Analysis Paralysis - Old CD's and Apple Music

[concorde1]

For thread completion's sake - I have decided to go back to my CD rips. Apple Music sounds great, until it's compared to my CD's, which to me have more punch and life.

I find it frightening that the masses will listen to these new files which I believe are compromised, and that these old editions may fade out of existence. It is terrifying to me, and unethical.

Also I just have to say - check out Prof. Stoned's working of Black Sabbath's "Paranoid" based largely on the rare Intercord CD - it is fantastic.

 

[MarkS]

I have decided to go back to my CD rips. Apple Music sounds great, until it's compared to my CD's, which to me have more punch and life.

I hope you have done that comparison blind, and either (1) level-matched with a voltmeter at the speaker terminals, or (2) setting the volume after each switch by ear only (starting at zero), with no visual or tactile info on the volume level. This is the only way to be sure that you are not being McGurked.

 

[concorde1]

Fair comment - I have not.

I will do some single-blind (I believe) tests with option (2). With say 15 trials per song? Sounds fun.

Would option (1) not be quite difficult, because the two files A and B would have different voltage fluctuations? So I'd have to take the average voltage throughout the whole files of A and B.

 

[MarkS]

Yes, Option 1 is quite difficult for this comparison (unlike for, say, 2 amps, where the same test tone can be played through both).

I'll be very interested to see how it goes with option 2!

 

[AnalogSteph]

For a comparison like this, I would start with an album that you know has never been remastered, so you can gauge the level difference - while you can expect a streaming service to have ReplayGain-like volume normalization, the odds of it using the same target level as your local player setup (even if the algorithm does match) are rather slim. If memory serves, Alphaville "Forever Young" should be one such candidate. Of course, the last decade and change should be filled to the brim with good candidates as well.

 

[concorde1]

Apple Music vs specified release (Y is correct; X is wrong)

Paranoid - Black Sabbath (Prof. Stoned 2023)

Y Y X X Y Y Y X Y Y (7/10)

Pyramania - The Alan Parsons Project (1st CD)

X X X X Y Y X Y Y X X X (4/12 or 8/12 for just difference)

Down under - Men At Work (1st CD)

X X X Y Y Y Y Y X X Y (6/11)

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I was quite tired during the test - it's late at night - so I will re-attempt when I am more fresh. Maybe tomorrow morning.

But I have to admit I cannot tell the difference at this point in time.

One thing I have noticed over time though, is it seems harder to determine audio quality (eg of headphones) when music is less "busy".

 

[Adam Black]

You can Analysis Paralysis - Old CD's and Apple Music by using different tools. But, I suggest you to use Musconv Tool to perform this funtion.

 

[Adam Black]

Want to Analysis Paralysis, Old CD's and Apple Music. Just get the Musconv and do whatever you want.