[Sonic Defender]

   
Of course not, but they usually don't do that. Vinyl guys normally have much better equipment to start with, so the engineers orient on much higher common denominator.
 
Also it's naturally much harder to cut something very loud and compressed onto the master lacquer. It's physically hard for playback too.
So the media itself is more demanding on the mastering quality, whereas CD would allow putting any garbage on it without any physical limitations....

 
Without any physical limitations? What exactly do you mean? To the best of my knowledge CDs as a physical media certainly have limitations.

 

[madwolfa]

 
Without any physical limitations? What exactly do you mean? To the best of my knowledge CDs as a physical media certainly have limitations.

 
Yes, but the data is recorded digitally, hence the only limitation is defined in Red Book encoding standard: 2-channel LPCM at 44/16, which allows 96dB of dynamic range and full audible frequency range of 20–20,000 Hz. 
 
You could master the audio at the point of clipping and compressed to 1-2 dB of dynamic range and CD wouldn't care (and this is what they do so your crappy iPod with Beats sounds good enough). Vinyl cutter would just blow itself up...

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
Yes, but the data is recorded digitally, hence the only limitation is defined in Red Book encoding standard: 2-channel LPCM at 44/16, which allows 96dB of dynamic range and full audible frequency range of 20–20,000 Hz. 
 
You could master the audio at the point of clipping and compressed to 1-2 dB of dynamic range and CD wouldn't care (and this is what they do so your crappy iPod with Beats sounds good enough). Vinyl cutter would just blow itself up...

Gotcha, totally agree. I remember talking to a very experienced recording engineer about this and he reminded me that even vinyl was on occasion overdone with records so loud that the needle couldn't track and would just be blasted out of the grooves! Not something I expected to hear about vinyl, but it makes sense that it would happen.

 

[madwolfa]

  Gotcha, totally agree. I remember talking to a very experienced recording engineer about this and he reminded me that even vinyl was on occasion overdone with records so loud that the needle couldn't track and would just be blasted out of the grooves! Not something I expected to hear about vinyl, but it makes sense that it would happen.

 
Yes, with vinyl you have to be really careful with what you do, regarding levels and such. And "vinyl people" just won't buy it if it sounds like crap.
CD as a recording media is much more forgiving, so they're mastered poorly most of the times with levels near clipping and compressed to hell.
 
But hey, at least it sounds good from your iPhone speaker, right?

 

[madwolfa]

There are CDs recorded so well, that no LP can even touch them (due to physical limitations). Most of them are ruined by bad mastering, though. That's making a lot of bad press for CDs as a recording media. But it has nothing to do with the media itself. Red Book is an excellent standard.

 

[Sonic Defender]

What are a few of your favourite well mastered CDs?

 

[jchandler3]

Hey Fellas, I just got my Gungnir today and so far I love it! Question about Audio MIDI setup:
 
All of my music is 44.1/16, with a few exceptions. I have a few albums in 44.1/24 and one or two in 96/24. Since the vast majority of my music is 44.1/16, would it be best to leave it on that and switch when I'm going to listen beyond that, or should I put it on 96/24 and always upsample? I know there's no benefit to upsampling, but is there a downside?
 
Thanks!

 

[kothganesh]

  Hey Fellas, I just got my Gungnir today and so far I love it! Question about Audio MIDI setup:
 
All of my music is 44.1/16, with a few exceptions. I have a few albums in 44.1/24 and one or two in 96/24. Since the vast majority of my music is 44.1/16, would it be best to leave it on that and switch when I'm going to listen beyond that, or should I put it on 96/24 and always upsample? I know there's no benefit to upsampling, but is there a downside?
 
Thanks!

Gungnir does not need switching, I don't think. I use Gungnir with my Macbook (Amarra is the player) and switching between 44.1/16 or 96/24 or even 192/24 happens automatically.

 

[jchandler3]

I think Amarra is doing the switching for you. I'm just using iTunes, so I need to open Audio MIDI every time... Not a big deal. Just wondering if upsampling is an issue or not. 

 

[madwolfa]

  What are a few of your favourite well mastered CDs?

 
Oh, I have quite a few.. like anything from Sara K or Allan Taylor (Stockfisch Records). Al Di Meola is recorded extremely well. Anything by Jacques Loussier, his CDs are amazing as most other Telarc stuff. Original pressings of "Dark Side of the Moon" (Japanese Black Triangle is the best) or "Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd (my reference CDs for most audio systems). Anything mastered by DCC/Steve Hoffman. Most of the stuff mastered in 80-90s is pretty decent, I am very wary of recently "remastered" old stuff because usually it's much worse than original pressings. 

 

[kothganesh]

  I think Amarra is doing the switching for you. I'm just using iTunes, so I need to open Audio MIDI every time... Not a big deal. Just wondering if upsampling is an issue or not. 

Thanks for the clarification. In terms of up sampling, I think you can ask 3 people to get 4 opinions! IMO, unless your ears can discern the subtleties, I would leave it at 44.1/16. 

 

[BeyerMonster]

  That being said, I honestly can't tell them apart from the o2,magni or even the burson soloist.
...
It seems to me like a lot of the folks on here has expectation bias and make things up in their own head to justice there purchases, or whos knows, maybe my ears are just broken lol.

Add "your music isn't very demanding" to the list of possibilities.
 
IMO, getting other people's opinions is great for helping to guide which items to demo or purchase. However, if you already have the actual gear in hand and you can't tell the difference, just call it a day, save some money, and go listen to some tunes.
Go spend it on something that makes a tangible difference to you.

 

[jchandler3]

  Thanks for the clarification. In terms of up sampling, I think you can ask 3 people to get 4 opinions! IMO, unless your ears can discern the subtleties, I would leave it at 44.1/16. 

 
Yeah, I think you're right. 44.1/16 it is!
 
Quick Gungnir first-impressions anecdote:
 
Is that interference I'm hearing? Clicking? Nope... bass strings slapping that I had never heard before! 

 

[madwolfa]

  Go spend it on something that makes a tangible difference to you.

 
Like a bottle of wine. 

 

[paradoxper]

  I think Amarra is doing the switching for you. I'm just using iTunes, so I need to open Audio MIDI every time... Not a big deal. Just wondering if upsampling is an issue or not. 

Amarra will do it automatically. A little app BitPerfect works with itunes and also does it for you.