Ok Computer in FLAC (96Khz, 24bit)
It's no secret that Radiohead is my favourite band. Ok Computer, their masterpiece from 1997, arguably one of the best rock albums of the nineties, is high on my list of favourite albums of all time. I've owned the CD for years, and it gets played often on my computer in lossless format. I recently downloaded a rip of the vinyl version, encoded in a much higher sample and bit rat than what CDs allow.
I haven't had a chance to listen to whole thing in one sitting, but from what I've listened to so far, it is so much more concise, clear and NOT squashed compared to the CD version (especially in the higher end). Most people would argue that you can't hear the difference between mp3 and CD, let alone the difference between CD and vinyl (other than hiss). I can hear the difference on my substandard headphones and speakers, but I guess I know what to listen for. If someone had a top notch hifi, they would definitely be able to hear the difference between the two. You notice the biggest difference in the busier parts, where the extra headroom allows the music more room to breathe.
Because of the higher sample rate, you get a much more realistic representation of the higher end of the spectrum. At 44.1Khz, the highest frequency we can hear (~20Khz) is only being sampled just over two times, which in the digital world pretty much equates to a square wave. At 96Khz, the same frequency is being sampled almost 5 times, giving a much better representation of how it is actually supposed to sound. It isn't analogue, but its definitely better for those tingly parts in music that can sometimes make you cringe when listening to a CD.
If only audio formats like DVD-A and SACD were more affordable and widely available/used. Unfortunately the market seems to be going towards convenience, portability and inferior formats like mp3, and even worse, DRM riddled formats like wma and aac. Buying music online has never been easier, but the "major" sellers don't even offer lossless formats. We are the people who embraced the internet long before you could buy music on it, yet they cater to the general idiotic masses!
I haven't had a chance to listen to whole thing in one sitting, but from what I've listened to so far, it is so much more concise, clear and NOT squashed compared to the CD version (especially in the higher end). Most people would argue that you can't hear the difference between mp3 and CD, let alone the difference between CD and vinyl (other than hiss). I can hear the difference on my substandard headphones and speakers, but I guess I know what to listen for. If someone had a top notch hifi, they would definitely be able to hear the difference between the two. You notice the biggest difference in the busier parts, where the extra headroom allows the music more room to breathe.
Because of the higher sample rate, you get a much more realistic representation of the higher end of the spectrum. At 44.1Khz, the highest frequency we can hear (~20Khz) is only being sampled just over two times, which in the digital world pretty much equates to a square wave. At 96Khz, the same frequency is being sampled almost 5 times, giving a much better representation of how it is actually supposed to sound. It isn't analogue, but its definitely better for those tingly parts in music that can sometimes make you cringe when listening to a CD.
If only audio formats like DVD-A and SACD were more affordable and widely available/used. Unfortunately the market seems to be going towards convenience, portability and inferior formats like mp3, and even worse, DRM riddled formats like wma and aac. Buying music online has never been easier, but the "major" sellers don't even offer lossless formats. We are the people who embraced the internet long before you could buy music on it, yet they cater to the general idiotic masses!
Labels: drm, lossless, music, opensource
posted by Simon Hartcher at
11:29 PM
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