[Russell Dawkins]

I sorry to hear it, I unknow the situation was so dramatic.
Do you believe IsoMile SACDs are uncompressed?

If they say so, they must be.

[jarcher]

It's not as simple as that.
No compression is not the way to go for 99.9% of listening situations. The trick is to do it properly.
When we listen to the real thing, our hearing mechanism does an awful lot of compression without our realizing it.
To duplicate the live experience, in my view, compression is necessary. It took me 15 years to come to grips with this after thinking it through over and over.

By the way, there is an equivalent challenge with photography. Due to our way of seeing, which involves dynamic compression, digital photos, raw, can look too contrasty.
The shadows have to be lightened and the highlights darkened to better simulate what we experience with our eyes. The film process does this as a by-product
of the process in a way similar to what analog tape does–both reduce dynamic range in a pleasant way. I believe this to be at the heart of the preference for sound recorded on tape,
or even passing through a tape stage when having been digitally recorded.

Finally it is unfair to categorize rock musicians as morons because they like compression.
I see too many instances of un-informed audiophiles glibly bashing the recording engineers and musicians in such a way.
Generally everyone involved is passionately striving for the absolute best sound they can come up with to express themselves and please you, the consumer.
I used to think that way before I became involved in the process and found out the recordings I was hoping to emulate or improve upon were in fact damn good and almost impossible to equal,
let alone improve upon.
30 years later I still feel the same.

Thanks for the info and perspective Russell. All too often we are too quick to jump to conclusions and make judgements re sound quality without context of all the factors involved. Just because recording tools are miss used some times doesn't mean there wasn't a good sound quality reason for their development. It s all too easy for us arm chair experts to let a little knowledge lead us to not give enough credit to the many people who have devoted a good chunk of their careers and lives to developing them.

[K.F.]

It's not as simple as that.
No compression is not the way to go for 99.9% of listening situations. The trick is to do it properly.
When we listen to the real thing, our hearing mechanism does an awful lot of compression without our realizing it.
To duplicate the live experience, in my view, compression is necessary. It took me 15 years to come to grips with this after thinking it through over and over.

By the way, there is an equivalent challenge with photography. Due to our way of seeing, which involves dynamic compression, digital photos, raw, can look too contrasty.
The shadows have to be lightened and the highlights darkened to better simulate what we experience with our eyes. The film process does this as a by-product
of the process in a way similar to what analog tape does–both reduce dynamic range in a pleasant way. I believe this to be at the heart of the preference for sound recorded on tape,
or even passing through a tape stage when having been digitally recorded.

Finally it is unfair to categorize rock musicians as morons because they like compression.
I see too many instances of un-informed audiophiles glibly bashing the recording engineers and musicians in such a way.
Generally everyone involved is passionately striving for the absolute best sound they can come up with to express themselves and please you, the consumer.
I used to think that way before I became involved in the process and found out the recordings I was hoping to emulate or improve upon were in fact damn good and almost impossible to equal,
let alone improve upon.
30 years later I still feel the same.

Very well put, Russel, thanks.

[jimdgoulding]

Live at Montreux- Darol Anger/Barbara Higbie Quintet (Windam Hill).   The music is fab, too.

[milford3]

[pocomo]

This came out a few weeks ago and sounds fantastic to my ears. Caledonia Soul Orchestra, tight and soulful in 1973.

[Don_S]

I saw the video on PBS. I think the percussionist grew up without a drum kit and learned to improvise.  Probably made his parents crazy.

[smk]

Cowboy Junkies: Trinity Revisited (2011). Essentially recording using modern techniques (i.e., less noise), using original arrangements of Trinity Sessions in the same church as original.

[apollophono]

Pulse - Pink Floyd 
Rock On!!

[K.F.]

The new DXD recording from Sound Liaison; Carmen Gomes Sings the Blues, is easily one off the best sounding live albums I have ever heard.
Nagra used the album at the High End audio show in Munich to show off their new equipment.

For anybody interested there is only a few days left of the 33% off introduction offer .
http://www.soundliaison.com/


https://youtu.be/Kf_S2l3Y_lM?t=5

[DogsPart2]

Not a big "bluegrass" fan, by any means, however Allison Krauss + Union Station Live (2CD set) sounds very nice to my old ears.

[FireGuy]

++ on AKUS live efforts.

[Peter J]

I'm a old rocker. This is a well done, slowed down take for the Wilson sisters at some club in Seattle. Even some orchestral arraignments. A favorite for many years now.

Heart, The Road Home

[mikeeastman]

I agree AKUS is very nice sounding. I have to disagree on the Carmen Gomes album, the music is very clean and crisp but the soundstage is terrible. I usually have a nice wide and deep soundstage but with this album most of the music is in a 5 ft circle 10-12 ft back of the speakers and slightly to the left of center with an occasional instrument 10-12 ft back and slightly to the right of center. This is my only 256 DSD music file and I was expecting something more.
 I have to give Soundliaison credit for great customer service, I had trouble downloading the files ( lossy internet ) and they spent 3 days helping my work through it.

[TrungT]

The Wailin' Jennys
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[K.F.]

Not a big "bluegrass" fan, by any means, however Allison Krauss + Union Station Live (2CD set) sounds very nice to my old ears.

Very Good indeed!

[rajacat]

Not a big "bluegrass" fan, by any means, however Allison Krauss + Union Station Live (2CD set) sounds very nice to my old ears.

Yes, indeed. +2

[pconley2]

The Wailin' Jennys
[/size][/color]

+1 on the Wailin Jennys, a truly great album with impeccable harmonies.  I started with the standards:  Bring me little water, Sylvie, Summertime and Motherless Child, but quickly got to the ones they wrote including Paint a Picture and,especially, the sublime Calling All Angels.

Great Choice

[K.F.]

The new DXD recording from Sound Liaison; Carmen Gomes Sings the Blues, is easily one off the best sounding live albums I have ever heard.
Nagra used the album at the High End audio show in Munich to show off their new equipment.

For anybody interested there is only a few days left of the 33% off introduction offer .
http://www.soundliaison.com/


https://youtu.be/Kf_S2l3Y_lM?t=5

and Schnerzinger and Zellaton as well. That album is in good company!

Schnerzinger and Zellaton plays Sound Liaison at the Munich High End Show 2017 Schnerzinger and Zellaton plays Sound Liaison at the Munich High End Show 2017

[jbd]

Fleetwood Mac Live (1980)