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From: dca@edison.UUCP (David C. Albrecht)
Newsgroups: net.audio
Subject: Re: Re: Spring cleaning Preamps (actually CD vs LP)
Message-ID: <494@edison.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 21-May-85 15:57:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: edison.494
Posted: Tue May 21 15:57:35 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 24-May-85 08:22:12 EDT
References: <141@utflis.UUCP> <301@moncol.UUCP>
Organization: General Electric Company, Charlottesville, VA
Lines: 47

I agree with the stated advantages of the CD players but believe most
of the following advantages to be pure fabrications of expensive cartridge
and turntable manufacturers (wether conscious or unconscious) to justify
their high ticket existence.
> Advantages of a good record player:
> - Better imaging.  CD players introduce phase distortions which kill
>   psychoacoustic cues.  Audiophile records have more depth, and
>   instrument placement is more focused.
Lets be serious, try checking out the phase distortions in your high
falutin cartridges, step-up transformers and RIAA equalization networks.
Compare to digital filtered CD players with shallow filters (no contest).
> - More musicality.  This one is tough to qualify.  But, strings have
>   less bite.  Voices have less squeak.  Flutes are less shrill.  Music
>   is 'easier' to listen to.
It's tough to qualify because its a lot of crap.  In my not so humble
opinion all these factors are a matter of recording techniques used in
mastering the CDs vs. the LPs and has nothing to do with the medium.
Try listening to Dave Grusin's "Nightlines" on CD sometime it will
give you just a small sample of all the crispness, taut and deep bass,
awesome transients, sense of crystal clarity that you've been missing
with LPs.
> - And of course records are cheaper, more titles are available on
>   records, and the cover art is bigger.
Not much to say about this.
> 
> 
> OK, so which do I prefer?  For the ultimate in sound, I'd have to go
> with my best records.  I simply don't have any CDs which as good as
> the best records from Reference Recordings and Sheffield Labs.  They
> have a natural musical sound that the best CDs just have not been able
> to capture.  For sound that is more spectacular, but not quite as good,
> I turn to my best CDs.  Two kinds of musical enjoyment, different but
> both enjoyable.
Obviously, I disagree.  I think CDs superior to even the best LPs.
> 
> If you can afford it, I'd go for the CD player.  You already own good
> analog equipment; the CD will give you first hand experience with
> a technology that is bound to revolutionize the industry.
At least we agree about this.

Sorry to start this discussion again but I couldn't let this stupid
"musicality" crack slip by and didn't want the person at which the
reply was aimed to think that everyone excepted said comments as the
gospel.

David Albrecht
General Electric