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Is it true that vinyl record players have better sound quality? (Part 2)

Note 2: This is why you can immediately dismiss anyone who nonchalantly says “analog is better” on the grounds that digital music somehow has “gaps” or less information than analog signal: output from a properly designed digital music player. analog signal, and this signal is a complete and accurate version of the original signal (within the frequencies specified by Nyquist).

 

It is mathematical. Also note that almost every new record coming out on vinyl today (i.e., the hipster-preferred LP version of a new Decembrists set) went through many stages of recording and digital processing before getting into those vinyl beats. .

Note 3: I’m limiting my discussion here to CDs and I’m not trying to cover both the bottom of digital audio (i.e. low-bandwidth MP3) and the top (high-definition formats like SACD) that reduced rates of distribution. In fact, bad MP3s will have artifacts and sound worse than recordings; the higher formats are mostly gold, but at least as good as the CD technology I’m focusing on. High-performance MP3 (320kbps and above) and lossless digital formats have been shown to be indistinguishable from CD originals in double-blind studies, and therefore the discussion here applies to these cases as well.

Note 4: Many of the early CDs also had a number of other sins, including sources using the wrong types of master tapes (for example, 3rd and 4th generation dubbing masters optimized for cassette production) and mastering with very old equipment that does a poor job. digitization. These deficiencies, often described in terms of “hard”, “grainy” or “metallic” sound as opposed to the “warm” or “soft” sound of discs, were mostly corrected during the first 2 years of CD production. , but they damaged the reputation of the CD itself. carrier among many audiophiles, in some cases forever.

Note 5: There is an additional possibility that the recording player (the signal chain of the stylus, the cartridge and the audio pre-amplifier) ​​can change the sound in a pleasant way. This is an ironic possibility as the stated purpose of audiophile playback is to avoid any possibility of distortion or coloration of the original sound, but this may explain part of the preference for analog. Of course, to the extent that artists want their music to sound a certain way, they can align or colorize their work to make it sound the same on a CD.

Note 6: Of course, you can have an active and focused listening experience regardless of the media. This is why double-blind studies (where, by definition, listeners are fully engaged and unaffected by psychological biases) tend to disprove theories that analog formats are inherently better than digital.

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Is it true that vinyl record players have better sound quality? (Part 1)

The short answer is no.

Human hearing ranges from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz (Note 1); The sample rate of CDs is sufficient to fully capture audio in this range; Digital sampling allows you to fully restore the original analog signal with correct decoding (according to the Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem) (Note 2); The dynamic range (the difference between high and low sounds) is greater than that of a record.

Thus, CDs can perfectly capture and restore sound beyond recording capabilities.

In other words, if an LP recording and a CD are created from the same primary source with no differences in configuration, and each is played on properly designed equipment, the CD will provide at least the same accurate representation of the original. as LP (and will be immune to transmitted mechanical noise, surface noise, and wear that can affect LP sound).

I mentioned earlier that CDs can handle a wide dynamic range; that’s true, but bigger isn’t always better in this case. The early CD engineers were determined to take advantage of this entire range. In this way, we ended up with recordings whose quiet parts could only be heard when listening carefully with the volume turned on in a very quiet room, while loud sounds, more than 90 decibels above the audible baseline, would damage your hearing and their relationships. These recordings are suitable for audiophile demonstrations, but are mostly useless in “normal” listening environments, such as cars or personal devices.

Over time, the trend in digital mastering has shifted towards lower and lower dynamic range and higher and higher average signal levels (a phenomenon known as loudness warfare). This also results in poor recordings, as some dynamic range is required to maintain the impact and realism of the music.

Interestingly, the dynamic range capability of analog LP recording (between 50-65dB depending on various factors chosen by the mastering engineer) seems to have chosen a good enough dynamics to be enjoyable, but not so dynamic as to require control constant volume. listen comfortably. Also, over the years, LP mastering trends have been much less volatile and more consistent. (Note 5).

As a result, the recordings on many CDs (for one reason or another) are worse than their records. But keep in mind that this is not a feature of technology, but rather a way to use (and abuse) it.

But there is another factor here. Digital music CDs or MP3s optimized for mobile use. Most of us listen to digital music on the go, through cheap headphones at the gym, or through our car stereo on a noisy highway, while traffic or other distractions compete for our attention. Playing a recording, on the other hand, requires much more dedication and concentration. By definition, you are in a place (where the player is). You actively select and initiate the experience, don’t “let it get mixed up.” You are most likely using the best equipment you own or have access to to listen to, and you are more likely to be distracted. You have a big sleeve with a cool pattern. Is to miss you?

In the end though, you can grab that same LP, use it to master a CD, clap, click and all, play it on a decent CD player through the same stereo, sit back and listen and get that. the same is audible. (Note 6). And if you sit down with a very well recorded and mastered CD and listen carefully, you will discover details and subtleties that can easily be lost on a worn, dirty or scratched LP.

But I don’t favor anyone’s preferences; This is what music is all about, and if the vinyl brings you closer to it, you will get more energy.

Note 1: LPs can contain signals with a frequency higher than 20 HKz; some recordings contain content up to 35 kHz. Most adults cannot hear at nearly 20 kHz, however some audiophiles agree with theories that these “supersonic” can be detected in other ways and / or may subtly interact with audible sounds to alter the nature of the feeling. Neither of these theories have been tested in double-blind studies.