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Originally posted by Dom

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Originally posted by DaveyLC

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Originally posted by Dom
If you mean, what's the point of using a digital media player on a tubed amp, then it's no different to using a CD/DVD player.

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CD audio isnt compressed.. It can be a like for like recording.. For example if you made a live recording you wont lose any clarity.

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You're right, CD isn't compressed however most recordings aren't 'like for like'. Infact most of the time you're not recording at 44k @ 16bit, you'd have your sampling rate set at 48/88.2/96KHz @ 24 or 32bit, so when it comes to downsampling for CD (44k/16) you tend loose data (or clarity as you put it) from what was originally recorded. However, taking onboard Nyquist's theory, recording at high sampling rates like 96KHz, which gives a maximum recording frequency of 48KHz (half of the SR - twice what a human can audible hear), you can also end up with a lot more overtones and harmonics creeping into recording come downsampling.

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Originally posted by DaveyLC
My point is how can you make an MP3 compressed track sound better?

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Technically, you can't, as they say 'you can't polish a turd'.
But then no one said that using a tube'd amp makes a compressed track sound better, it sounds different, as john said, it's then up to your whether auidbly it sounds better to using a digital amp.

Edit - Although the input source (mp3 stream for example) is constant you can add auible information back into the sound - ie: a lot of sound docks will EQ input source to add data back into the bottom and low ends. Also, due to design in the preamp and amp stages, different amps (be it tubed or IC/transistor) will change the sound in someway. So again, there isn't a technical better, it's whether audible sounds changes the amp does on the input source sounds 'better' to you.

I constantly have this conversation with the old man - him developing sound level meters where it's crucial that the data is as accurate as possible (both analog and digital realms), uses 99.9% flat response mics that have to be able to measure grass growing etc (thinks distortion is bollocks, whether it be that of a tube adding it or different cables used adding distortion) and me, sound engineer, who believes analog is great and added distortion (to the signal chain) is a bonus.

Anyways, way off topic

[Edited on 30-10-2009 by Dom]

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Originally posted by John
Yip people like the 'warmth' of the valve amps.

I'd rather have as close a representation to the original as possible.

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