Does the human ear prefer analog or digital (converted) sound?

[tuga]

Let it be clear that I don't doubt for a second that vinyl sounds better to some people. There's a Portuguese forum dedicated to analogue full of mostly old farts in love with old receivers and turntables to prove it. eace:

 

[andrew s]

Let it be clear that I don't doubt for a second that vinyl sounds better to some people. There's a Portuguese forum dedicated to analogue full of mostly old farts in love with old receivers and turntables to prove it. eace:

You leave us old farts out if it. I am one and listen exclusively to my digital sources. Regards Andrew 

 

[eddie-baby]

The auditory reception system is a fairly simple but is wired to more areas of the brain than any other sense. This alone makes hearing a complex area to study.

Regards Andrew 

That's really interesting actually Andrew, I'll take your word for it  :^

 

[Warszawa]

Do you still watch VHS tapes?

I think a better example is directors still adding film grain effects. 

 

[andrew s]

That's really interesting actually Andrew, I'll take your word for it  :^

If you don't want to try this for an interesting read https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007N6JEA6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1.

Regards Andrew 

 

[eddie-baby]

What have you been smoking?

And smoking, do you still smoke things? Surely people only vape these days. I'll have to try some of yours though

 

[Warszawa]

I wouldn't be without either format. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. There are some albums where I will always reach for the vinyl (Bowie), and some where I will always go for the file (Bjork). I try to stick to AAA recordings. They do have a certain magic to them, rarely beaten by a digital remaster.

 

[rdale]

If you don't want to try this fir an interesting read https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007N6JEA6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1.

Regards Andrew 

Thanks for that - it sounds an interesting book - I’ve just bought the kindle version

 

[eddie-baby]

I wouldn't be without either format. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. There are some albums where I will always reach for the vinyl (Bowie), and some where I will always go for the file (Bjork). I try to stick to AAA recordings. They do have a certain magic to them, rarely beaten by a digital remaster.

Yeah that's it. Trouble is there are people who are blindly convinced that it has no place anymore. As you say you get great enjoyment from either so that's all the evidence you/anyone ever needs really.

 

[eddie-baby]

Thanks for that - it sounds an interesting book - I’ve just bought the kindle version

It does look really interesting actually. With anything like that these days it's always great through the power of Youtube to search the author as well. A lot of the time they are there in some form and you can actually listen to them before you buy as it'll give you a good insight before you start reading their books.  

 

[tuga]

I think a better example is directors still adding film grain effects. 

You can add analogue effects in digital audio too. Some plugins emulate the sound of the most famous analogue studio gear.

 

[Bokke]

I believe there is too much thought put in to this.

If the perception is that digital sounds digital then it will 

 

[DomT]

Here we go again. 

Tuga did you know that VHS format was used in studios for multitrack audio for years. The technology is not as bad as you are making out. But once again you are conflating things.

I am yet to hear a digital front end that has the resolution *and* tonal qualities of the best turntables that I have heard. 

Edit to say do we really need to do this again. If so I shall leave it to the really dedicated. 

 

[eddie-baby]

am yet to hear a digital front end that has the resolution *and* tonal qualities of the best turntables that I have heard

Not heard the best TTs but have heard a few good ones. Good tonal quality is there though as you say with playing records. 

 

[tuga]

Tonal quality is part of the recording. A good source is the one which will best reproduce the recording.

There can be enhanced tonal quality (usually the result of low order harmonic distortion) and damaged tonality (usually the result of uneven frequency response).

Digital has (potentially) far more resolution than vinyl. It's a lot more accurate.

I recommend this 2 page piece by Jim Lesurf titled Good Resolution which compares vinyl and CD:

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page1.html

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page2.html

 

[DomT]

Tonal quality is part of the recording. A good source is the one which will best reproduce the recording.

There can be enhanced tonal quality (usually the result of low order harmonic distortion) and damaged tonality (usually the result of uneven frequency response).

Digital has (potentially) far more resolution than vinyl. It's a lot more accurate.

I recommend this 2 page piece by Jim Lesurf titled Good Resolution which compares vinyl and CD:

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page1.html

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page2.html

Maybe, maybe not, that digital is more accurate as lack of universal agreement on definitions blah blah blah. Regarding tonality, you yourself said upon receiving your new DAC, something along this lines that the resolution was much greater than your previous one and that some people may consider adjusting their playback system in someway to compensate.  

I have an idea.  Lets get rid of orchestras because digital keyboards and computers exist instead and they are technically just as accurate and far easier to record than an orchestra that needs mics (hello analogue signal path, degradation etc etc). Don't just assume that digital is always better.  

Have you actually heard a really top flight t/t?  I have heard a few and also have owned one.  I don't have one any more because it majored on resolution/detail. And for the same reason I have no interest in a very high resolution DAC.

 

[TheFlash]

Tonal quality is part of the recording. For me, a good source is the one which will best reproduce the recording.

There can be enhanced tonal quality (usually the result of low order harmonic distortion) and damaged tonality (usually the result of uneven frequency response).

Digital has (potentially) far more resolution than vinyl. It's a lot more accurate.

I recommend this 2 page piece by Jim Lesurf titled Good Resolution which compares vinyl and CD:

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page1.html

http://www.audiomisc.co.uk/HFN/goodresolutions/page2.html

Fixed that for you.

 

[TheFlash]

I believe there is too much thought put in to this.

If the perception is that digital sounds digital then it will 

That will be expectation bias then.

If the perception is that analogue sounds analogue then it will too.

However, I'm not sure I understand what this analogue sound or digital sound is. The former is almost always used as a compliment and the latter almost always used as a criticism. When actually listening, I can enjoy both analogue and digital sources, thank you, and I suspect many of us here do just that.

 

[eddie-baby]

Actually there is something in what tuga says. Digital is probably better resolution wise just as transistor amplifiers are technically better than valves. A valve amp dealer even told me that once, its just valves can tend to sound better and more life-like. Same applies to records probably, apart from the clicks, pops and the rest of it. Distortion or not it doesn't really matter if tonally it sounds closer to what our simple/complex brains tell us is real why would anyone stamp their feet and say its clearly not as good.

What I have come across though since we all went digital back in the 80s or whenever, much of the listening to it can become sometimes tiresome. Perhaps that's why valves and vinyl are still around. People tend to change their digital bits a lot more than when things were analog as I remember it. 

 

[ziggy]

since buying an m-scaler I think those digital irritations are now a thing of the past for me. 

This is what I have found.  The 44kHz cap is the limiting factor.  Once it is removed you have the best of both worlds.