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In Reply to: A candid exchange with John Atkinson: posted by regmac on March 8, 2004 at 08:32:08:
I agree in most part with your argument. I have a Wadia 270SE with the Wadia 27ix DAC, an Accuphase DP-100 SACD transport with Accuphase DC-101 SACD DAC, and a Muse Erato DVDA transport with a Muse One Ninety Two DAC. I placed an order for a Burmester transport and DAC which I expect to receive soon. My speakers are Maggies 3.3R and 3.6R and Silverline Sonata II. You can check the rest of my system in the inmates' systems page.I studied music at a conservatoire, played in and conducted a chamber orchestra for a long time and go to live concerts and operas regularly. Of course, there is nothing as live music, but we are constantly trying to get as close as possible in our systems.
Most consumer products, be they LP, CD, DVDA or SACD, are not designed to give an accurate representation of the live experience. Cost is a major factor, and, whether we like it or not, to be able to to do that requires a lot of excellent engineering, construction and materials, and that is very costly. Witness the many upgrades that many of the inmates go through in order to improve consumer electronics and they end up spending quite a lot of money in this endeavour. Even equipment such as the ones I own are not exempt from that! High quality upgrading firms such as Great Nothern will take a Wadia, Accuphase, Muse or any other comparable piece of equipment to even higher levels. But this is the name of the game, so to speak, when it comes to audio equipment, automobiles, boats, or any other equipment and hobby. The pursuit of "perfection" (which by definition, will never be achieved) is constant.
Now, you say that you can not detect a difference or "significant" difference between an excellently recorded CD and a similarly recorded SACD. There are differences. However, the question is if the differences are "significant" to merit a system change (system to indicate everything from recording venue to reproducing equipment). The answer, from my standpoint is: maybe. What I have heard up to now in most instances does not merit this complete change. I am still waiting for "that recording" which will make SACD (or DVDA, for that matter) worthwhile. I have several recordings, some by Reference Recordings, Stereophile, Telarc, and others, including some by "commercial" labels such as Naxos, EMI, BMG, Mercury, Columbia/Sony and others, that are of excellent quality and do approximate the "being there" sense in reproduction. But, I have not heard a similarly recorded disc either in SACD or DVDA. Which, to me, means that recording companies should get their act toghether soon.
In addition to this, there are many considerations related to reproducing system performance that should be taken into account before a judgement, either positive or negative, is to be made. As I have stated many times in other Asylums, a reproducing system is comprised of everything from the electric power to equipment, cables, etc., and the room. And we should include our disposition to listen to the equipment and a certain type of music at different times. I have listened to live and recorded music through my car radio and through table radios that have raised goosebumps. And that experience will never be repeated, no matter if I buy the recording and play it through my system. That is why first impressions, be they positive or negative, do not really matter when evaluating equipment, recordings and listening rooms. Repeated listening, preferably under controlled conditions, is necessary before making a judgement. And that is why the best equipment evaluators from Stereophile and The Absolute Sound live with the reviewed equipment for an extended period of time and evaluate their equipment under certain controlled conditions. Yes, I agree that controlled conditions are a must.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I agree with most of your argument and can understand why you can not detect a difference between CD and SACD. "The definitive SACD recording" is still waiting to be recorded. Meanwhile, I shall continue to listen to my CD's and buy those SACD and DVDA that I do not have already in CD format in the hope of finding that definitive recording.
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Follow Ups
- Re: A candid exchange with John Atkinson: (Long) - Anton 03/8/0419:49:36 03/8/04 (1)
- Re: A candid exchange with John Atkinson: (Long) - Woodstock 14:08:56 03/9/04 (0)
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