How do you tell?
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beatcomber
AK Member
Hang out at the Steve Hoffman Forum...
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/
That's the best source for CD/LP reviews from an audiophile's perspective. Those guys will let you know which version of an album to get.
http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/
That's the best source for CD/LP reviews from an audiophile's perspective. Those guys will let you know which version of an album to get.
KeninDC
Hazy Cosmic Jive
One can also use the CD label inserts as a guide and the CD label itself.
Also, there are markings on the inner "deadwax" of the CD. For example, look for early Reprise CDs of Jimi Hendrix that do not have "RE" inscribed there. "RE" means remaster and, in this case, added noise reduction processing that deadens the sound.
Also, there are markings on the inner "deadwax" of the CD. For example, look for early Reprise CDs of Jimi Hendrix that do not have "RE" inscribed there. "RE" means remaster and, in this case, added noise reduction processing that deadens the sound.
petehall347
the brandy coffee man
put it in pc drive open the disc folder right click on a track then click properties all should be revealed ...it just worked for me ..
Art K.
The Voodoo You Do!
Listen to it.
Or look online for reviews from folks you trust or will come to trust after reading them for a while. Steve Hoffman is one forum with a lot of info on recordings and performances and there are many more.
bowtie427ss
Lunatic Member
I could applaud this until my hands bleed.:yes:
whoaru99
Epic Member
Yeah, I think this is best. There is no way to tell the quality of the recording/material or the CD mfg. process by merely looking at the disc without reference to something else. Visual inspection might reveal some gross mfg. error or mishandling damage but not much else I think.
05SRTguy
Active Member
The problem with "Listen to it" as an answer to my question is that I don't have the money to just go and buy random CD's and hope that they are good recordings or if I'll even like the music. There must be another way to tell.
whoaru99
Epic Member
Well, then you're pretty much relegated to this:
In terms of liking the music but not necessarily indicative of quality is a feature such as Amazon's "Listen to Samples" for their music selections. There must be other sites that have such a thing.
In terms of liking the music but not necessarily indicative of quality is a feature such as Amazon's "Listen to Samples" for their music selections. There must be other sites that have such a thing.
petehall347
the brandy coffee man
can you not just download at least a sample if its something you have to pay for the whole album ?
bowtie427ss
Lunatic Member
Understood.
I can relate to your budget constraints.
Others have posted some good alternatives.
In my own experiences, very few of what i consider to be great recordings came by the way of referral. They're mostly my own discoveries. and to me, they're one of the rewards of the hobby, and therefor, are priceless.
wizargoz
Super Member
Although that's a thought for maybe having a specific forum for that. I know there is a Music forum, so maybe that's the place to go. But AK member's listening experiences- especially for CD's- would be invaluable.
hifitommy
Super Member
more IMPORTANTLY, the music and performance should be of the highest caliber and THEN the recording quality.
mannheim steamroller is beautifully recorded music of little interest. sorry, thats the way i see it.
better would be say...bill evans recorded on cassette from the audience. sometimes we luck out and we get something like zubin mehta/LAphil/holst's the planets where the musicians are all first rate, the conductor is impeccable, and the recording is exquisite, or tsuyoshyi yamamoto performing the album-midnight sugar.
theres just no one place to read about these things and opinions vary widely. if a reviewer you trust gives a disc thumbs up, they youre likely to get what you need.
a discussion forum like this one in the music forum or at steve hoffman's site, or the asylum can lead you to the right path.
keep reading around. also, listen to some internet radio like kkjz.org, kcsm.org, kcrw.org (the eclectic 24 option is a great one). or one of the many great classical stations online. you can educate yourself while you hammer on the keyboard.
mannheim steamroller is beautifully recorded music of little interest. sorry, thats the way i see it.
better would be say...bill evans recorded on cassette from the audience. sometimes we luck out and we get something like zubin mehta/LAphil/holst's the planets where the musicians are all first rate, the conductor is impeccable, and the recording is exquisite, or tsuyoshyi yamamoto performing the album-midnight sugar.
theres just no one place to read about these things and opinions vary widely. if a reviewer you trust gives a disc thumbs up, they youre likely to get what you need.
a discussion forum like this one in the music forum or at steve hoffman's site, or the asylum can lead you to the right path.
keep reading around. also, listen to some internet radio like kkjz.org, kcsm.org, kcrw.org (the eclectic 24 option is a great one). or one of the many great classical stations online. you can educate yourself while you hammer on the keyboard.
It's really kind of a moot point.
If you're talking about the music or the way it's put on the disc, you really don't have too much choice here.
I've never seen two simultaneous releases of the same music, one well done and one poorly done. It's a catch as catch can scenario. If you want the music you take it as it's offered.
