Do you ever refer to Dynamic Range Database being buying c.d.'s?

Huck

Active Member
Hi:
I refer to the DRDB from time to time before purchasing c.d.'s and for the most part this database is pretty close to what my ears tell me when listening to some c.d.'s.
Generally if I think the c.d. sounds a little flat,usually this database confirms this.
Do you use this? Thanks,Huck
 
The database they have is not very organized it seems to me. It might be hard to find a particular press. I think it is easy to edit and there are mutiple listings of a single CD. Sometimes I do wish the dynamic range was listed on the media itself. That way you would kinda know what you were getting into. Some music I am sure is less affected (or is effected) by the loudness wars than others. I like to listen to mostly classic rock and progressive stuff, metal. What I listen to should not be much of a problem at least on paper, especially with loud stuff like Megadeth, Metallica, etc. But sometimes the record companies can overdo it a bit too much! I bought a 30th Anniversary Edition of Judas Priest Defenders of the Faith on CD. The record label compressed and took all the dynamics out of the music where everything was louder than everything else (gee I wonder who said that) and it sounds horrible. Had I known the dynamic range of that CD prior to purchasing it I would have never bought it in the first place. But in order to get a better reading for dynamics I think we would need the loudest and quietest part of each song to get a better understanding for that particular media. That would probably not be so practical to print on a record label however. I just wish there was some way for us to know the DR of any new media we are now buying. It should be listed in the details of the media somewhere.
 
I agree it could use some work,but for me,I refer to it if I want to buy a particular c.d. and if it's is listed at not at least in the green,I won't buy it.....simple as that.
I can agree(most of the time) with their ratings,but I have in the past had four c.d.'s from the same artist which were all listed in the green that sounded awful,with zero dynamics and sounded more like an eight track tape,but like I said before,I agree for the most part. Thanks,Huck
 
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I have never checked it before, but there are times I wish I had.

You would think in this age of downloads and Amazon burned CD's we could get a couple different versions of a recording, especially when they do box sets or remasters.

You could have your Brickwalled Box Set and your audiophile version Dynamic Box Set.

BTW, Moby is interviewed in this months Stereophile and he comments on the loss of dynamics in music, including his.
 
I agree with you, I just don't think that the DR should be the be all end all when it comes to buying CD's. I think if you are going to use DR as a strict guide line for your purchases you really need to base it off of dynamic music to start off with. The more dynamic the better. The Wall, I imagine must be a good starting point, it is pretty dynamic. The Wall (1985) {Columbia C2K 36183} Official DR value: DR13 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR13 (CD 2). The Wall (2011) (Experience Edition) {EMI 5099902944623} Official DR value: DR12 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 2), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 3). The Wall (1991) {MFSL-Columbia UDCD 2-537} Official DR value: DR13 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 2). These are all readings I took from different pressings of The Wall I own on CD. I ran them thru the DR app on foobar2000. The numbers are quite similar as far as DR is concerned. My first still sounds the most dynamic to me. I don't know. It is really hard to tell. The MoFi press is very nice but there is a very special place in my heart for that early press I have.
 
I agree with you, I just don't think that the DR should be the be all end all when it comes to buying CD's. I think if you are going to use DR as a strict guide line for your purchases you really need to base it off of dynamic music to start off with. The more dynamic the better. The Wall, I imagine must be a good starting point, it is pretty dynamic. The Wall (1985) {Columbia C2K 36183} Official DR value: DR13 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR13 (CD 2). The Wall (2011) (Experience Edition) {EMI 5099902944623} Official DR value: DR12 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 2), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 3). The Wall (1991) {MFSL-Columbia UDCD 2-537} Official DR value: DR13 (CD 1), Official DR value: DR12 (CD 2). These are all readings I took from different pressings of The Wall I own on CD. I ran them thru the DR app on foobar2000. The numbers are quite similar as far as DR is concerned. My first still sounds the most dynamic to me. I don't know. It is really hard to tell. The MoFi press is very nice but there is a very special place in my heart for that early press I have.
The dynamics in question is the natural uncompressed dynamic range of whatever is recorded, regardless of genre. Some production is dynamically compressed to make the playback level louder, or to put more content into the space, spoiling the element of dynamic contrast soft-to-loud.
 
Another alternative is to adjust the range with software. jRiver has a neat tool that does just that, analyzing each track of a rip and adjusting quite a few playback parameters automagically.

I've also got a dbx 3BX available to perform tweaks to my analog sources as needed.
 
Years ago I bought a box set of Little Feat albums. They were on special offer on Amazon. (I bet a lot of us secretly do this but never admit to doing it) I bought the Box set for one song. "Long Distance Love" Thinking this Box set would get me further into this music . Sadly personally speaking (For Me) It was a band with just one song. i'm a bit wobbly (Good Word) about "Dixie Chicken " it's just OK !! Bit Like Many tunes "would not care" if i never heard it again !! or rush to the radio to turn Them up.

Anyway this set of albums. The quality of the recording Made me wonder why Would you write a song go through all the motions of hiring a studio, learning it, getting musicians to earn there bucks playing on it. "But recorded it badly". There's no dynamic range The drummer could be hitting dictionaries and recipe books and biscuit lids for cymbals for all i know . it never gets of the ground for me it just plods along "yawn" Sadly over my 50 odd years of record buying, i have wasted so much money buying albums for one song. Totally forgetting about that song years later and picking up albums thinking " Why did i buy that. Again the quality... Dire (Have you been there)

I had a few albums like this but this is just one example For the op Yes if i know the dynamics were that bad i never have bought the set


There is one thing I often wondered about. Imagine there someone with a whole collection of badly recorded music. With a fantastic Hi Fi system. They come on forums like this asking how they can improve there sound and saying This gear cost me a packet but still not satisfied

To tell them it's not the Hi fi it's your record collection.. very difficult


Sorry i've rambled on
 
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