As I understand dynamics, it’s the range of loudness from low to high and higher dynamic range is often appreciated in a hifi system. That being said, I have to admit that I often wish the dynamic is lower on a certain music piece I am listening, e.g. some classical pieces have beautiful parts which are recorder really silent, followed by loud parts when the rest of the orchestra comes in. If I turn up the volume to enjoy the silent part more, I have to lower it back down again, otherwise the full orchestra part will be annoyingly loud. Do you ever have that?
The second part of my question relates to quality of vinyl, which I recently started buying again. As I understand, some records we printed better than others, often described as having a better dynamic range. My concern is not the dynamic range of the record itself, but it is the sound quality overall. E.g. I heard that some records were simply “reproduced from CD, which makes the bad quality”, while the original printed record is of much better quality. Hence the price difference between re-releases and the original ones. Could you recommend a website or other source where records can be checked for quality based on release date and place?
Dynamics and overall Record Quality are separate issues. Where to purchase quality vinyl depends on where you are located. I am in the USA and purchase copies from Acoustic Sounds.
Your description is of dynamic range. People frequently use the term dynamics to describle, for want of an analogy, how agile the reproduction of music by your system is. My opinion only, good vinyl crushes digital in terms of agility.
What you’re describing in respect of dynamic range sounds like a good system doing its job on a good recording. The more realistic the contrast between loud and quiet the better. However, some people find that once they achieve that realistic contrast it’s occasionally a little uncomfortable. Then it’s a matter of talking to a dealer about whether your amp or speakers (especially speakers) might be changed in favour of ones which do a better job (for you) of that one specific thing.
I found some of the contrasts on the first Bill Fay album were quite a shock to the system but, for me, it was more of an occasional shock rather than something I felt the need to fix. Only really fixed it when I moved to valves, played the album again and got all of the realism but none of the shock. I don’t think that’s an argument for valves so much as better speaker/amp matching. Better being a very personal thing.
I note that the dynamic range of CD far exceeds that of vinyl when done well and the album above was on CD.
I haven’t listened to vinyl to any appreciable extent since around 1995 so I’ll let others comment on the separate issue of quality. A quick search on this forum will give you lots to read on the subject though.
That to me is a beauty of some music! I like to listen at the sort of levels I hear at a classical concert, from the whisper quiet parts to the thunderous crescendos - but it does require a listening room with low background noise, full range speakers capable of high undistorted output with amp to suit not clipping those peaks, and digital does it better than vinyl, not least because of the lower noise floor letting the quiet bits through better (even though often compressed in dynamic range on vinyl in order to accommodate both extremes).
thanks Jaybar. My question was not so about where to purchase, more about how to check a specific record (by release date, location, serial number maybe?) for quality, how it was mastered, printed etc.
I agree with you Polarbear. This approach falls short when buying records you can’t hear first, like buying used from yellow pages or ordering from the internet. Btw, I move around quite a lot, mostly in Europe, Germany, Croatia, once a year in US.
being an engineer, I would like to better understand what you mean by agility. I do agree that I enjoy some music more on a record than via streaming or flac, but not all.
Hi Robert I use Discogs to check details like release date, different masters/remasters etc. You can check details like catalogue numbers, etchings on the vinyl, etc. The comments on the quality of different masters available are subjective but a helpful guide. For example, when looking for a copy of The Beatles albums, I found Discogs helpful to compare the many many different versions available, eventually ending up with a late 1980s Blue Box.
As I understand dynamics, it’s the range of loudness from low to high and higher dynamic range is often appreciated in a hifi system. That being said, I have to admit that I often wish the dynamic is lower on a certain music piece I am listening, e.g. some classical pieces have beautiful parts which are recorded really silent, followed by loud parts when the rest of the orchestra comes in. If I turn up the volume to enjoy the silent part more, I have to lower it back down again, otherwise the full orchestra part will be annoyingly loud. Do you ever have that?
The second part of my question relates to quality of vinyl, which I recently started buying again. As I understand, some records we printed better than others, often described as having a better dynamic range. My concern is not the dynamic range of the record itself, but it is the sound quality overall. E.g. I heard that some records were simply “reproduced from CD, which makes the bad quality”, while the original printed record is of much better quality. Hence the price difference between re-releases and the original ones. Could you recommend a website or other source where records can be checked for quality based on release date and place?
Thanks for your post Mike, it shows that you understand what I’m talking about. I’m wondering if you could expand on this particular part:
“Then it’s a matter of talking to a dealer about whether your amp or speakers (especially speakers) might be changed in favour of ones which do a better job (for you) of that one specific thing.”
Speakers doing a better job for, would be speakers with less dynamic range then, or am I reading this wrong?
I know what you mean mate, and I can see that as a quality, but sometimes is getting in the way. Best example I can think of is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake: some quite parts are the most beautiful pieces of music I ever heard, some of the loud ones too, but if I raise the volume to enjoy the silent parts, then the loud one are simply too much for me.
thanks RSS, that’s exactly what I was looking for. Question arose when I saw a used Sex Pistols album for a 100€ in Germany, and the shop owner told me that’s even cheap; UK prints go for few thousands!
Yes, counter intuitive as that sounds. Could be amp or speakers. In my case it was amp. You just need to audition/experiment, tedious as though that might be, when you’ve a system you otherwise love. If you’re really lucky it might even just require something like a cable change.
Maybe my ears like louder noises than yours, or can hear quieter though the latter would seem unlikely given that I am nowhere near as youg as I feel! Or perhaps my listening room and/or system has quieter background noise.
I could try to explain my subjective sense of this by an analogy. Caveat: I have no argument with digital having the potential for a greater dynamic range. What I am trying to describe is dynamics. Good vinyl replay sounds like a really good gymnast in his/her agility. Digital sounds like me trying to be a good gymnasy. I am not agile.HOWEVER…high res digital files seem to be catching up. For completeness, I wouls put both my vinyl and digital hardware up against any, and likely there would be differences and preferences, but no absolute hierarchy. A good test for dynamics would be ‘Dance Yer Self Clean’ by LCD Sound System…listen all the way through.
At the moment I’m listening to a Stevie Wonder album that is definitely the opposite of hot, sounds great with a DL103R. (although it probably wouldn’t be optimal on your arm).
With regards to quiet and loud passages on vinyl recordings, it’s just one of those things.
I turn the volume down when it gets loud (usually after receiving instruction from my wife).
The problem occurs infrequently enough for it not to be an actual problem.
Ironically I don’t think hot pressings are what you need.
Lofi pressing on Classics For Pleasure might be worth a try. They can be picked up for peanuts.
Some of this content really does demonstrate the wildly differing aspirations we have for music in our homes. I would not want to listen to a live rock band in my living room, but I do want to exploit all of the dynamics (and dynamic range) recorded on whatever format I am listening to.
The dynamic range of well recorded vinyl is what I particularly enjoy but I can see why some would not always like that. Studio’s often use dynamic limiters. Unfortunately I can’t post a link here but if you google the the above you will find some also suitable for a home hifi and at not to great cost.
