The new iTunes

[bogan]

Lets not forget how we got to mp3s, from CDs. So people aren't ignorant of the differences (or lack thereof) in quality, they just don't care.

[Headbanger]

There is a huge amount of ignorance, Just go and read the reviews at Amazon.

People, in their ignorance attempting to debate or judge albums based on compressed crap squeezed through tiny ear buds, Not understanding that what they are hearing is not the same material as the original audio release, wether that be LP or CD.

To combat this the fuckwits have lowered the quality before destribution and claim it to be "digitally remastered", Something a lot of people are ignorant of.

The last Metallica album is a prime example, as is the 30th anniversary edition of Screaming for Vengeance, what shows up as distinct distortion and audio corruption goes unnoticed when compression is further used.


Sure, Many people don't care, More power to them, I'll still take the quality offering.

[imdying]

It's actually a cunning plan... MP3s are such crap I only buy CDs now.

Did you offer a lossless format for your download Dave?

[imdying]

Lets not forget how we got to mp3s, from CDs.

Digital space was expensive. Now it is not.

[Scuba_Steve]

pppffft, wank off.

You're the same person advocating those shitty plastic desktop speakers as a home theatre system, No need to claim you speak for the average person, You just accept shit or don't know any better.

I reckon you're probably one of these "audiophiles" that wank on about sound quality, must have best, everything else is shit, yet come a blind test probably can't tell the difference between coat hanger & monster cable

We've always believed that the perceived quality boost that comes from using high-end cables is really just a trick of the mind (read: justifying the ridiculous cost of premium cables to yourself) -- if you've dropped enough cash, you can probably hear anything you want. Still, our belief is one thing -- cold hard proof is another, and it looks like a group of 12 self-professed "audiophiles" recently couldn't tell the difference between Monster 1000 speaker cables and plain old coat hangers. Yeah, coat hangers. The group was A-Bing different cables, and unbeknownst to them, the engineer running the test swapped out a set of cables for coat hangers with soldered-on speaker connections. Not a single one was then able to tell the difference between the Monster Cable and the hangers, and all agreed that the hangers sounded excellent. No wonder Monster has to rig HD displays. Still, we bet people still fall for the hype -- oh hey, if you're looking for the ultimate in sound, we've got half a meter of oxygen-free, triple-wrapped double-insulated Sonically Shielded AmpliSized Egyptian Llama cable here that we'll part ways with for just a couple grand.

I like my Logitech's & like most adults my hearing isn't perfect so my "plastic desktop speakers" will probably sound exactly the same to me as your "uber awesomely overpriced platinum status" setup
Maybee you should go find one of those "Mosquito" systems, see if you can hear it. If not, maybee it's time to stop pissing away so much money on audio equip that would better spent on bikes

[Big Dave]

Then your motivation is....apathy?

Nice work

Discussion/mebate (that's a typo - but it works so well I'll leave it) - and noting that the convenience, portability and longevity of digital media is worth more to me than the difference in quality.
Not your assertion that I/we accept mediocrity by conditioning.

[bogan]

I reckon you're probably one of these "audiophiles" that wank on about sound quality, must have best, everything else is shit, yet come a blind test probably can't tell the difference between coat hanger & monster cable

Maybe that's cos they were playing MP3s

HDMI cables are about the worst, 'buy these gold plated ones for a better signal' 'err, you realise its a digital signal right'

Digital space was expensive. Now it is not.

True, but also true is that most of us didn't go, 'well I'll take the quality loss for now because it is convenient and cheap', it was more, 'sounds the same, more convenient, sold!'

[Headbanger]

I reckon you're probably one of these "audiophiles" that wank on about sound quality, must have best, everything else is shit, yet come a blind test probably can't tell the difference between coat hanger & monster cable

I like my Logitech's & like most adults my hearing isn't perfect so my "plastic desktop speakers" will probably sound exactly the same to me as your ....

Your ignorance is fighting a battle with your delusion.

Neither of my audio systems are expensive, and I wish I could invite you around, I have my PC plugged into a set of logitechs, and into my amp. You can instantly swap between the two from the same source, or change the source.

The difference between the two systems is so profound that the only way you could claim them to sound exactly the same is.......well, you couldn't unless delusion was something you cling to.

[Headbanger]

Discussion/mebate (that's a typo - but it works so well I'll leave it) - and noting that the convenience, portability and longevity of digital media is worth more to me than the difference in quality.
Not your assertion that I/we accept mediocrity by conditioning.

So, why not also take quality?

When mp3's came about most of the world was on dialup. Hard-drives were of lower capacity and more expensive.

There is no reason to accept the limitations of what in our digital era is the distant past as the yard stick for our current or future era, especially when its applied to data that has no reason to be subject to this limiting factors.

Even more so when this data is being sold at a premium.

[bogan]

Well Canon commandeered a corner of the desktop for a row of icons, might be useful to those who do scanning and printing daily, but for my perhaps monthly use I'll get rid of them...

To recap, they are most useful for doing scanning and printing and other fancy things!

[imdying]

I reckon you're probably one of these "audiophiles" that wank on about sound quality, must have best, everything else is shit, yet come a blind test probably can't tell the difference between coat hanger & monster cable

You should give it a fair shot, I've not found anyone that can't tell the difference between a midi system and a hifi system. Hifi systems do not have to be expensive... sure if you want a multizone HDMI 3D switching beast it won't be cheap, but you don't need that. A quality secondhand amp, some speakers, and you're there for music. My hearing isn't the best (too much metal at high volume when I was younger), but even I can hear clarity.

HDMI cables are about the worst, 'buy these gold plated ones for a better signal' 'err, you realise its a digital signal right'

Digital signals are still subject to interference. You must have seen Freeview go block on occasions? For short runs the cable quality isn't very important on HDMI though.

True, but also true is that most of us didn't go, 'well I'll take the quality loss for now because it is convenient and cheap', it was more, 'sounds the same, more convenient, sold!'

Sounds adequate was the thing... not sounds the same. But now we no longer need to put up with that.... haven't done for years.

[imdying]

Neither of my audio systems are expensive, and I wish I could invite you around, I have my PC plugged into a set of logitechs, and into my amp. You can instantly swap between the two from the same source, or change the source.

The difference between the two systems is so profound that the only way you could claim them to sound exactly the same is.......well, you couldn't unless delusion was something you cling to.

I'd put money on it

[bogan]

Digital signals are still subject to interference. You must have seen Freeview go block on occasions? For short runs the cable quality isn't very important on HDMI though.

Sounds adequate was the thing... not sounds the same. But now we no longer need to put up with that.... haven't done for years.

Yeh I'm talking the $200 2m gold plated leads they try and sell, long runs I can understand.

Hmmm, fine, I'll go look for some flacs of the same albums I bought through istore.

[ducatilover]

What's the obsession with putting a lower case "i" in front of these technothings

[Big Dave]

What's the obsession with putting a lower case "i" in front of these technothings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand_management