Your Preferred Music Listening Format

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by dontcloseyoureyes

Normal 256kpbs is noticably poor, but when ripped properly and in a variable biterate they're virtually lossless. If you want actual lossless music, start listening to .flac music.

Yeah, I've heard pretty good things about the flac format. Its a pity my current portable player doesn't support that format, or I'd have gone down that route to build my collection.

[GIMH]

RE Headphones - I also love listening to music via headphones. In the days before everyone had mp3 players I used to spend about an hour listening to music from my stereo via headphones before going to sleep. Agree with Brumby about when bands utilise stereo properly; sometimes it's like you can feel the music moving from one earphone to the other. I think the Rolling Stones are one of the best bands for this personally.

Also, as much as I prefer vinyl I would never suggest I am going to start buying records instead of CDs. I will simply buy albums that my favourite bands release on both vinyl and CD, as well as completing my favourite band collections on vinyl. Some people think I'm a bit crazy spending my money that way, but meh, it's what I want

[luffy]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Agree with Brumby about when bands utilise stereo properly; sometimes it's like you can feel the music moving from one earphone to the other.

Yeah, that is awesome when bands use that.

Best bands i've heard that do that are the Arctic Monkeys.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero

Agree with Brumby about when bands utilise stereo properly; sometimes it's like you can feel the music moving from one earphone to the other.

Always makes me wonder if my plugs are broken when playing particular songs where the music starts off in only one earphone and then moves on to the other and then both.

[Precambrian]

Originally Posted by G.I.Joe

Didn't know that. The difference isn't apparent on playing them on the stereo or the PC, but its noticable on earphones. But then I'm the guy who once spent an entire afternoon installing half a dozen of the most popular music players on the PC and figuring out which sounded the best Could be all in my head.

Or could be the graphic equalisers.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Precambrian

Or could be the graphic equalisers.

Fiddled around with those too. I was even anal enough to save screenshots of my equalizer settings in case I needed to reset them to sound exactly the same after a reformat.

[FaaipDeOiad]

I really like vinyl, but I don't listen to it a lot honestly. By far the most common for me is mp3s.

[Top_Cat]

Perhaps one of the audiophiles here can explain why vinyl of new recordings (digitally recorded, say, on Pro Tools and digitally mastered in same) should sound any different to the same recording played on a CD or sufficiently high bitrate non-physical media?

Vinyl pressings of analogue recordings mastered with analogue compressors sounding better than digitisation of said old recordings, that I get (digitisation is, obviously, an approximation of the original sound waves). But surely bands who record digitally but release their recordings on vinyl is nothing but a marketing ploy?

[Precambrian]

Downloaded FLAC ripper... ripped an Audio CD. Too big files imho. Quality is superb though.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Perhaps one of the audiophiles here can explain why vinyl of new recordings (digitally recorded, say, on Pro Tools and digitally mastered in same) should sound any different to the same recording played on a CD or sufficiently high bitrate non-physical media?

Vinyl pressings of analogue recordings mastered with analogue compressors sounding better than digitisation of said old recordings, that I get (digitisation is, obviously, an approximation of the original sound waves). But surely bands who record digitally but release their recordings on vinyl is nothing but a marketing ploy?

Look, I'm going to be honest, I have no technical expertise or anything. I just prefer the sound, it seems more direct, hard to explain really. Could all be in the mind, but plenty of people on the GNR forums have agreed that they prefer listening to the vinyl of Chinese Democracy.

Interestingly enough (or perhaps not) I was watching an old Axl Rose interview last week, from just before the UYI release, and he said he expected those albums to sound better on CD because that was what it was made for. UYI is one of my vinyl wants, seems easy enough to get hold of a mint-edition but not overly cheap, but will have to see if I agree with him or not when I get it

[cpr]

Hmm, pretty sure i've got UYI I on vinyl here, dunno about the disc quality though


Edit
--

Just checked, in good nick, amazing what you can find in charity shops

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by cpr

Just checked, in good nick, amazing what you can find in charity shops

Is that what they're call stores who stock Chinese Democracy?



Sorry Martyn, I couldn't resist. In all honesty I've only heard the one track you pointed in my direction.

[GIMH]

[Goughy]

Originally Posted by cpr

However, whenever i can i'll listen to music through headphones. Would do when driving if it was legal.

Is it not? I honestly never knew. I could see why it may not be a great idea but I didnt know it was illegal.

Deaf people can drive right?

[Indipper]

Originally Posted by DaRick

Well, vinyls apparently sound 'warmer' (I haven't listened to many, though, so I can't really comment). However, there are those bloody clicks and they don't last for as long as CD's. In terms of convienience, mp3 easily wins. Based on that criteria, I'd vote for mp3 (and because you can edit the audio on mp3's easily).

What on earth are you talking about? Analog recordings will still be in perfect working order when digital ones will long have degraded.