What is your ideal audio format and why?

My favorite was 4 channel audio on 1/2 tape at 15 ips with Ampex AME equalization. Then I upgraded to DBX professional noise reduction. But then the remote business went away. So all the professional Ampex went the way of all dinosaurs. I still have one of the 1/4" machines as a remembrance. The tapes were mixed down to 2 channel and Dubbed to CD. My next Favorite was Sheffield and Original Masters LP's with a couple of Telarcs and direct to discs thrown in. But right now I would say its Movie sound tracks on DVD blu-ray. Some of them are just beyond reproach. Some of those Hollywood guys have great ears and really know their art. They are also not afraid to go their own direction , and not get in the POP music rut.

My only complaint is the place the vocals on the center channel instead of following the action on the screen for consumer discs. I mean if an actor is on the left extreme side of the screen the his spoken word should come from the left speaker and not the center.

Personally I think this new Atmos is another gimmick.
 
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I didn't answer why. With Maxell UD tape you could capture 80 db dynamic range in the early 70's. CD's wouldn't be available for another 10 years. Plus I got to make recordings of professional groups with a quality that would be out of reach for the consumer for another generation or so. With professional DBX the dynamic range was close to 100 db and the distortion could be reduced to less than 1 %. You could use solid state or tube mics to get the sound you wanted with either tube or SS mixers. It was a great time. LPs produced in limited numbers for limtited distribution could easily match anything on the market until Sheffield came along. As for why Sheffield, great dynamic range, no compression or limiting with only choosing the correct mic as an artistic variable. As for blu-ray DVD the recording professionals are more interested in capturing sound of an acoustic space faithfully and not making it a false studio sound. They can do that, too, when called upon. But they can present a live be there personal experience that makes you feel you are actually there if they choose. Naturally presented acoustic of spaces indoors or out, some thing pop studio producers have forgotten about.
 
Streaming. There is so much variety and I've been introduced to a TON of new artist. The convenience, ease of use, portability, consistency and the sound is pretty decent. If I like a certain song in the house and have to go I can just pause it and listen to it in the car. Also being able to hear a tune I like in a particular place I can hit "listen" on my phone and it'll tell me. Already I've racked up close to 800 song of various genre.
Pretty awesome.
 
How are you ripping to WMA lossless? My car will play WMA lossless but not FLAC, but I have a huge library of CDs ripped to FLAC (which works well everywhere else)

You can convert FLAC to WMA using FREAC (free audio converter).
 
Thanks, I'll check it out. Havent looked for a converter in years, I've been using Foobar2000 to resample to mp3 for car use.
 
Lossless vinyl to me would mean vinyl ripped to 16/44.1. This is how I rip all vinyl and since 16/44.1 is usually considered lossless I see no real contradiction in terms.
Edit: Oh I get it! Too early in the morning and the coffee has not kicked in yet
 
How are you ripping to WMA lossless? My car will play WMA lossless but not FLAC, but I have a huge library of CDs ripped to FLAC (which works well everywhere else)

for the car I used Window Media Player 12.0.. maybe not the greatest but seems to have done a decent job.wma options.png
 
Lossless vinyl to me would mean vinyl ripped to 16/44.1. This is how I rip all vinyl and since 16/44.1 is usually considered lossless I see no real contradiction in terms.
Edit: Oh I get it! Too early in the morning and the coffee has not kicked in yet
Vinyl is lossless if you don't count generation loss as loss.
 
I like CD, think I always will. Streaming is a-ok too, but I do like "playing an album".
 
I like streaming from my iPhone but I currently use BT or the headphone jack and the sound quality suffers. I need to figure out how to improve the sound quality.
 
What is your ideal audio format and why?

1st. M- LPs... 'feeling' - warm, analogue! :) ... ' F e e l i n g '.

2nd. CDs 'sound' ok... much less 'feeling' - cold / stark, digital. Kind of boring but 'very accurate'. Don't get me wrong... CDs sound ok, we all got a ton of them.

 
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Hello everyone! I don't post here too often. CDs on my main system and since I'm a ham radio guy I need to have some RF so FM radio too.
 
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