As the kids say, "OMG!" - Mp3 via Apple TV vs. Vinyl

stretchl
stretchl Posts: 1,334
edited August 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
Just ran a bit of a comparison of the sound coming from my streamed MP3's vs. vinyl on the new LSi-15/Adcom GFA-555ii setup.

Now I know why listening to music triggered my tinnitus. Those MP3's SUCK. I can't believe how horrible they sound next to the vinyl. Really shocking.
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
- Isaac Asimov
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Just ran a bit of a comparison of the sound coming from my streamed MP3's vs. vinyl on the new LSi-15/Adcom GFA-555ii setup.

    Now I know why listening to music triggered my tinnitus. Those MP3's SUCK. I can't believe how horrible they sound next to the vinyl. Really shocking.

    Yup, now just get some high quality digital files and you will find your having just as much fun :smile:.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    Yep. That's my next task. Gonna put the Mp3 up against an AIFF and a WAV and see who wins. :)
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited August 2012
    Yeah, I believe we tell people that all the time.

    MP3's suck for the hi-fi

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Yep. That's my next task. Gonna put the Mp3 up against an AIFF and a WAV and see who wins. :)

    Just as a FYI, WAV isnt worth it as you cant store any metadata (for instance info about the artist, albumn, ect) thats commonly used for library management purposes. WAV is also much bigger than AIFF and not worth the added space.

    Figured I would help you out as this is a debate we have had for a long time
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    Ahhh... didn't know WAV wouldn't store metadata. Thanks for saving me a lot of time and trouble! :)
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Thanks for saving me a lot of time and trouble! :)

    We try :).

    Now sit back relax and enjoy the music. I myself am jamming to some Skrillex on my LSi's as we speak :biggrin:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited August 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    We try :).

    Now sit back relax and enjoy the music. I myself am jamming to some Skrillex on my LSi's as we speak :biggrin:

    You should hear them on a pair of TL's. It's a bit frightening how incredible they reproduce Skrillex in a good way. And the bass... it's like there is a transformer in front of you.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    Hehe I am sure I hear how that sounds in my car with 700 watts on my sub :biggrin:.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited August 2012
    I don't need a sub :mrgreen:
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    Drenis wrote: »
    I don't need a sub :mrgreen:

    Everyone needs a sub in their car....... c'mon you should know that Mr. RE component man....
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited August 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Everyone needs a sub in their car....... c'mon you should know that Mr. RE component man....

    Yes, and we need mandatory life in prison for anyone with a sub in their car. Boom boom cars are public enemy number one. :smile:
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited August 2012
    EndersShadow wrote: »
    Everyone needs a sub in their car....... c'mon you should know that Mr. RE component man....

    Everyone needs a balanced system but for some, they require more and it's easy to provide that.

    I'll have you know I run a pair of Polk db6500's in my car being fed 100w RMS. :razz: Sounds DAMN good. Bass is balanced in my car.

    Back on topic, yes, MP3 certainly taught me a hard lesson. I now despise it in my 2-channel rig. But it's a part of society now that we all must endorse at times. Therefore, I have to compromise and allow MP3 into the system. But I at least know the difference the format can have on a recording.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Yes, and we need mandatory life in prison for anyone with a sub in their car. Boom boom cars are public enemy number one. :smile:

    That's why I put 2 layers of dynatmat on my trunk and all 4 doors. You don't hear boom boom unless your in my car.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • TNHNDYMAN
    TNHNDYMAN Posts: 2,145
    edited August 2012
    ^ plus it's his car to do what he wants
    2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer.

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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,965
    edited August 2012
    Drenis wrote: »
    .....it's a part of society now that we all must endorse at times.

    I dunno my good man, so are dog turds.....a part of society.....but I don't allow them on my lawn.:cheesygrin:
    HT SYSTEM-
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited August 2012
    tonyb wrote: »
    I dunno my good man, so are dog turds.....a part of society.....but I don't allow them on my lawn.:cheesygrin:

    My point is some artists strictly release lossy material hence why we sometimes have to live with it. My other half loves an album that's in lossy format. Compromise. :)
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  • pyrocyborg
    pyrocyborg Posts: 524
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Just ran a bit of a comparison of the sound coming from my streamed MP3's vs. vinyl on the new LSi-15/Adcom GFA-555ii setup.

    Now I know why listening to music triggered my tinnitus. Those MP3's SUCK. I can't believe how horrible they sound next to the vinyl. Really shocking.

    Well... Non LAME mp3 are horrible at best, even on a mp3 player (unless you're stuck with crappy head/earphones). LAME Mp3, on the other hand, can sound good on a hi-fi system. While it "feels" different from flac/lossless, it's not that far away that most people could get away with this.

    As for the vinyl vs mp3 comparison, it's not even fair... lol...
    Speakers: Polk Audio LSiM 705, LSiM 703, LSiM 704c
    Receiver: Denon X3500H
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  • pyrocyborg
    pyrocyborg Posts: 524
    edited August 2012
    BlueFox wrote: »
    Yes, and we need mandatory life in prison for anyone with a sub in their car. Boom boom cars are public enemy number one. :smile:

    Well, some people have a pair of good quality 10 inch subs, which could be used as a "boom boom car", but when paired with a quality component system, it can sound really great if it's balanced. It's all a matter of balance, and some people really think that louder is better (e.g. when you see people bragging about their 1500w system and SPL, instead of speaking of sound quality).
    Speakers: Polk Audio LSiM 705, LSiM 703, LSiM 704c
    Receiver: Denon X3500H
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    pyrocyborg wrote: »
    As for the vinyl vs mp3 comparison, it's not even fair... lol...

