Navigating the "Loudness War" and etc..

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-16-2018, 05:48 AM

I have too many albums that are compressed to hell and back. Most people don't seem to care, but a lot of albums - especially metal albums - sound like crap these days. It seems the problem with overzealous compression was bigger a few years ago. Most albums I get my hands on that sound really good are jazz, classical, singer/songwriter or world music. Most metal albums with good sound quality are either really, really old or from very small, obscure labels.

Maajo · 01-16-2018, 07:39 AM

I've had good luck with remasters, although I've heard of audiophiles who absolutely hate some remasters, I usually find that the quality is vastly improved especially with CDs where older copies sound really compressed and ****ty. If you want the highest quality experience, you'll need to invest in some higher quality listening equipment as well, though. You can be listening to the best recording available, if you're using some earbuds you bought at the Dollar Tree or some old, worn-out speakers you're gonna think it sounds like ****.

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-16-2018, 09:09 AM

I have a personal hatred for those 2004 Megadeth remasters. The drums on the original versions of Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction had really cool sound, so why the hell meddle with that and give them the same bland preset sound? Of course, extra compressions as well, because why not ruin good things?

Anyway, I'm not the biggest audiophile. But when so many albums are poorly enough mastered that I can easily tell on my middling audio gear, then something is wrong in the industry.

Trollheart · 01-16-2018, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

If listening to CDs generally has become a problem for someone due to sound quality, then I'd say audiophilia has turned into a problem

Is this the condition where you get "a little too friendly" with your CD collection? Imagine Batty with his Kesha CDs!!

GunmouthGrace · 01-16-2018, 11:02 AM

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The Batlord · 01-16-2018, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicShazam

I have a personal hatred for those 2004 Megadeth remasters. The drums on the original versions of Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction had really cool sound, so why the hell meddle with that and give them the same bland preset sound? Of course, extra compressions as well, because why not ruin good things?

Anyway, I'm not the biggest audiophile. But when so many albums are poorly enough mastered that I can easily tell on my middling audio gear, then something is wrong in the industry.

My biggest issue is rerecording some of the vocals. Like, what? Regardless of how ****ty Davey Dave's voice sounds these days it clearly sounds different and is ****ing jarring when juxtaposed with the original vocal track. The man is an idiot as well as an egomaniac.

~~MicShazam~~ · 01-16-2018, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

My biggest issue is rerecording some of the vocals. Like, what? Regardless of how ****ty Davey Dave's voice sounds these days it clearly sounds different and is ****ing jarring when juxtaposed with the original vocal track. The man is an idiot as well as an egomaniac.

Yeah, like some of the gang shouts on RIP. They lost the original tapes or whatever, but the end result is that it's lame. There's also some extra vocal layers added to Time: The End on Risk that don't work at all. It's like a director's cut of a movie where you understand why those scenes were originally left out.

Lisnaholic · 01-17-2018, 06:50 AM

I don't have a good ear for picking up subtleties of tone or sound quality, so, on the topic of noise and loss of detail this is the comment I most agree with:-

Quote:

Originally Posted by tore

... those who let it get in the way of their enjoyment of listening to music are making up a problem for themselves which needn't be there. The passion some audiophiles claim quality is important with reminds me of passionate believers of homeopathy. I think it's only as relevant and important as you make it.

Of course there are times when distortion affects enjoyment, but like MicShazam...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicShazam

I have too many albums that are compressed to hell and back.

^ That's a vivid way of describing what I listen to. Almost everything has been downloaded for free via YouTube, and is then replayed, loudly, through a cheap car stereo in competion with traffic noise, by which time of course I'm in no position to complain about quality.

GunmouthGrace · 01-17-2018, 03:13 PM

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01-16-2018, 11:02 AM	#15 (permalink)
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01-16-2018, 05:48 AM	#11 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	I have too many albums that are compressed to hell and back. Most people don't seem to care, but a lot of albums - especially metal albums - sound like crap these days. It seems the problem with overzealous compression was bigger a few years ago. Most albums I get my hands on that sound really good are jazz, classical, singer/songwriter or world music. Most metal albums with good sound quality are either really, really old or from very small, obscure labels.

01-16-2018, 07:39 AM	#12 (permalink)
Maajo Music Addict Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Colorado Posts: 513	I've had good luck with remasters, although I've heard of audiophiles who absolutely hate some remasters, I usually find that the quality is vastly improved especially with CDs where older copies sound really compressed and **ty. If you want the highest quality experience, you'll need to invest in some higher quality listening equipment as well, though. You can be listening to the best recording available, if you're using some earbuds you bought at the Dollar Tree or some old, worn-out speakers you're gonna think it sounds like **.

01-16-2018, 09:09 AM	#13 (permalink)
~~MicShazam~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Aalborg Posts: 7,634	I have a personal hatred for those 2004 Megadeth remasters. The drums on the original versions of Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction had really cool sound, so why the hell meddle with that and give them the same bland preset sound? Of course, extra compressions as well, because why not ruin good things? Anyway, I'm not the biggest audiophile. But when so many albums are poorly enough mastered that I can easily tell on my middling audio gear, then something is wrong in the industry.