Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site mtx5b.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!houxm!vax135!ariel!mtx5b!mat
From: mat@mtx5b.UUCP (Mark Terribile)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: CD's:  The heresy unfolds
Message-ID: <1398@mtx5b.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 5-May-85 00:00:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtx5b.1398
Posted: Sun May  5 00:00:45 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 5-May-85 23:39:32 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 58

Well, I got my first chance to hear the much-spoken-of inadaqucy of CDs.
What follows is a set of subjective impressions, and some half-baked
conclusions.

Relevant parts of my system:
	Yamaha P350 turntable, Dynavector mc cartridge (that red one with the
		``III'' on the side), Mission Sorbothane mat.
	Magnavox (Philips) original model CD player.
	Carver C4000 whizzbang preamp-and-laundromat combo.
	Carver m400 amp.  (Not the one tweaked to the Mark Levinson transfer
								function)
	Boston Acoustics A100 (original model) speakers, with A40s on the
					C4000's time delay outputs.

The recording in question:  Pink Floyd:  The Dark Side of the Moon, on
Mobile Fidelity Original Master and on CD.

The subjective results:

	This recording features voices that are floating just at or above the
``noise level'' of the music and sound effects, and are just barely intellig-
able as a result (this is a deliberate artistic effect).  On the CD, the
voices stand out much clearer, spoiling somewhat the effect.  Further, the
CD seems rather brighter than the vinyl.  The vocal timbre in ``The Great Gig
in the Sky'' is somewhat different.

	Also, the imaging on the CD seems poorer.  On the Mobile Fidelity
disc, I get the best results with Carver's ``Sonic Hologram'' on the
``theoretical'' setting (more crosstalk-cancelling crossfeed introduced);
on the CD, I got better results on the ``normal'' setting (less crossfeed).
In no way was I able to get imaging with the CD as good as with the Mobile
Fidelity disc.  From that pressing, I get imaging to about 135 degrees to
either side of me, eg I can hear that ``car'' at the beginning driving around
past 4:30 o'clock, where it becimes a blur, and then coming back into focus
at about 7:30 (both behind me)  On the CD the image seemed to circle in front
of me, and in a very shallow ellipse rather than a circle.

The half baked conclusion:

	What I heard seems consistant with what Carver claims to have found,
though it does not prove it by any means.  Carver's claims are that, relative
to vinyl, CDs have:

		A slight peak in the upper midrange, with a slight dip just
		below the peak.  This could account for the voices coming
		through the other sound more distinctly, and for the different
		timbre in ``TGGitS''.

		A reduced stereo component in each channel.  This could account
		for the loss of imaging.

Anyone care to comment, or know of any particular problems with that disc that
would reduce the validity of these conclusions?
-- 

	from Mole End			Mark Terribile
		(scrape .. dig )	mtx5b!mat
    ,..      .,,       ,,,   ..,***_*.