nousername
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- May 26, 2001
- Messages
- 614
On one of the computer forums I often visit, we were discussing the sound quality of mp3s. I posted that mp3s were not as good as CDs, and that a good, high-end vinyl/turntable setup would sound even better than a CD player. Well, I basically got laughed off the board, probably because the members there have never even auditioned a properly set-up turntable/vinyl system. I also mentioned SACD and DVD-A, and none of them even acknowledged their existence. For these guys, their main stereo system is their computer, and for them, mp3s are their main method of listening to music.
Anyway, I just wanted to do a casual survey here of what you people think, since we're a little more educated and knowledgeable here about stuff like this here. How would you rate the following from best to worst in terms of sound quality? (Let's assume that we are using a high-end player for each type of format):
1) Vinyl LP
2) CD
3) SACD
4) DVD-A
5) mp3
Personally, I would rate the above in this order, from best to worst:
1) Vinyl LP
2) SACD and DVD-A (tie)
3) CD
4) mp3
Perhaps you can even share a bit about how you came to these conclusions (example, did you do A-B tests, did you go into a high-end stereo store, etc).
The reason I mention this is because many of these computer geeks are gushing over Apple's new music online service, which offers music in their new AAC format (which is supposedly better sounding than mp3s and comes close to "rivalling the sound of CDs".) For these geeks, they think this is the future of music purchasing, and that eventually store-bought CDs (and even SACDs and DVD-As) will become obsolete. For me, I dread this, because this will mean a step backward in terms of sound quality. Will this mean conusmers won't be able to get even CD quality music anymore? For me, CD quality is the minimum for purchasing music; mp3s just don't sound that good on my $4000 stereo system, you now what I mean?
Anyway, I just wanted to do a casual survey here of what you people think, since we're a little more educated and knowledgeable here about stuff like this here. How would you rate the following from best to worst in terms of sound quality? (Let's assume that we are using a high-end player for each type of format):
1) Vinyl LP
2) CD
3) SACD
4) DVD-A
5) mp3
Personally, I would rate the above in this order, from best to worst:
1) Vinyl LP
2) SACD and DVD-A (tie)
3) CD
4) mp3
Perhaps you can even share a bit about how you came to these conclusions (example, did you do A-B tests, did you go into a high-end stereo store, etc).
The reason I mention this is because many of these computer geeks are gushing over Apple's new music online service, which offers music in their new AAC format (which is supposedly better sounding than mp3s and comes close to "rivalling the sound of CDs".) For these geeks, they think this is the future of music purchasing, and that eventually store-bought CDs (and even SACDs and DVD-As) will become obsolete. For me, I dread this, because this will mean a step backward in terms of sound quality. Will this mean conusmers won't be able to get even CD quality music anymore? For me, CD quality is the minimum for purchasing music; mp3s just don't sound that good on my $4000 stereo system, you now what I mean?