With a renewed interest in music on vinyl records, and with consumers having nearly fully embraced the convenience of music downloads and streaming, we have in recent years heard claims that the death knell of the CD has been all but rung. Some say vinyl reproduces a “warmer”, more authentic sound, while CDs compromise quality for the sake of portability and convenience. Just how accurate are these claims, and should they cause you trade in your CDs and CD player for “old school” records and a turntable?
Vinyl
Industry professionals such as recording engineers state that vinyl has inherent deficiencies digital recordings (CDs) do not, with problems in reproducing both low and high ends being the most significant. This is because the vinyl disc is a steadily collapsing medium – as the record plays and as the needle gets closer to the label, “information” becomes more and more compromised and high frequencies get lost. This particular failure of the medium is what many interpret as the “warmth” that vinyl delivers.
CD
CDs not only eliminate some of vinyl’s limitations by more accurately reproducing the sound spectrum, they also do away with other distortion like the clicks and pops familiar to anyone who has played a vinyl disc.
MP3
How about music downloads vs. CD? The most common format for downloaded music is the MP3. Classified a “lossy” format with compression which allows for more storage, MP3s deliver reduced audio fidelity that will not satisfy the individual looking for a superior listening experience.
High Definition/High Resolution music.
Also downloadable, the Hi Res format provides the most accurate audio reproduction available. Due to the amount of data required to reproduce music at this standard, it cannot be stored on devices like smartphones or tablets and must be stored on external hard drives, computers or music servers.
Conclusion
Each format provides a different experience and satisfy a particular niche. So, whether you’re looking for convenience or the ultimate listening experience, the only way to make the best choice is to get your ears involved. Visit our showroom to hear demos of the various formats and to pick the brains of experts at Custom Audio Video.
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