Miniature Hi-Fi Power Amp

[Dave H]

Problem with cds is that in the last years the producers overcompress and fill every space with any sound they can think of,so the average loudness is the same in every tune and on any device.

Like the top one below you mean? It's Rehab by Amy Winehouse. I think it sounds dreadful but it is LOUD.
The bottom one is classical (Beethoven) for comparison.

[John_H]

actually a 320kbit/s mp3 is pretty good,but 128 can sound pretty awful.
I use flac and it sounds like the cd to my ears.
Problem with cds is that in the last years the producers overcompress and fill every space with any sound they can think of,so the average loudness is the same in every tune and on any device.
So now people think that vinyl is much better...

I agree, High quality compressed files are pretty good. I have a good sized collection in my itunes. (40g or so) Most of it is decent quality. I had got into the practice of listening to streamed content and mostly ignoring my itunes library, and completely ignoring my CD collection. After listening to nothing but compact discs for a few days, I streamed some music. It sounded like absolute crap in comparison. I'll still use the streaming services for wireless headphones, and my portable speaker, but not much at home.

It is disappointing that the music industry at times felt that they needed to use every bit of dynamic range available with digital audio.

Dug around and found it. About the same footprint as my Raspberry Pi and Arduino. I have a 12VDC/2.5A wallwart sitting around. I should set it up later today...

How did that work out?

Mastering is what you do with your mix. It involves things like compression or expansion, EQ, pitch adjustment, other psychoacoustic stuff, and on and on.

When things were completely analog in the studios, engineers didn't have the tools that are available today to easily manipulate individual tracks. Nowadays most mastering is done before a final mix. Many cd's were stamped; AAD - analog recording, analog mastering, digital format. ADD - analog, digital, digital, or DDD - digital, digital, digital.

I don't know that the CD technology improved so much as the technique of the studio guys did. Early CDs were made by guys used to tape and vinyl, and they applied the same techniques. But CDs demand other considerations. So when they take the old master tapes and rework them with some CD experience under the belt, they sound a whole lot nicer.

Vinyl recordings required RIAA equalization that cd's didn't. Many early releases in digital format were simply the original masters without the equalization.

I'd think this was more about the re-mastering than the technology?
Sort of how a 'directors cut' can make a movie seem completely different? (edit: that analogy would probably be much more valid for re-mixing rather than re-mastering)

I think that you're correct with the re-mastering. A simple re-mix wouldn't utilize the full dynamic range of a cd. Whereas a digital re-master could expand it.

Overall, I'm really pleased. I haven't enjoyed listening this much in a long time.