Happy B-Day, CD ?

[wkhanna]

from wiki

"The first album to be released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street, that reached the market alongside Sony's CD player CDP-101 on October 1, 1982 in Japan."

And once again, merchandising motivates convenience over SQ, a trend that keeps roughly a 30yr cycle. From 78's to 33-1/3 LP, to cassette, to CD & then to digital file. I wonder what the next step in the infinite cycle will be????
& how many pieces of music you already own will need to be replaced???

[Alaric]

I'll wear a black armband , with a piece of a broken LP in it , all day.

[madmac]

I got Billy Joel's 52nd street many years ago on CD and love it!. Like many early cd's, it's a quiet one and has to be cranked up amp wise to get the volume where you want it but the mastering is good, Damn, that's a good album!!

[Kevin P]

Like many early cd's, it's a quiet one and has to be cranked up amp wise to get the volume where you want it...

Back when music and CDs had dynamic range. I miss those days...

My first CD was Bryan Adams "Reckless". Bought it and a Technics portable in early 1986.

[Chris D]

Oooh, good topic. I'm trying to remember what my first CD was. I think it might actually have been Weird Al Yankovic's "Fat".

I think I truly started my CD collection then by joining the BMG music club.

[bigburner]

"The first album to be released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street."

4.) Overload Handling

In the beginning, CDs were cut with 0 VU at -20 dB FS, in other words, there was plenty of headroom. The world's first released CD, Billy Joel's 52nd Street, never even hits full scale, and it sounds great.

Why Compact Discs Sound Great

Read all about it here:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/why-cds-sound-great.htm

I've always valued Ken Rockwell's opinion.

Apologies for the hijack Bill but there is a vague connection and I needed a segue into Ken.

Nigel.

[wkhanna]

No apology required, Nigel.

Valuable info is always welcome.
And this place could use a good debate, been a bit sleepy :Z around here lately. :W

[madmac]

4.) Overload Handling

In the beginning, CDs were cut with 0 VU at -20 dB FS, in other words, there was plenty of headroom. The world's first released CD, Billy Joel's 52nd Street, never even hits full scale, and it sounds great.

Why Compact Discs Sound Great

Read all about it here:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/audio/why-cds-sound-great.htm

I've always valued Ken Rockwell's opinion.

Apologies for the hijack Bill but there is a vague connection and I needed a segue into Ken.

Nigel.

Great article!. However, I don't recommend it for anyone the prefers vinyl over digital. My first CD was Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" and when I first connected my CD player to my then existing stereo, my jaw dropped open for the entire duration of the album. I simply couldn't believe what I was hearing. However, it was VERY soon after that in future purchases, that I realized that not all CD's were and are created equal. Some CD's actually sounded WORSE than their vinyl counterparts!!. Nowadays that problem is mostly gone and most CD's sound fabulous!.

[wkhanna]

As quoted early on in Ken's cute little treatise obviously written under duress of a weapon of some fashion being held uncomfortably close to a vital organ, or with chemical influence of the hallucinogenic sort:

“Philips dubbed the Compact Disc as ‘Perfect Sound Forever’, and they weren't kidding”, along with “CDs still offer the best possible sound today, still representing a completely transparent window to the original recording. “

Oh Please……either my gallbladder is acting up or this drivel is making me physically sick to my stomach.

Yes, some CD’s sound V good……..but fan boy statements like this are laughable. And if you agree, please send donations to help support the cause for truth on the internet at :

www.supportthecrumudeonshabitintheCaymanislands.com

[bigburner]

As quoted early on in Ken's cute little treatise obviously written under duress of a weapon of some fashion being held uncomfortably close to a vital organ, or with chemical influence of the hallucinogenic sort:

“Philips dubbed the Compact Disc as ‘Perfect Sound Forever’, and they weren't kidding”, along with “CDs still offer the best possible sound today, still representing a completely transparent window to the original recording. “

Oh Please……either my gallbladder is acting up or this drivel is making me physically sick to my stomach.

Yes, some CD’s sound V good……..but fan boy statements like this are laughable. And if you agree, please send donations to help support the cause for truth on the internet at :

www.supportthecrumudeonshabitintheCaymanislands.com

Touch a raw nerve there did he Bill?

Nigel.

[Kevin P]

“Philips dubbed the Compact Disc as ‘Perfect Sound Forever’, and they weren't kidding”, along with “CDs still offer the best possible sound today, still representing a completely transparent window to the original recording. “

Well, these are true to a point, especially back in 1982. "Perfect Sound Forever" describes the longevity of CDs, they don't wear out from repeated plays, and the error correction gets around a lot of scratches (well, at least back when they made decent CD players).

Of course there are those who say vinyl sounds better, and it probably does on a high-end system, turntable, and a fresh unscratched record, but back in 1982 most people didn't play vinyl on high-end turntables, so CD provided a vast improvement over what they were experiencing before on their run-of-the-mill turntables and cassette players.

In 1982 vinyl was mainstream and CD was a niche, and now in 2012 it's more the opposite.

