Dan Frakes wrote:
>
> "Shawn R. Lin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >Still, can you say for sure the difference is due to the format
> >itself? Are you able to discount the DAC, analog stage, amp, etc.? I
> >don't think it is fair for anyone to say MD itself is inferior
> >without doing double-blind testing using the SAME DAC, SAME speakers,
> >SAME amp, with everything identical.
>
> Yep. As I mentioned yesterday, comparing a digital copy of a CD with the
> CD using the same setup, it's not difficult to tell the difference. So I
> take issue with the assertion that it's impossible to tell the
> difference. But IMHO, the fact that a CD sounds better than an MD copy of
> that CD on my stereo misses the point of MD -- MD is an amazing platform
> for recording, editing, and portable playback.
Yes, but it is my understanding that you are NOT using the "same setup".
Your comparison (and I'm going by memory) is that you have a portable MD
recorder and a portable CD recorder. The only thing the same in your
setup are the headphones. You are using a different DAC, different
preamp stage, different amplifier stage. HUGE differences! This is
fair to compare those two specific models of equipment to each other,
but NOT fair to compare MD as a whole, to CD as a whole.
To compare FORMAT limitations, you'd have to take an MD deck with the
latest ATRAC compression. Take a CD, record it DIGITALLY to the MD.
Then take the DIGITAL OUTPUTS of both, and feed the same DAC, same
preamp, same amp, same speakers, etc. Then and only then, can you rule
out the DAC, preamp, amp, digital filters, analog filters, etc. in a
double-blind listening test.
Comparing the audio quality of one specific MD recorder to a specific CD
player will not say anything about whether MD sound quality is inferior
in general. Two different CD players will sound different. Perhaps two
different CD players will have much more of a sound differential than
two specific models of CD and MD equipment.
I think anyone who states that MD sound quality is subjectively inferior
without ruling out the DAC and all analog stages is stating a flawed
opinion. I also personally believe that a non-blind test will affect
the results, because just the KNOWLEDGE that compression/decompression
is taking place and the belief that "it is compressed, therefore the
sound MUST be different" has a way of influencing the listener. A long
time ago, I saw an MDS-501 (2nd gen deck). I thought the sound quality
was nothing short of spectacular. That was when MD technology was very
new, and I assumed it was an uncompressed digital medium like CD and
DAT. Later on after discovering ATRAC, and even how much more inferior
ATRAC 2 is supposed to be compared to ATRAC 4.5, the '501 never really
sounded that good anymore.
--
Shawn Lin
http://www2.cybercities.com/g/gmwbodycars/
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