[rpf]

"It's the end of the world as we know it"    



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/business/media/10audio.html?hp

[SwedeSound]

I actually thought the article was quite encouraging, leading off with a 28-year-old who has forsaken compressed files and sought out hi-fi equipment. It's also a very easy-to-read primer for those who have come to accept the sound of MP3s as the new standard.

I doubt it will inspire the masses to suddenly sell their iPods and buy a turntable or fancy CD transport, but I think it's a good thing when one of the biggest and most respected newspapers in the country -- with a widely read web site to boot -- decides to write about an issue that's so close to our hearts (and ears) here at AC.

Jason

[bunnyma357]

To me the only promise of a solution will be if the hardware manufacturers start including easy to use, but capable compression/limiting/volume matching software with their players. Then they can master a disk for maximum fidelity and let the device handle converting it to sound good in whatever environment it is being listened to.

Whether this would catch on with listeners is questionable, but from a hardware & music company perspective it gives them another way to remarket their back catalog and promote having to get new music players.

Another interesting point is that there will be generations of fans trained to prefer the "worse" sounding music, much like I prefer a distorted rock guitar sound to a clean jazz one - the flaw becomes a feature.


Jim C

[rpf]

I actually thought the article was quite encouraging, leading off with a 28-year-old who has forsaken compressed files and sought out hi-fi equipment. It's also a very easy-to-read primer for those who have come to accept the sound of MP3s as the new standard.

I doubt it will inspire the masses to suddenly sell their iPods and buy a turntable or fancy CD transport, but I think it's a good thing when one of the biggest and most respected newspapers in the country -- with a widely read web site to boot -- decides to write about an issue that's so close to our hearts (and ears) here at AC.

Jason

I agree.

[rpf]

To me the only promise of a solution will be if the hardware manufacturers start including easy to use, but capable compression/limiting/volume matching software with their players. Then they can master a disk for maximum fidelity and let the device handle converting it to sound good in whatever environment it is being listened to.

Whether this would catch on with listeners is questionable, but from a hardware & music company perspective it gives them another way to remarket their back catalog and promote having to get new music players.


Jim C

Interesting idea. That would be a cool solution.

[SwedeSound]

I also found it interesting that on the same page of the NYT this morning there was this article about a company focusing on producing a hi-fi CD product and defying today's conventional wisdom. Perhaps another positive sign:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/business/media/10concord.html?ref=business

[SET Man]

I actually thought the article was quite encouraging, leading off with a 28-year-old who has forsaken compressed files and sought out hi-fi equipment. It's also a very easy-to-read primer for those who have come to accept the sound of MP3s as the new standard.

I doubt it will inspire the masses to suddenly sell their iPods and buy a turntable or fancy CD transport, but I think it's a good thing when one of the biggest and most respected newspapers in the country -- with a widely read web site to boot -- decides to write about an issue that's so close to our hearts (and ears) here at AC.

Jason

Hey!

    Yup, agreed with you on this.

    It is actually good see big name paper bought this subject out in the open. Most people today have no idea what their are missing when is come to recorded music. Especially new and younger generation who were bought up in the world of MP3.

     And I'm very happy to see the author also bought up the problem with the over use of compression. This is one thing that have been driving me nuts over the years! I got some new music of which I like the music but the the recording was compressed to shit!

     Well, the biggest challenge I think would be trying to convince the new MP3 generation that they are missing something and there are better quality way to truly fully enjoy the music. 

Take care,
Buddy

[TONEPUB]

What's so unfortunate is the Michael Fremer would make such a silly comment about the hifi system being an "object of scorn."  Maybe it's just me, but I know a lot of guys whos wives like music and a good hifi system just as much as they do.  My system has never been a "source of scorn" by my wife.

If anything, the tide is turning the other way.  Now that a lot of young girls are just as excited about electronics and technology as boys are, I suspect it's going to get a lot easier for guys to buy cool hifi stuff when they get married or take on a female roommate.

If we want to truly make high end audio interesting to the next generation, we have to do it with THEIR music.  Most 28 year olds (or younger) don't want to hear "The Sounds Of Silence" or Nat King Cole.  They're going to want to hear the Fleet Foxes, or Mastodon or Lady GaGa.  Those in our generation that figure that out will sell gear.

We didn't want to listen to our parents music when we were first buying stereos, did we?

[TONEPUB]

That's a really good idea...