The promise of storageless simplicity has been seductive, but at what cost? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/23/music-streaming-cds-spotify And if artists are leaving the services for direct engagement with their fans, what will a subscription be worth?
He seems to be revered in some audio circles. As an (unorthodox) audio engineer, he published a considerable body of writings, developed hi-fi components, and promoted (and was criticised for) ideas about subjective and intangible phenomena of hi-fi listening. Jeff Day has written about him and his connection with Peter Qvortrup (Audio Note UK). This […]
Explains how recordings are made that place the listener “there”, or somewhere else. https://designingsound.org/2013/08/21/auditory-perspective-putting-the-audience-in-the-scene-2/ It occurs to me that the stereo image heard is largely determined by the recording production decisions, so audiophile listeners will only get a ‘3D immersive’ image if there is one to be rendered from the recording. Most recordings I hear […]
I don’t know what this is. I know it repells me. Either it is the product, or it’s attention-seeking packaging. Music is the soundtrack to the imagery. “Making music is about making assets for social media”, admits one ‘social media brand’ who’s on the treadmill to build or maintain a profitable presence. I don’t look […]
Classic recordings can be remastered from old analogue tape with undesireable audible artifacts removed or minimised. Jamie Howarth has restored some important albums and film soundtracks. The Plangent Processes Playback System is a hybrid hardware and software system that combines state-of-the-art analogue with unique digital signal processing. https://audiophilereview.com/analog/plangent-a-better-way-to-transfer-analog-tape/ Here’s a listening report on a 50th […]
Which words to use? In this article, or opinion piece, the author offers several terms to describe “the sound of poorly processed sound (digital or otherwise) … Harsh-edged, crunchy, coarse, raw, painful”. The article is mostly discussing digital and analogue sound quality. I haven’t ever used those words, as far as I can recall. That’s […]
These three different ‘listening habits’ are from Mike Perez at Audio Arkitekts. Evaluative listening is the method he uses when reviewing audio components, paying close attention to tones, soundstage, imaging, and overall performance. For him it’s not an enjoyable method of listening but necessary for reviewing! Contemplative listening with headphones on and in deep thought […]
I spotted this nice post about finding great music in pandemic lockdown, and it reminded me that my hobby is part listening to music, and part finding more music – I’m a music listening experience improver. I’m an audio architect, a thoughtful tactician perfecting the details of my music recordings reproduction, applying creativity and rationality, […]
This one’s a nice read. The analogy is a pertinent one. How to Listen Like an Audiophile. https://www.audioadvice.com/videos-reviews/training-ear-learn-listen-like-audiophile/ There’s a nice ‘white bread-wholegrain bread’ analogy in the linked article entitled “Audio Nirvana: Recreating the Original Performance”. The link is at the bottom of the article.
While reading Earl Vickers’ paper, I spotted this interesting diagram identifying different listening by comparing sensitivity/tolerance to dynamic compression and subjective assessment of sound quality. Golden ears are audio engineers who can hear even the subtle negative impact. Car listeners need louder playback to mask background noise. Distortionphiles seek acoustic mutilation as part of the […]
This list includes only the albums that have won the annual peer Grammy Award for Best Engineered album (non-classical). That should indicate exceptional sound quality. From the Recording Academy’s 64th Grammy Awards Rules & Guidelines: “This Category recognizes excellence in engineering. All the eligibly credited recording engineers, mixers/mixing engineers and mastering engineers on a newly […]
The Guardian has been reading some new research from Cambridge University, and the findings look a bit odd. Music taste isn’t determined by personality. But then, music fans knew that, didn’t we? https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/13/just-because-i-like-nirvana-it-doesnt-mean-im-miserable Here’s a far more penetrating critique of the article https://www.fairobserver.com/culture/peter-isackson-music-culture-arts-news-popular-music-38922/
Ever the scholar at heart, I felt compelled to follow through on citations in Earl Vickers ‘ paper The Loudness War, and that led to the ‘great Bob Dylan audio scandal of Modern Times’! [Earl Vickers, The Loudness War: Background, Speculation and Recommendations, AES 129th Convention, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2010 November 4-7]. It turns […]
