I can hear music again!!!

There is a sudden flurry of activity in the music industry as ‘quality sound’ is coming back into vogue. By this I mean the return to vinyl records, and a new, multi-faceted attack on the poor sound of MP3 players, iPods and laptops.

Put simply, with the tsunami switch to CDs in the 1980s the quality of recorded sound dropped. CDs still use the same principal of ‘sampling’ a sound/music and copying ‘bits’ of the original. Today’s CD technology is far better as bit sample numbers have skyrocketed, but everyone in the digital industry knows that any CD ‘sampling’ leaves out enough ‘bits’ that the human ear can still tell the difference. Only an analogue or continuous copying process will reproduce the entire sound. That’s why people are reverting to vinyl, the original, continuous transfer technology. From near extinction to a healthy revival, vinyl is back and growing in popularity, with 2009 sales of 2.5 million in the USA alone. (See Globe and Mail, July 6, 2010, B1, B6)


On the MP3, iPod and laptop front, more companies are getting into making quality headphones, and the new HP Envy line of laptops isolate the sound components from the rest of the computer whir, have upgraded speakers and amplifiers, added a subwoofer and included Beat Audio software for sound personalization. Even better, the industry standard MP3 compression and iPod variation are under pressure as their sampling rates are, to put it bluntly, pathetic. MP3 means only 1 of every 3 bits of sound are properly recorded. (MP4 is even worse.) What you need for great sound is MP1 – a one to one copying: so, at the moment, CDs are still the digital quality standard, and old vinyl the ultimate goal. (See Maclean’s magazine, May 17, 2010, p. 55 “ A Sweeter Sound”.)

To relive that spectacular concert or theatre performance again – with all the richness and modulation of sound -- look for a vinyl copy. Otherwise, you’ll have to sit back, close your eyes, and listen from memory.

Today’s electronic shortcuts won’t do the trick.


PS If you own CDs, be aware that they ‘die’ , usually within 10 years. The Music Department archives at the University of Toronto schedules backing up their CDs on a 5 or so year rotation because, even with their meticulous care and safe storage, they found that CDs stopped working within 10 years. Why? Because, over time, air pollution creates microscopic pin holes through the plastic and the liquid that separates the metal disc from the plastic shell evaporates or hardens.

Two AV technicians I know recommend immediately on purchase coating the top (label) side with ordinary latex paint. It helps seal the thin upper plastic and extends the CD’s lifespan.