I've been wanting to post about this for awhile.....so here goes.
My initiation to the cd came in 1986, like most, I was amazed at the absence of the "clicks & pops" associated with lp's. Little did I know then, but later I would learn what else was "missing" from those early cd's. As I slowly adapted to the new medium,[after the abrupt departure of the lp,] I played the "new" cd's exclusively. I soon began loosing interest in my music. One day, my "early" cd player expired. When I replaced it, there was a marked improvement in the sound quality. The new cd player had an 8x oversampling dual da converter,[new at the time].
This was my first clue that in the "rush to market" of both the cd, and it's player, I HAD BEEN missing much more than clicks & pops.
Neil Young, in an interview said: "A whole generation does'nt know what they have missed". Here is the problem:
Cd technology does not "collect" ALL the "information" from the analog master tape. The subtle nuance, warmth, resonance, and tone of the master tape is missing. Especially bad are the original, 16 bit cd's, full of "sonic flaws", bathed in hiss, excess noise, and "dubious mastering". Like a good violin versus a Stradivarius, the cd's are lacking the tonal qualities of analog.
Let's cut to the present.
There have been vast improvements , with the re-mastering of some "classic' cd's, both with 20 and 24 bit,....... some with 24k gold discs, that sound less "harsh", and more resistant to oxidation,[than the "silver" discs]. Even the "baking" of master tapes to get "more" out of the old tapes.
When I got my M60's, this cd "issue" came to the forefront again. Some of my cd's sound fantastic, "brought to life" by the M60's.
Some of my old favorites are NOT thoroughly enjoyable. Sadly, most will never be re-mastered, and will stay out of print.
My main point in posting this is : another reminder to those "comparing speaker brands"............to choose a cd wisely........never before has there been such a wide range of music types, styles, in various stages of mastering.
This will DRASTICALLY AFFECT an "audition".
"The cd factor" may be overlooked by some. After over 20 years,the cd IS getting "closer" to the way it should have been all along...............I wonder which of the new "mediums" will be the "next big thing"?
