Do you use the best source material?

sentinel

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You buy an expensive hifi or HT system. But do you use a hifi source material.

I use mp3. I dont buy Audio CDs often. 80% of the times i use TataSky audio signal which is of inferior quality considering the hifi standards. The multichannel source ie DVDs also have inferior quality compared to CDs or even VCDs.

The chain is as strong as the weakest link. If the weakest link is the source itself then whats the point using hifi?

So do you use the best hifi source material for most of the times.
 
not all the time its not practically possible. But yes sometimes dvd-a, sacd's of the classics i can find. Flac files of some songs if i can find.
 
I dont use mp3, internet radio (well sometimes in office, with headphones) etc. mainly flacs or audio cds. cant help dts ac3 etc in dvds. dont have sacd or dvda player or media.
 
  • Using original audio CDs and FLACs most of the time (~98%).
  • Have a few DTS CDs, which I own in redbook CD format as well and listen to the DTS versions sometimes only as a novelty.
  • Trying to get hold of some SACDs.
  • Used to listen to mp3s earlier, but no more ....
 
Well I use CDs70% to other.
My DVDp is still basic.I play CDs on DVDp to AVR OR from PC to AVR with D2X.
 
CD's, FLAC and WAV files for the most part. I also use MP3s extensively for old Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey and Tamil songs that I am not able to get a hold of in lossless format.
 
I also stick to original Cds most of the time(95%). Very rarely play Mp3. But after the Audio source shootout i am sticking completely to Audio cds.


Just wish i could source some good SACD's and DVD-A's
 
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I use only analog when i'm critical listening mood with brand new LPs.. For other times its flac/wav ripped using eac. For stuff i can not get my hands on in uncompressed form, its 320k mp3. Nothing below that!
 
I listen to mp3s on my ipod only when i'm travelling. on my system, its stictly CDs and vinyl...DVDs...hmmm...mostly the roadside variety to be honest...

RoC...where do u get ur 'brand new' LPs from?
 
I also use MP3s extensively for old Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey and Tamil songs that I am not able to get a hold of in lossless format.

Try "www.hamaracd.com".
You can get practically any old song that you can think of on CD. I have a huge bunch of Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Lata & Asha on CD, all from that site.
Regarding Tamil songs, I'm sure you'll get those too since the site has a big collection of regional songs as well. I managed to get hold of a big bunch of Bengali songs of the 50s/60s/70s variety.
 
Try "www.hamaracd.com".
You can get practically any old song that you can think of on CD. I have a huge bunch of Kishore, Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Lata & Asha on CD, all from that site.
Regarding Tamil songs, I'm sure you'll get those too since the site has a big collection of regional songs as well. I managed to get hold of a big bunch of Bengali songs of the 50s/60s/70s variety.

Ranojoy, pardon my ignorance, but to Audio Cds really make a difference for the old Hindi songs? I myself am a big fan of Kishore da, but I always keep from purchasing cds of his songs, because even on the ones I have, because of the poor quality, there is no big difference, between the audio cd, mp3(yes, our music labels have his songs as mp3 cd) and tape!
 
MP3 = Car, I Pod, occasional party music on the game rig/computer sound system.

Audio cd = hifi. Will add Lp playback soon.
 
I also stick to original Cds most of the time(95%). Very rarely play Mp3. But after the Audio source shootout i am sticking completely to Audio cds.


Just wish i could source some good SACD's and DVD-A's

hi sushanthace,

As far as i know, DVD-A plays only in 5.1 format, and if you want to play in stereo mode, you connect only those two speakers.

in effect, the music is encoded in 5.1 on a dvd-a, and if you are using only two channels, parts of the music will be missing.

regards
 
Ranojoy, pardon my ignorance, but to Audio Cds really make a difference for the old Hindi songs?

correct. dont think there would be any audible difference.
but bear in mind that i got these cds 10 years back, when the mp3s of these songs were not so widely available - the only source was hamaracd.com. availability of the old bengali songs in mp3 was even more of a problem. so i tapped the only source available to me at that time. if i needed these songs today, probably i would stick to mp3 as well.

I myself am a big fan of Kishore da, but I always keep from purchasing cds of his songs, because even on the ones I have, because of the poor quality, there is no big difference, between the audio cd, mp3(yes, our music labels have his songs as mp3 cd) and tape!

instead of buying pre-pressed CDs, you can get customised CDs from hamaracd, i.e. at least you get to choose your own songs.

notwithstanding all of the above, FIRST CHOICE would obviously be mp3 for the really old songs.
 
correct. dont think there would be any audible difference.
but bear in mind that i got these cds 10 years back, when the mp3s of these songs were not so widely available - the only source was hamaracd.com. availability of the old bengali songs in mp3 was even more of a problem. so i tapped the only source available to me at that time. if i needed these songs today, probably i would stick to mp3 as well.



instead of buying pre-pressed CDs, you can get customised CDs from hamaracd, i.e. at least you get to choose your own songs.

notwithstanding all of the above, FIRST CHOICE would obviously be mp3 for the really old songs.

Thank you for clearing that Ranojoy! Those are my thoughts also, but wanted to know if I was doing something wrong. Or whether there are better quality recordings to be obtained. But the custom cd option of hamara cd is quite cool. thanks for the info!
 
hi sushanthace,

As far as i know, DVD-A plays only in 5.1 format, and if you want to play in stereo mode, you connect only those two speakers.

in effect, the music is encoded in 5.1 on a dvd-a, and if you are using only two channels, parts of the music will be missing.

regards

I was actually trying to get DVD-A when i had the HT3100 ,well it is of no use now since i have only a 2 channel setup. But the 5.1 will soon be in my list...

Cheers
S
 
I actually have multiple systems.

In my HT, I have a Oppo 983 in which I use only original DVDs or Audio CDs. I also have a Pioneer 696 that is connected, and I use rented and other DVDs DVDs on that. I never use MP3, though I have played around with that for some time.

I also have a second unit with a 29inch CRT and a Pioneer 585 Player. I play all types of media on that. If I find the DVD very bad after a few minutes, I just remove it, break it, and throw it away. believe me when I tell you that I have done that to some Moser Baer DVDs also.

My Worldspace is connected to an old Sony 3-in-1, in which also I play only original Audio CDs. Actually in the area of audio it is always the original for me. I do play around with DVDs just to see how a movie is. If I like it, I go out buy the original and throw away the other copy.

In the car, it is either the radio, or original CDs. I did try using an iPOD for some time, but grew tired of it. I found the connectivity methodology to be primitive. When I buy a new car or a new HU, I might play around with a USB slot and see if I can play FLAC files. As I mentioned elsewhere, all my CDs are being ripped to FLAC, and by next year, I will be using an advanced HTPC as my single source.

Vortex, for Hindi Songs, I either go out and buy the CDs or log on to HamaraCD to get the songs I want cut. That is quite decent. For Tamil, again, I just buy the CDs of new releases I like. In addition I get this shop nearby to make CDs for me based on a list I give him every month. His recording is quite good.

Cheers
 
Thank you for clearing that Ranojoy! Those are my thoughts also, but wanted to know if I was doing something wrong. Or whether there are better quality recordings to be obtained. But the custom cd option of hamara cd is quite cool. thanks for the info!

Sometimes there is a remastered format released which might be worth buying. But these are too few and too far between to make much of a difference anyhow.
 
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