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From: haapanen@watdcsu.UUCP (Tom Haapanen [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: The Pepsi Challenge
Message-ID: <550@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Oct-84 11:29:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.550
Posted: Thu Oct 25 11:29:16 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Oct-84 03:08:48 EDT
References: <1189@hou4b.UUCP>, <1239@drux3.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 41

> Munch!
> 
> Perhaps the way to take the Digital Chalange is to take an arbitrary source
> (perhaps the finest pressings on the finest playback equipment all the way
> down to really skuzzed up pressings with cunge in the grooves) digitize it,
> reconvert to analog, then through any arbitrary amplifier speaker combination.
> 
>                                        Larry Cler

NO NO NO NO NO!!!

In fact, what such a comparison would reveal is whether CD technology
introduces any degradation in the sound.  It would not, however,
allow any valid A/B comparison between the detrimental effects of CD
and LPs (boy, there are some here!).  There is no way a digitization
of a (very fine, even) LP pressing will sound any better than the
original.  How could this be called a valid test?

My personal opinion is that valid double-blind CD/LP comparison tests
are impossible, due to mainly the two following points, which make it
easy to distinguish LPs and CDs:
	(1) CDs do not have surface noise.
	(2) LPs have to use compression (or more than CDs at least)
Therefore, the listener will know what he/she is listening to, and the
test no longer is double-blind, or even single-blind!

I'd say that every person can have his/her personal opinion about CDs
versus LPs, but it is impossible to conduct a comparison test between
the two.  For me, the lack of surface noise is incentive enough to get
a CD player...


Tom Haapanen		University of Waterloo		(519) 744-2468

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