    Ya... but I had to do it now that I have the new speakers and amp, and since I'd only been listening to mp3's for the last, oh, 5 years...

    So very glad to have this new system set up, or at least being set up...

    I missed the music more than I realized!

    :)
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
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  • pyrocyborg
    pyrocyborg Posts: 524
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Ya... but I had to do it now that I have the new speakers and amp, and since I'd only been listening to mp3's for the last, oh, 5 years...

    So very glad to have this new system set up, or at least being set up...

    I missed the music more than I realized!

    :)

    Glad you're listening to music now... :cheesygrin: It's a solid system you got here. By the way, with a quality cd player or DAC (if you stream files from your PC), you could get an incredible sound rivaling newer high-end turntable/pre-amp combo for a lot less. Sure, it depends on the master itself, but two properly released CD/vinyl sound almost sound as good when compared to each other. Sure I do like the vinyl feel better, but I do like the fact that it's easier to listen to anything "on the go" using a computer/media server.

    Enjoy! And try not to upgrade too early, it could be... costly :cheesygrin:
    Speakers: Polk Audio LSiM 705, LSiM 703, LSiM 704c
    Receiver: Denon X3500H
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    The pops and cracks in the vinyl bother me. In some instances, they add to the nostalgia and sense of place on a track, but other than that I'd sure like to lose them.

    Is there a way to convert the vinyl to digital and in the process filter out that background stuff? I have a lot of things on old albums that I'd never find digitally today.
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    The pops and cracks in the vinyl bother me. In some instances, they add to the nostalgia and sense of place on a track, but other than that I'd sure like to lose them.

    Is there a way to convert the vinyl to digital and in the process filter out that background stuff? I have a lot of things on old albums that I'd never find digitally today.

    Yes there are ways to do so. If your looking to do this I would start a new thread about it as its a completely different (but totally doable) monster. I know there is a program called Audacity that lets you record from inputs so you use that to record the LP digitally and then can use filters and whatnot to cut out things, etc. Depending on how much you filter though you can end up losing fidelity...

    But to answer your question, yes the possibility exists and isnt that hard or expensive to do, just time consuming.
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    I'm familiar with Audacity, and if that's the program folks use I can do it with Apple's Soundtrack Pro, which I already have, use and teach.

    Thanks!
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited August 2012
    Snap, crackle, pop. Welcome to the world of vinyl. Is it a good format sure. Go over to AK and you'll see guys who are so "obsessive" that they check their needles under "microscopes" and replace them (diamonds, no less) every few dozen plays. Isolate all "vibration" from their tables with "unbelievable" systems that would make Rube Goldberg do a double take. And have those 600 dollar plus vinyl "washers"...have to "bathe" those babies well and often. Then there's the "clamp", 50 lbs platters, and, and, the uber-cartridges that cost more than a fantastic tube CDP. Over the top? Not for the aficionado...because everything makes a difference.

    Yet, a physical needle and a physical surface and friction still remain. I spin vinyl, but I just can't get obsessed about it. Maybe I just need a higher end system?

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    cnh wrote: »
    Snap, crackle, pop. Welcome to the world of vinyl. Is it a good format sure. Go over to AK and you'll see guys who are so "obsessive" that they check their needles under "microscopes" and replace them (diamonds, no less) every few dozen plays...
    cnh

    I knew people in Alaska were a rare breed, but this is ridiculous! :lol:
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Yep. That's my next task. Gonna put the Mp3 up against an AIFF and a WAV and see who wins. :)

    Let me save you some time. MP3 has NO business in a hi-fi system.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • cnh
    cnh Posts: 13,284
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    I knew people in Alaska were a rare breed, but this is ridiculous! :lol:

    Steve is right above, of course, and I am being a little hyperbolic myself.

    BTW. AK is not Alaska but short for Audiokarma.org

    cnh
    Currently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!

    Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
    [sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash]
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  • gce
    gce Posts: 2,158
    edited August 2012
    stretchl wrote: »
    Ahhh... didn't know WAV wouldn't store metadata. Thanks for saving me a lot of time and trouble! :)

    Go with FLAC and never look back! :cool:
    Anaheim Hills CA,
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  • stretchl
    stretchl Posts: 1,334
    edited August 2012
    cnh wrote: »
    Steve is right above, of course, and I am being a little hyperbolic myself.

    BTW. AK is not Alaska but short for Audiokarma.org

    cnh

    Just joshing ya, man! :)
    “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'”
    - Isaac Asimov
    Hi-Fi
    Apple Lossless --> Squeezebox Touch --> Joule Electra LA-100 Mark iii --> Odyssey Khartargo Mono Plus --> LSiM-705's
    Cabling by Groneberg
    Visuals
    https://media.illinois.edu/journalism/ledford-charles-stretch
    bit.ly/stretchonphotojournalism
    http://Vimeo.com/channels/stretchphoto
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,590
    edited August 2012
    gce wrote: »
    Go with FLAC and never look back! :cool:

    You's a Poet and didnt know it....

    Thats semi-sig worthy :smile:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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