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From: dya@unc-c.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: Re: Digital Vs. The Audiophile.
Message-ID: <1170@unc-c.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 27-Nov-83 14:13:44 EST
Article-I.D.: unc-c.1170
Posted: Sun Nov 27 14:13:44 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 28-Nov-83 06:20:15 EST
Lines: 71

References: akpcb.9148



	Actually, to preserve angular resolution between channels ( which
is critical to one's perception of direction) then perhaps much more than
simply " some marginal increment above 2 * the highest reproduced frequency."

	Those who claim that digital " sounds more sterile " than analog
desparately miss their compression and peak limiting.

	What I would like to know is why everyone is willing to put up with
far worse than mere analog recording when they turn on the FM tuner? A
student at UNCC who is also works for WFAE-FM (campus snob station) reports
that even their G/R meter on their Optimod (stereo generator) reads -20 dB;
i.e. a signal which is 20 dB over 0 vU is still 0 vU. Would you tolerate
a 20 dB reduction in dynamic range? And Optimod is one of the good stereo
generators; i.e. its pumping and breathing is much less offensive than say
a Thomson-CSF (CBS Laboratories) Volumax and Audimax processors.

	An NPR affiliate punching the G/R meter ?? Well, WROQ-FM, the local
MTV music outlet, once broadcast some of the digital discs. The resulting
signal was so bad, because their AGC / peak limiting couldn't cope with the
dynamic range or "rms level slew rate." Some of our local FM's transmit from
1-4 dB of dynamic range ( by continuous RMS integration measurements)
over a 40 dB input range.

	Same with TV sound (even on high audio fidelity videocassettes.)

	You guys should flame at your local FM for transmitting such hogwash.
Even the most affluent record purchaser gets tired of their albums.

	By the way, most consumer amplifiers are not up to the task of
reproducing digitally recorded music.  In fact, most consumer amplifiers
are not up to the task of reproducing plain old ordinary records. Who wants
to buy a music source and software with 90 dB + actual dynamic range when
for them, cranking up Journey to decent party volume causes the panel lights
to blink wildly (indicating poor power supply regulation.)

	Whilst everyone is building quieter and more distortion-free amplification,
why do you have to spend $$$$$$$ to get tolerable performance? Those who have
the blinking lights amplifier are going to be mighty disappointed when they
crank up digital records to decent party volume.

	I can't wait for digitally recorded music, either. If excessive dynamic
range is a problem, I'll truck out my DBX compressor. As for being rid of
analog evils ( record tics, pops, clicks, slip-sticking, surface noise, warps,
the hassle of using the Discwasher and Zerostat, ; tape noise and dropouts,)
a little phase distortion is worth it. After all, what everyone in this debate
is forgetting is that the peak limiting that goes into cutting conventional
records and duplicating tapes does far more harm to phase response than
failure to sample at 3 or 4 times the Nyquist frequency. Even the nonlinearities
in your phono cartridge's transient response cause far more phase rotation than
any digital system. As for the subject of analog tape heads, yecch! Have you
ever seen a 500 hz square wave reproduced adaquately on anything we can afford?
Even an ITC 750 (which is the only tape deck I can get my hands on that also
reproduces music reasonably well) can't do this too well.

	Not that this keeps me awake, but not having to consider "cartridge-
preamp impedance interaction" and so on will be nice, too. As will the reduction
of RFI-induced noise in my cartridge's coils, having to shell out $ 100 for a
new cartridge periodically, and being highly irritated at the fact that even
half-speeds click and pop....

	Right now, the limiting factor in most homes is their furnace, not
analog s/n (unless you use stereophones.) Just to be rid of the other evils
is why digital audio is worth it.  If I could just get my local FM stations
to be as good as my worst records ????


..Dave