Emmanuel Deruty’s research tells him that the loudness issue may not really be an issue. https://www.uaudio.fr/blog/sos-feature-loudness-war/ [See also Emmanuel Deruty, François Pachet. “The MIR perspective on the evolution of dynamics in mainstream music”, 16th International Society for Music Information Retrieval Conference, 2015]. LOUD may be more a stylistic choice than a studio engineering manipulation mess-up […]
Wearable speakers are now available to create immersive music playback. For example, a SONY neckband speaker puts supplementary sound at tbe ears, without the need for rear speakers. https://dlmag.com/these-are-the-best-wearable-neck-speakers-you-can-own/
The Digital Humanities Lab at MIT has unveiled its Sonification Toolkit, which enables conversion of almost anything — from data to drawings — into sound. Sonification is the process of translating an object or a dataset’s structure into sound, using computers, producing sound based on the attributes of the object. https://news.mit.edu/2022/sound-sunset-sonification-toolkit-0209
A series of notes from Tom Martin at The Absolute Sound….. I’ll republish this post as each note is added. The audiophile value system: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/philosophical-notes-secrets-you-need-to-know-to-be-an-audiophile-p-1 The audiophile culture: https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/philosophical-notes-secrets-you-need-to-be-an-audiophile-p-2
As a devoted fan of the Puffin, I enjoyed reading this comprehensive account of its capabilities. Both the review and the Puffin are highly recommended. https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/the-parks-audio-puffin-phono-stage-etc-etc-etc-etc-etc/
What designers and reviewers listen to is always revealing, and, yet again, the list here ranges beyond my current music knowledge. This I like. “Music Has A Lot To Say… If you’re willing to listen”. An article by Mike Perez of Audio Arkitekts. The article inspired me to think about my present listening. What to […]
Listen to the music. The recording is the means – the how – we get to hear musical events from others, other times, and other places. Music is the what, and it’s the why for hi-fi. https://www.stereophile.com/content/forget-about-sound-recording
You pay you money, so you can do what you like with an LP or CD. But it was designed. Music and songs were created. Sequencing was decided. There was some intent by the writers, performers, recorders, and producers. As Adele pointed out to Spotify when threatening to pull her latest album from the platform unless it […]
This commentary by Stuart Smith over at HiFi Pig caught my attention. The stereotype/cliche of the ‘thrifty’ (cheapskate) Yorkshireman whose arms are too short for his hands to reach into his pockets always triggers me with a mix of amusement, homesickness, and annoyance. Stuart Smith is also from Yorkshire. We seem to agree that there’s […]
“when we praise our system’s excellence at reproduction, we do so in language that highlights precisely those aspects where audio systems fail to pass for the real thing”. This is from an article by Joe Roberts in Sound Practices Magazine. The author argues that we listen to our audio system critically for artifacts of reproduction, […]
Have you tried the cushion test on your loudspeaker placement and listening place? This article explores some received wisdom about speaker design and performance. https://www.audioholics.com/room-acoustics/personal-psychoacoustics
These two terms turned up in an article I read, and what struck me is the several meanings that such words can be given in talk about audiophile sound quality. I see lots of mentions of musicality as a desirable feature of audiophile listening experience, and that seems appropriate, but as it is ascribed to […]
The title of the article I’m sharing here is referring to music recording carrying medium. CD, vinyl record, and tape musicassette compared. I almost always prioritise sound quality, seeking a natural ‘alive’ feel. https://hifichicken.com/which-music-format-is-the-best
The market for new music is much smaller, and is currently shrinking? What’s happening? It seems that by industrialising music making, the corporate owners are killing the artistry that’s at the heart of music’s appeal. The real music is to be found elsewhere, if you go looking. Ironically, the corporate marketer’s pursuit of engagement is […]
A welcome look at the work of fellow Yorkshireman Bill Nelson. https://www.psaudio.com/copper/article/be-bop-deluxe-reclaiming-a-place-in-prog-rock-history/
I relish the natural colour of music. Recording production effects can spoil it. Many audiophiles are concerned that their rendering equipment doesn’t alter, add, or subtract colour, but the music recordings may be artificial, so cannot sound ‘real’. And it may be intentional. I prefer natural. When I listen to artificially coloured music, and natural […]
Music & Hi-fi Appreciations 