General / Off-Topic Why do people say vinyl sounds better?

[AluminumAlloy]

Quite audibly, they aren't excactly the same, and some forms of audio are better than each other.

For example, the acoustics and bass guitar are very audible on an analog vinyl player, but the treble is a little foggy:
[video=youtube;lURs5X8Kbm8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lURs5X8Kbm8[/video]

And now on a digital copy, the drums and treble are very audible, but the acoustic bass is notably difficult to hear:
[video=youtube;TeyHPAdxuy0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeyHPAdxuy0[/video]

 

[AJW]

Quite audibly, they aren't excactly the same, and some forms of audio are better than each other.

For example, the acoustics and bass guitar are very audible on an analog vinyl player, but the treble is a little foggy:

How are we supposed to hear analog sound via the internet?

 

[Robert Maynard]

Personally, I've given up taking any notice of 'technology X sounds better than technology Y' debates that don't involve double-blind trials...

.... but ABX tests are often criticised by those who can't hear the difference when they can't see what equipment is in use during playback....

 

[Asp Explorer]

How are we supposed to hear analog sound via the internet?

Stick our tongues on the inbound bearer?

 

[AJW]

.... but ABX tests are often criticised by those who can't hear the difference when they can't see what equipment is in use during playback....

Probably the same people who claim that you have to ensure all your speaker leads are exactly the same length to get proper stereo playback...

 

[Arry]

Quite audibly, they aren't excactly the same, and some forms of audio are better than each other.

For example, the acoustics and bass guitar are very audible on an analog vinyl player, but the treble is a little foggy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lURs5X8Kbm8

And now on a digital copy, the drums and treble are very audible, but the acoustic bass is notably difficult to hear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeyHPAdxuy0

This is a silly example:

Both are being played through the same speakers. Both are now in a digital format.

 

[Asp Explorer]

Don't forget that your speaker leads need to be oxygen free silver, clad in platinum shielding, with finest acrylic optical threads interwoven to maintain the electrons in a positive configuration.

 

[Arry]

I'm genuinely none the wiser.

This is because they are snobs.

For a start, whatever format you are listening too, is only as good as the recording and then the playing device, speakers etc..

If you want the best quality of the a sound; listen to it live. Nothing else comes close and you also get to hear how good the performer really is; before it has been enhanced.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Don't forget that your speaker leads need to be oxygen free silver, clad in platinum shielding, with finest acrylic optical threads interwoven to maintain the electrons in a positive configuration.

Remember that cables can apparently be directional too - and don't forget the Audiophile Grade network cable offered:

https://arstechnica.com/staff/2015/...-10000-ethernet-cable-apparently-makes-sense/

 

[Asp Explorer]

Remember that cables can apparently be directional too - and don't forget the Audiophile Grade network cable offered:

https://arstechnica.com/staff/2015/...-10000-ethernet-cable-apparently-makes-sense/

Of course! better cables help smooth the packets to cancel out mains hum at the mixer, and help the $1.25 Realtek audio codec push 5GHz soundwaves down the USB cable.

 

[Strangepork]

People are nostalgic and stupid. The medium is not the message.

 

[Robert Maynard]

A pair of interesting videos on digital media: https://www.xiph.org/video/

 

[Ian Skippy]

How are we supposed to hear analog sound via the internet?

This is a silly example:

Both are being played through the same speakers. Both are now in a digital format.

Actually, it was a great example, purely by accident. He proved the point I and others were trying to make: people like the mix, not the medium. He demonstrated that the differences he associates with the medium can be revealed without the medium, so it probably is something else he is looking for...

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.... but ABX tests are often criticised by those who can't hear the difference when they can't see what equipment is in use during playback....

People who make claims but reject testing disqualify themselves immediately, so no problem there.

 

[Adept]

For those poor people without a disc drive though, they were often the only option for loading software

But surely you don't actually miss them.

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Personally, I've given up taking any notice of 'technology X sounds better than technology Y' debates that don't involve double-blind trials...

A person after my own, scientific little heart. Kudos to you.

- - - Updated - - -

Quite audibly, they aren't excactly the same, and some forms of audio are better than each other.

For example, the acoustics and bass guitar are very audible on an analog vinyl player, but the treble is a little foggy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lURs5X8Kbm8

And now on a digital copy, the drums and treble are very audible, but the acoustic bass is notably difficult to hear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeyHPAdxuy0

You realise we are listening to both of them through a digital media, right? The superior analogue sound you want us to listen for is recorded and played back from a digital media, not unlike a CD (unless it has a lossy compression, in which case it's worse).

 

[Adept]

Probably the same people who claim that you have to ensure all your speaker leads are exactly the same length to get proper stereo playback...

Also gilded connectors for a "warmer" and "purer" digital signal.

 

[Ian Skippy]

Just where I was going to point out certain similarities to discussions about homeopathy...
Btw, do such double-blind trials with vinyl and digital media actually exist? Never heard about it so far.

edit: a quick search revealed this:
http://www.redsharknews.com/audio/item/2368-the-sound-of-vinyl-is-just-an-effect-here-s-the-proof
no opinion yet, still reading...

Loads of them, many of then deeply flawed. Generally they just put a vinyl version of an album against a cd version of that album. Its a fine test, if you're interested in which version people like best. It doesnt tell you anything about the medium. For example, most people like a bit of noise in their jazz. CD versions generally have less noise. To properly test it, you would need to create two different mixes designed to sound identical when pressed on different mediums. So if your medium A has less default noise, you need to add some manually. Proper studies generally tell you what you'd expect: if a computer analysis cannot tell much of a difference, the human ear cant either.

 

[AluminumAlloy]

This is a silly example:

Both are being played through the same speakers. Both are now in a digital format.

An analog vinyl track being transmitted into a digital copy is far different than that of an MP3 player transmitting a copy of another digital copy.
I'm thankful that I know how to deal with sensitive people.

 

[Asp Explorer]

An analog vinyl track being transmitted into a digital copy is far different than that of an MP3 player transmitting a copy of another digital copy.

Urm, if the digits are the same in both cases, what is the difference?

 

[Arry]

An analog vinyl track being transmitted into a digital copy is far different than that of an MP3 player transmitting a copy of another digital copy.
I'm thankful that I know how to deal with sensitive people.

I am not 'sensitive people'. I am a sociopath who thinks he's a dog. Or is it a dog who thinks he is a sociopath? I can never remember these days.

 

[AJW]

I wonder if one of these sounds better on vinyl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_piano