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What percentage of time do you spend listening to "audiophile" worthy content?


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Probably too much, but

 

- if I love an album, and it is available in an “audiophile” version (MoFi, AP, CR etc), I grab it

- I’ll listen in 24/192 on Qobuz, and that usually negates the above

- I’ll still listen to the best version of something I can get my hands on.

- Plenty of times, things are available in AAA audiophile/1st press etc, but the CD version on Qobuz is perfectly fine given the price and how much I like the album.

 

Essentially, if 192k MP3 is the best I can get of a great album, I’ll listen to that... but I’ll always go for the best (that I can afford) version of anything.

 

Its also mostly about the mastering, I’ll take a great CD master over a terrible brickwalled LP.

 

TL;DR: Its all about the music, but I’ll definitely get the best version I can justifiably afford.

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Interesting topic.

I don't puposely spend time seeking or listening to "audiophile" only  recordings or artists.  There seems to be many if you want to look it up though.  As a matter of fact a lot of my preferred musical style is far removed from what would be considered audiophile level recordings or in some cases tasteful even hahaha

...however, I will say that what this hobby has brought me is an appreciation for genres that I would otherwise never have listened too and some of those genres do boast the types of recordings that are labelled or directed to the audiophile fraternity.

So I guess you could in a round-a-bout way say I listen to some recordings that are well regarded or deemed audiophile but that is as much about gaining exposure to artists and genres I would not have normally seeked out letalone thought I would ultimately enjoy.

 

If I was guilty of anything it would be having favourite tracks that to me tick all the boxes of how I like my system to sound, but again, I doubt any of these would be what many would call an audiophile recording.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Red MacKay said:

In the last 18 months, none.

 

Hell - I am happy listening to 3MP and MAGIC on DAB+ these days and am happy.  God I am getting old...

Old is: “inter-what? That’ll never take off...”.

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2 hours ago, Red MacKay said:

In the last 18 months, none.

 

Hell - I am happy listening to 3MP and MAGIC on DAB+ these days and am happy.  God I am getting old...

 

Yes, you are Red!  :P

 

How about 3PBS?

 

Andy

 

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57 minutes ago, andyr said:

How about 3PBS?

 

Nah, was a subscriber for many many years, but then a change of management it seems and I found them and their programming changes hostile, so have never returned.

 

I can't remember when I last played  DK or Patricia Barber.  45 ORG pressings and all, just collecting dust.  I'd rather listen to David Gates (Bread), Neil Diamond and Karen Carpenter, John Denver, Peter Allen and Jim Croce all day long and not ever tire of them.

 

In the car it is Icehouse, Billy Idol, AC/DC and early 80s trash that I love to bits.  No audiophile music to be found in there either.

 

Sure, Billy Idol sounds better on a great stereo flat out but!

Even my neighbours get to enjoy "more, more, more!"  ?

 

 

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On 26/10/2020 at 8:43 PM, aussievintage said:

 

Certainly not.  There's even old mono recordings on labels like Westminster that deserve to be worthy.  Just Playing a 1951 record, Festival Australia pressing of a Westminster label.  Wl 5107 Sinfonia Concertante - Mozart.  Astoundingly good sound.

 

Hello aussievintage, I know most of my posts in this thread were made with a little bit of tongue planted in the cheek, but what you're saying now above is exactly the point I was trying to make.O.o You refer to 'audiophile worthy' and I was trying to make the point that I think the term audiophile worthy' has tried to hijack the high ground or upper echelon of recordings/pressings, regardless of the format. I think it should be a case of the term 'audiophile' being worthy to be associated with such recordings that you have highlighted above and not the other way around!:thumb:

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

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On 28/10/2020 at 3:49 PM, mloutfie said:

If the system can't make average recording sounds good then the system is not good enough. Any recording can be "audiophile" worthy content if the system is good

 

Hello mloutfie, I have a couple LPs here that I think sound absolutely shite on my system and I'd be pretty confident that they'd sound just as shite on your system too!!:ohmy:

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

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53 minutes ago, cheekyboy said:

 

Hello aussievintage, I know most of my posts in this thread were made with a little bit of tongue planted in the cheek, but what you're saying now above is exactly the point I was trying to make.O.o You refer to 'audiophile worthy' and I was trying to make the point that I think the term audiophile worthy' has tried to hijack the high ground or upper echelon of recordings/pressings, regardless of the format. I think it should be a case of the term 'audiophile' being worthy to be associated with such recordings that you have highlighted above and not the other way around!:thumb:

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

Yeah well,    that's just these discussions doing what they ought to do I suppose.  They should make us all think a bit harder, and if we can't shift ground a bit (or a lot) there wouldn't be much point would there? :) 

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29 minutes ago, aussievintage said:

 

Yeah well,    that's just these discussions doing what they ought to do I suppose.  They should make us all think a bit harder, and if we can't shift ground a bit (or a lot) there wouldn't be much point would there? :) 

 

Agreed aussievintage, good to see you've shifted ground.:thumb: I really enjoy my vinyl playback, far more than any other format for sure, but I'm loathe to label any of these as 'audiophile worthy', but prefer to acknowledge that some pressings can sound considerably better than others and I have some pressings that are simply stunning as far as SQ and dynamics are concerned, but they're not necessarily my favourite type of music and thus are not in high rotation.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

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5 hours ago, cheekyboy said:

some pressings that are simply stunning as far as SQ and dynamics are concerned, but they're not necessarily my favourite type of music and thus are not in high rotation.

