[ARSCLIST] FW: The "dumbing down" of Downloaded Recordings

["Ruede, Laura" <L.Ruede@xxxxxxx>]

What are some other lossless formats for downloads?

On a different tack, what are the best formats for streaming?  Thanks;
this is a most interesting discussion.

Laura J. Ruede, MLS
Assistant Music/Media Librarian
Van Cliburn Archivist
Librarian-liaison, College of Education; Communication Sciences and
Disorders
Mary Couts Burnett Library
Texas Christian University
 

	_____________________________________________
	From: Steve Abrams [mailto:steve.abrams@xxxxxxxxx] 
	Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 11:29 AM
	Subject: Re: The "dumbing down" of Downloaded Recordings[: FLAC,
APE ARE LOSSLESS COMPRESSION DISTRIBUTION FORMS]

	Pardon me, but I think that all of the posts so far on this
thread have completely missed the point.  MP3 was a useful dodge when
internet connections were slow and memory was expensive.  There is no
reason not to use lossless compression today - FLAC, APE &c.  Pristine
Classical now make their transfers available in FLAC format.  Internet
lists for free downloads of out of copyright recordings now offer high
bitrate MP3 (e.g. 320 mbps) and lossless files.  Even Mike Richter has
moved on from 32 kbps MP3 to APE in some instances. There is a lot of
material on the Internet Archive in SHORTEN and FLAC.  Apple have their
own lossless codec. Linn offers 24 bit downloads.

	Don't panic.  Progress has not suddenly come to an end.  The
general public never did like Hi Fi.  They preferred Walkmans and before
that trannies.

	The people on this list who bemoan the loss of hi fidelity are,
in a number of cases,  themselves the ones who are trying to kill it
off.  They will not mention SACD without insisting that the format is
dead, which is absurd.
	And you will find that they play their SACDs and CDs on DVD
players connected to near field monitors and surround sound systems.

	I think it is surround sound that offers the real challenge to
good sound.
	A hopeful sign is the fact that manufacturers are increasingly
offering stereo only SACD players.  You can get a decent player for
$1000.  There is no great point in playing SACDs on cheap equipment.
However, since most SACDs are so-called "hybrids" and compatible with
ordinary CD players, it is worth buying them, if only for the DSD
mastering.  Hi Fi dealers and manufacturers of expensive CD players are
the ones who have conspired against SACD.

	Steve Abrams


	----- Original Message -----
	From: "Jim Lindner" <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
	To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
	Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 1:54 PM
	Subject: [ARSCLIST] The "dumbing down" of Downloaded Recordings


	> Is it just me who wonders about this? With the hundreds of
articles I 
	> have been reading on the changes in media distribution
(literally 
	> hundreds and is this a REALLY big surprise??) I have not read
one -  not 
	> one - that makes any mention of the fact that the quality of
the 
	> recordings being distributed by download are significantly
compressed  and 
	> poorer then those distributed on media. Of course it does not
have to be 
	> this way - there is no reason why .wav files could not be
being 
	> downloaded instead of AAC or MP3 - but no one seems to care -
at all.
	>
	> I figure that if anywhere - the members on this list should
care. I  don't 
	> get it - why aren't people complaining? Has our benchmark for
quality 
	> become Apple Ipod earbuds? Tell me it isn't so. While people
are spending 
	> untold thousands on Krell's and esoteric speakers what  we are
witnessing 
	> here is a recording media and quality implosion and  I for one
am 
	> concerned that getting a recording that is of the former
relatively high 
	> (ok we can debate that but this is not the real  point)
quality of 
	> recordings on CD will become an impossibility in  the not too
distant 
	> future. How come there aren't a bunch of  audiophiles - or
professionals - 
	> or both - speaking up and saying to  the downloading public
and to the 
	> distributors - hey wait a minute -  if I am paying the same
prices for 
	> downloading as I am for physical  media - the least you can do
is give me 
	> the same quality.
	>
	> All I hear is - silence. To me this is a HUGE threat - even
short  term - 
	> to what you are going to be able to listen to, and the quality
of what 
	> you will be able to listen to.
	>
	> So, members of ARSC - I ask you - to discuss this - and - OK I
will  say 
	> it - as an organization - take an actual position on this
subject  - let 
	> the world know that this is a BIG issue. That is right - I am
actually 
	> advocating for standing up and talking out loud - not to our
group but to 
	> the rest of the planet. If we are not going to take a  stand
on this - 
	> what will we take a stand on? Get some manufacturers  behind
you - you 
	> know the Krell and "monster cable" kind of folk that  have
lots of 
	> marketing smarts - because there really isn't any point  in
spending 
	> thousands of dollars on esoteric gear when the quality of  the
recordings 
	> will not let you hear it anyhow. They have allot to  lose
also. What we 
	> are talking about here is the dumbing down - the  AAC'ing of
all 
	> distributed music and I for one think this is an  issue. Does
anyone 
	> agree?
	>
	>
	>
	> Jim Lindner
	>
	> Email: jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
	>
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