mastered properly for those that appreciate it. But alas, I have to agree with the comments made about the artists' waning control over the mixing process, and I won't blame recording engineers, they take orders from the real a**holes in the chain, the executives that need all the musical appeal they can get their greedy hands on, and hotmixing to the point of butchering the sound is just another way to achieve that end, IMHO.

,
Abe

 

[Silfer]

But isn't John Coltrane mixed a bit too long ago to suffer from this? Or can this happen while remastering?

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silfer But isn't John Coltrane mixed a bit too long ago to suffer from this? Or can this happen while remastering?

it can definitely happen when transferring old master tapes to CD. take John Coltrane's "Blue Train" - there are alot of different CDs/Vinyl/SACD etc that you can grab this - all based on the master tapes (hopefully) but with widely differing results in quality playback.

KidA - You've only had the RS-1 for 3 days, I'm not sure if that's long enough to really make a solid opinion. Give it some time to burn in, especially since you got a brand new pair, before you decide to sell/trade it away!