Now,it may come to pass that at some time, someone might get hold of the masters and remix them and re-release them but you can bet your bippy that that will me announced with bravado and glorious promises of a sonic epiphany. Whether it meets those expectations is another story.
Me, I'm kinds screwed in that my passion is for roots rock, rockabilly and early western music, none of which never saw Doug Sax or Steve Hoffman.
In fact, I doubt they even saw more than one mic or more than a one-track tape machine.
I remember seeing one thread somewhere, maybe even here, about someone biitching that some old C&W recordings weren't done to modern hi-fi standards.
I'd liked to have fallen on the floor laughing my arse off at that one.
But, if you want well-recorded music, try anything by Mapleshade. If you want music you might enjoy listening to, try almost anything else.
If you're talking about the music or the way it's put on the disc, you really don't have too much choice here.
I've never seen two simultaneous releases of the same music, one well done and one poorly done. It's a catch as catch can scenario. If you want the music you take it as it's offered.
Now,it may come to pass that at some time, someone might get hold of the masters and remix them and re-release them but you can bet your bippy that that will me announced with bravado and glorious promises of a sonic epiphany. Whether it meets those expectations is another story.
Me, I'm kinds screwed in that my passion is for roots rock, rockabilly and early western music, none of which never saw Doug Sax or Steve Hoffman.
In fact, I doubt they even saw more than one mic or more than a one-track tape machine.
I remember seeing one thread somewhere, maybe even here, about someone biitching that some old C&W recordings weren't done to modern hi-fi standards.
I'd liked to have fallen on the floor laughing my arse off at that one.
But, if you want well-recorded music, try anything by Mapleshade. If you want music you might enjoy listening to, try almost anything else.
hifitommy
Super Member
the trouble with mapleshade is that them music isnt always predictable in that the artists are mostly obscure.
if there was a way to preview the music adequately, perhaps we might find smoe gems there.
in actuality, these days, most recordings are pretty good. i can usually put on music from any disc i pick up and whether or not i like it, i can say it sounds good sonically. of course there are exceptions as with any rule, but the great majority of discs i put on sound at least good.
this is why its best to start with good music and performance. then at least there will be SOME enoyment.
if there was a way to preview the music adequately, perhaps we might find smoe gems there.
in actuality, these days, most recordings are pretty good. i can usually put on music from any disc i pick up and whether or not i like it, i can say it sounds good sonically. of course there are exceptions as with any rule, but the great majority of discs i put on sound at least good.
this is why its best to start with good music and performance. then at least there will be SOME enoyment.
I agre but my point was that while the music might not be to ones liking, the recordings are first rate. If recording quality is of utmost importance then these are the way to go.
Me? I buy for the music and hope the recording is at least adequate.
Of course, if a Mo-Fi or DCC version exists, well, all the better.
hifitommy
Super Member
"If recording quality is of utmost importance"
well not for me. its all about the music FIRST. its like i said about the steamroller series, theres nothing there that interests me. oh, its pleasant but not stimulating.
mofi and dcc are certainly nice happenstances but they have to be sensibly priced. i have picked some up that were as such but the new pricing from dealers is oppressive. i would have to feel that the only way for me to get a certain piece in good shape was to buy the mofi or dcc or acoustic sounds.
this isnt to denigrate the efforts of those companies, its just the the prices are generally out of my comfort zone.
certain items will just have to exist without my ownership of them.
well not for me. its all about the music FIRST. its like i said about the steamroller series, theres nothing there that interests me. oh, its pleasant but not stimulating.
mofi and dcc are certainly nice happenstances but they have to be sensibly priced. i have picked some up that were as such but the new pricing from dealers is oppressive. i would have to feel that the only way for me to get a certain piece in good shape was to buy the mofi or dcc or acoustic sounds.
this isnt to denigrate the efforts of those companies, its just the the prices are generally out of my comfort zone.
certain items will just have to exist without my ownership of them.
True
Maybe I an just lucky or that my tastes are out there but, when buying more modern recordings, I can't recall getting too big of a dog that I felt like complaining about it.
But, ifOP wer emore fortbcoming on what his tastes were, perhaps some accomodations could be reached. Your Metha recording is a great example. ther eare some great, and not so great, versions of many classical pieces. enough that a whole separate thread could be spawned in that other forum on them.
Maybe I an just lucky or that my tastes are out there but, when buying more modern recordings, I can't recall getting too big of a dog that I felt like complaining about it.
But, ifOP wer emore fortbcoming on what his tastes were, perhaps some accomodations could be reached. Your Metha recording is a great example. ther eare some great, and not so great, versions of many classical pieces. enough that a whole separate thread could be spawned in that other forum on them.