[wkhanna]

Touch a raw nerve there did he Bill?

Nigel.

Sorry, Nigel. ops:
Just having a little fun at your expense & that of your enthusiastic colleague.
Please do not take offence at my attempt to ‘stir the pot’ a bit. :demon:

[Hdale85]

I would say that the Vinyl is superior to all talk could also be chopped up to fanboy talk

[wkhanna]

Of course there are those who say vinyl sounds better......

I am not saying vinyl sounds sounds better in all cases.
But I just can’t let a statement saying “CD is better than anything else” go without protest. Anyone who has heard a decent HiRes, or 1/4 inch tape running at 30 in/sec knows exactly what I 'm talking about.

[Kevin P]

It all depends on how you define "better".

Better as in more convenient, more durable, and better sound for the average non-audiophile setup compared to vinyl, yes. Better than audiophile vinyl, hi-res digital (which didn't exist back then), or 1/4" 30 ips tape (not exactly something you'll find at the corner record store)? Probably not.

In 1982 it was a huge thing, as its adoption rate shows. I skipped vinyl entirely since CD was really becoming mainstream by the time I was in a position where I could buy audio gear bigger than a boombox, circa '86-87. I still buy CDs sometimes, if I want something more "audiophile" than an iTunes download. For the average overly compressed pop crap, iTunes or MP3 is fine.

Certainly today there are options that sound better, but they're either niche (SACD etc.) or have a high price of admission (audiophile vinyl). Or more for studio than home use (1/4" 30 ips tape).

[Hdale85]

I think there are CD setups that can sound just as good as Vinyl, and I think there are some very badly mastered Vinyl's out there as well but they just seem to be more rare. The big issue with CD is mastering quality which to be honest seems like it has gotten a little better recently on a lot of stuff as it seems like people are starting to care more.

[wkhanna]

Hey!
Don’t worry, Neil has the answer to all our woes concerning poor audio quality and your worn out, deficient playback system!

Just re-invest in all new hardware & buy all your new music to replace all the same music you already have!

Rolling Stone article

gizmodo article

And so the vicious cycle continues…….

[Hdale85]

Actually it will play MP3's and FLAC and everything so you don't have to rebuy anything. Apparently it'll play all formats. But he's also going to be releasing studio quality stuff as well via some sort of store. I'm very interested in hearing the device to see if it's as good as he says.

[wkhanna]

It all depends on how you define "better".

Total agreement with you there, Kevein.

But it is this statement in particular that sticks in my craw:

"[CD] still representing a completely transparent window to the original recording." :roflmao:

[Hdale85]

But it is this statement in particular that sticks in my craw:

"[CD] still representing a completely transparent window to the original recording." :roflmao:

Actually that statement is likely true, unfortunately many original recordings are just complete crap

[Kevin P]

Well, in 1982 it was as transparent as any consumer-oriented media could get. Even today, what's more transparent? Mostly high-res digital which is a niche market with limited titles.

Most complaints about CD sound quality stem from poor recording/mastering on many titles, not from the technical limitations of the CD recording format. There are CDs out there that sound fantastic.

Of course, the garbage in garbage out rule always applies, and a highly transparent medium like CD will bring out everything, warts and all. Which is probably why some poorly-mastered recordings sound better on vinyl.

[wkhanna]

Actually it will play MP3's and FLAC and everything so you don't have to rebuy anything. Apparently it'll play all formats. But he's also going to be releasing studio quality stuff as well via some sort of store. I'm very interested in hearing the device to see if it's as good as he says.

My point is …..the ability to have the better quality has always existed….they still want me to replace what I have with the ‘better quality’ they could have given me in first place!

[madmac]

I am not saying vinyl sounds sounds better in all cases.
But I just can’t let a statement saying “CD is better than anything else” go without protest. Anyone who has heard a decent HiRes, or 1/4 inch tape running at 30 in/sec knows exactly what I 'm talking about.

I have and you are right!! :T

[madmac]

Well, in 1982 it was as transparent as any consumer-oriented media could get. Even today, what's more transparent? Mostly high-res digital which is a niche market with limited titles.

Most complaints about CD sound quality stem from poor recording/mastering on many titles, not from the technical limitations of the CD recording format. There are CDs out there that sound fantastic.

Of course, the garbage in garbage out rule always applies, and a highly transparent medium like CD will bring out everything, warts and all. Which is probably why some poorly-mastered recordings sound better on vinyl.

Yes....correct !!!! :T

[bigburner]

& buy all your new music to replace all the same music you already have!

Funny you should mention that Bill but that's exactly what I'm doing now. The mp3 albums that I love are gradually being replaced by CD quality albums.

I have wondered whether in a few years time I'll be doing the same thing again with hi-rez versions of the same albums, but I don't think so. I buy into the argument that mixing and mastering (especially) are what really make the difference. My recent exposure to Blu-ray quality music confirms this.

Anyway, by the time all my favourite music is re-released in hi-rez format my ears will be so f*cked I won't know the difference.

Nigel.