Old news to the rest of us. About goddamned time Rolling Stone caught up...

Late to the party, but this from the article:



(my bolding)

Why do people conflate these two issues? The article is not at all about digital vs. analog, yet this guy (who is apparently bright enough to know better) makes an argument that has nothing to do with compression.

I think there's a semantic issue happening there.

Folks who used nothing but analog equipment to master records back in the day had to use their ears, not their eyes.

Nowadays, the mastering studio is expected to extract every dB of headroom they can out of the material, which means they have to use the digital devices to get real-time reads on how hot everything is.

So digital is blamed for a problem that was created by the existence of digital, but not digital itself...

Perhaps you're right.

I've just gotten so over-saturated with the analog/digital debate that I jump at any language that suggests one is somehow inherently better in all applications all of the time.

funny.... i've been looking online eyeing components for an old-school hi-fi system... not too old-school, more like relatively good cd, receiver and speakers to listen to old classical music cd's and ENJOY ITS SOUND, hear it in a way I can't on the computer... 'cuz I can't pay for an Ayon tube amp, Musical Fidelity CD player and Canton speakers.

We touched the subject sometime last year and people were talking how Rush's cd Vapor Trails sounded like the recording itself was distorted. To me, it sounded disgusting.

Technology now can do better, the issue is now the general public has been accustomed to horrible, HYPED sound, so why wouldn't they want to listen to music from their ipods or computer speakers. By the way, I've noticed that w/ my iPod (an old one from about 4 yrs ago, hopefully the newer ones are better) things sound different, lots of details are more difficult to hear. HYPE is the law of the day. Shit, I sound like my old man when I was young, LOL!!!

I don't like to think of a decent CD player, receiver and speakers as old school, it depresses me.

Old School, if you're chasing after a great sound, isn't just "a decent CD player, receiver, and speakers"

Old school is a high quality CD player (preferably a high-end Japanese single-disc unit from the late 80's, Nakamichi comes immediately to mind) which can be had for less than $100 if you know where to shop...

Old school is a great analog preamp - the options are endless here, as many as your wallet will allow - plenty of new players on this market, as well as stalwarts that have been doing it since "compact disc" meant 45 RPM singles....

Old school is either a pair of monoblocks or a great integrated stereo tube amplifier - again, the options are endless, and a lot hinge on what kind of speakers you fancy. Paul Klipsch was quoted as saying "What the world needs now is one great watt" - meaning that a super-efficient pair of speakers could deliver great sound with an amp that delivered super-clean power at super-low volume - because a super-efficient pair of speakers didn't need stupid wattage to give you maximum dynamics and volume.

Something we also have known for years....
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2008/06/02/vinyl-makes-a-comeback-in-the-age-of-mp3/

Very much so, Tony.

I still comb the piles at yard sales and flea markets, seeking nice clean black discs for my personal enjoyment.

Sorry to butt in here - but can someone please explain to me why Tube Amps are considered to be "High Fidelity"?
No "matched" tubes are going to stay matched for long - around an hour or so of hard use and they will already be starting to sound different to each other.
Circuitry is important too. Is the config to be push-pull (2 valves per channel) or Class A?
Tubes add noise too - admittedly very pleasing noise, but hifi it ain't.

Someone please tell me where I am going wrong?

Neil - SS and tubes alike add distortion to the signal - but the even/odd harmonics are where the two depart.

While tube amplifiers produce slightly higher harmonic distortion than SS across the frequency spectrum (due to the absence of negative feedback) SS also suffers from that NFB causing reduced slew rates - which can affect the overall linearity of the signal to a MUCH greater degree than the even-order THD - particularly when we consider that all that negative feedback also reduces the presence of even-order harmonics in the distortion pattern, making the distortion produced by SS amps with high feedback much "colder" and more unnatural to the ear.

BTW - you're a bit confused about tube amp varieties. Push-Pull and Single Ended are your two flavors, and both are capable of functioning in class A operation.