Ah yes, brings back memories of Sergio Mendez and Brasil '66 .. what a beautiful and dynamic album, those voices soar and the brass ?   Also Alan Parsons albums, who is also a recording engineer, I Robot and Pyramid are fav's in my collection.  Yet they are not deemed Audiophile but to me are well and truly up there ?

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31 minutes ago, Rosco8 said:

Ah yes, brings back memories of Sergio Mendez and Brasil '66 .. what a beautiful and dynamic album, those voices soar and the brass ?   Also Alan Parsons albums, who is also a recording engineer, I Robot and Pyramid are fav's in my collection.  Yet they are not deemed Audiophile but to me are well and truly up there ?


Hello Rosco, perhaps you’ve misunderstood my posts, or you just didn’t read them, which would actually make more sense.?
I don’t like the term audiophile or audiophile worthy to describe albums, so I was at odds with the OP’s question and thus decided to post in this thread.

 

I don’t have too many clear memories of Sergio Mendes and the Brazil 66, although I have heard of them...........perhaps I’m too young?.? Alan Parsons is a recording engineer, as well? I like Alan Parsons’ music, particularly those couple of albums you mentioned and the copies I have are certainly very good pressings indeed.

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

 

Edited by cheekyboy
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5 minutes ago, cheekyboy said:


Hello Rosco, perhaps you’ve misunderstood my posts, or you just didn’t read them, which would actually make more sense.?
I don’t like the term audiophile or audiophile worthy to describe albums, so I was at odds with the OP’s questions and thus decided to post in this thread.

 

I did read them and yes I agree with you  ... Sergio Mendez, yep showing my age ?

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I'm a bit of a mixture of sometimes listening to the equipment and the rest of the time music I like - which can be just about anything except full on jazz. Having said that I don't often bother listening to music I sort of like  unless it sounds great through the gear.

If someone comes around I like to play stuff that sounds the best on the equipment whilst also being mutually recognized and enjoyed as music - without them knowing that it is the best I can find to also demonstrate the equipment.

I used to love Janis Joplins greatest hits but it has been recorded on cd so poorly I just can't come at it unless I put it on in the car.

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A good song is a story or a feeling and I listen to bands that put out this sort of content, mostly dark-ish. I dont 'pursue' an audiophile sound. Its a sound that only exists in audiophile listening spaces and nowhere else. I do enjoy a good recording as much as the next person but the main priority for me is connection to the poetry or story or feeling of the song and/or music. Therefore I listen to bugger-all audiophile content.

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On 24/10/2020 at 6:47 PM, aussievintage said:

 

 

It has truth in it.  That is why I love live albums.  Yes, nearly always the sound is not as good as a studio album, but the performance is nearly always much better.

@aussievintage I agree just love a live album,  Teskey brothers released one this year that is an absolute gem, an outsanding performance if you like that sort of music.  I have noticed that has been one of the advantages of the streaming era is that the pace of picking up and re-releasing all the old live stuff recorded in 60's and 70's across all formats has been awesome.

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3 hours ago, davothecavo said:

@aussievintage I agree just love a live album,  Teskey brothers released one this year that is an absolute gem, an outsanding performance if you like that sort of music.  I have noticed that has been one of the advantages of the streaming era is that the pace of picking up and re-releasing all the old live stuff recorded in 60's and 70's across all formats has been awesome.

Agreed on the resort brothers. Have their orange LP release, but no their more recent one - didn’t realise it was live but that’s cool. 

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 30/10/2020 at 8:51 AM, cheekyboy said:

 

Hello mloutfie, I have a couple LPs here that I think sound absolutely shite on my system and I'd be pretty confident that they'd sound just as shite on your system too!!:ohmy:

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

I said average recording not shite recording :D 

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7 minutes ago, mloutfie said:

I said average recording not shite recording :D 


OK, I’m struggling to remember the exact context, but let’s say I have a couple LPs here that sound average on my system and I’d be pretty confident that they’d sound just as average on your system too!!?

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

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5 minutes ago, cheekyboy said:


OK, I’m struggling to remember the exact context, but let’s say I have a couple LPs here that sound average on my system and I’d be pretty confident that they’d sound just as average on your system too!!?

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

But Keith surely something you deemed average played in your system still can impress many. And that's what I meant with a good system can make an average recording sounds "audiophile"

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11 minutes ago, mloutfie said:

But Keith surely something you deemed average played in your system still can impress many. And that's what I meant with a good system can make an average recording sounds "audiophile"

No, can’t agree.............. can’t get past the ‘audiophile’ term I guess.?Alas, that average sounding LP if reproduced faithfully in any system, is I’m afraid, still going to sound average. I played Antonio Forcione’s Live In Concert for a guest only a couple of days ago and it was simply stunning..........definitely not an average sounding album.?

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

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2 hours ago, cheekyboy said:


OK, I’m struggling to remember the exact context, but let’s say I have a couple LPs here that sound average on my system and I’d be pretty confident that they’d sound just as average on your system too!!?

 

Cheers,

 

Keith

Janis Joplins greatest hits CD would sound average on any system is my bet

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