The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

52089 wrote:Because - and this is particularly true for records from the acoustic era - CD transfers cannot possibly capture the sheer experience of hearing a record played back on the equipment that was designed to play it. A CD transfer of Caruso is all well and good, but it does not and never will compare to the sheer magnitude of a good quality disc played back on a properly restored acoustic reproducer.

But Caruso lives in the dollar bin at Salvation Army stores all over the country!

52089 wrote:
Because - and this is particularly true for records from the acoustic era - CD transfers cannot possibly capture the sheer experience of hearing a record played back on the equipment that was designed to play it. A CD transfer of Caruso is all well and good, but it does not and never will compare to the sheer magnitude of a good quality disc played back on a properly restored acoustic reproducer.

Only listen to good CD transfers. Then, if you still want the loud, bandwidth restricted blasting sound, turn the volume up is all I can suggest.

bigshot wrote:

52089 wrote:Because - and this is particularly true for records from the acoustic era - CD transfers cannot possibly capture the sheer experience of hearing a record played back on the equipment that was designed to play it. A CD transfer of Caruso is all well and good, but it does not and never will compare to the sheer magnitude of a good quality disc played back on a properly restored acoustic reproducer.

But Caruso lives in the dollar bin at Salvation Army stores all over the country!

Yes, but he's just an example. He is far from the only acoustic era artist whose records, when played back on period equipment, will blow any CD transfer out of the water.

Wolfe wrote:

52089 wrote:
Because - and this is particularly true for records from the acoustic era - CD transfers cannot possibly capture the sheer experience of hearing a record played back on the equipment that was designed to play it. A CD transfer of Caruso is all well and good, but it does not and never will compare to the sheer magnitude of a good quality disc played back on a properly restored acoustic reproducer.

Only listen to good CD transfers. Then, if you still want the loud, bandwidth restricted blasting sound, turn the volume up is all I can suggest.

The bandwidth on a CD transfer can't be better than the original source, so that's irrelevant.

If you think acoustic records are "blasting", it's time for new gaskets at a minimum. Yes, many of them blast, but it's far from automatic.

Turning up a CD loud will still not produce the acoustic energy produced by a properly tuned acoustic phonograph.

To each his own, I suppose.

52089 wrote:
The bandwidth on a CD transfer can't be better than the original source, so that's irrelevant.

I mean the type of filtering effect an acoustic phono produces, I believe is pleasing to some people. Glad we get to choose our preferred way nowdays.

A good CD transfer using modern playback can bring forth detail in the source that will fall outside the capability of an acoustic phono. Though that point may seem negligible to some.

Wolfe wrote:

52089 wrote:
The bandwidth on a CD transfer can't be better than the original source, so that's irrelevant.

I mean the type of filtering effect an acoustic phono produces, I believe is pleasing to some people. Glad we get to choose our preferred way nowdays.

A good CD transfer using modern playback can bring forth detail in the source that will fall outside the capability of an acoustic phono. Though that point may seem negligible to some.

I agree with Wolfe on this one. There are some CD transfers that reflect masterful audio engineering and bring out the music in stunning ways. For example, the Annette Hanshaw recordings on the Canadian Sensation label. I have three of their CDs and they are so pleasing that I have given up collecting the Hanshaw discs they contain--which are oftentimes inflated on the market. I can therefore concentrate my cash on less expensive 78s and Diamond Discs--and through them also enjoy the experience of original listening via period discs and phonographs.

Yeah. I understand the sort of visceral thing about a well tuned acoustic phono. But as a daily driver I seek a little more refinement when it comes to old recordings. So, the machine gets used when I'm in the mood, and the rest of time it's modern gear for playing records and CD transfers from labels with a reputation for quality work, like Marston.