More thoughts...

I've never played the ”Which is better, CDs or Vinyl?“ game... neither is better than the other; they're just different.

To some, vinyl's “warmth” is simply “muddy” when compared to CDs. But then, those with really good ears can hear (well sense, actually) the sampling rate artifacts on CDs.

Vinyl, tape and radio broadcasts are all severely compressed... i.e., the soft sounds are made louder, and the really loud sounds made softer to even out the overall volume (or else the needle would be thrown out of the record groove).

CDs don't use as much compression; you can hear the “ping” of a triangle at its proper relative volume at the same instant as a trumpet blast or timpani boom. Impossible to do with anything other than first generation analog reproduction.

And yes, record clicks and tape hiss can be masked by the music, but that happens mostly with wall-to-wall rock. Classical and jazz, where moments of silence can be as much a part of the music as sound... not so much.

And I really like the random and skip features made possible by digital media.

MP3s suck compared to CDs... but... for those of you with Apple brand products (iTunes, iPods, iPhones, etc.) — have you tried burning your CDs into iTunes or downloading music in the proprietary Apple AICC format? It's a so-called ”lossless“ process, and sounds much better than MP3s.

Unfortunately, AICCs will not play on non-Apple MP3 players, but AICC files can be downgraded to MP3s for those living in a dual-format world.

Gotta go turn my amp up to “eleven” now...

Man, where's an administrator when you need a hijack reined in?

LOL

With digital I use a headphone amp- I have a Headroom Airhead which uses a circuit that crosses right and left channels with a tiny delay a bit to better replicate hearing in the real world. The results are excellent as you get much less listening fatigue. Plus the soudstage is amazing with good headphones- with non-rock you hear things on recordings you never heard before. Works well with computers also. I paid hundreds when it came out- 99 bucks now. DOH! Though as usual you can pay as much as you want for high fidelity.



Headroom

Most high-end car audio systems not only include analogue AM-FM radios and digital CD players, most new ones also have some means of connecting iPods, MP3 players and the like. Many now also include digital HD radios, which — when the station engineers are paying attention — can generate sound quality that is noticeably different and generally better than old-fashioned analogue radio.

In any case, the second best speaker baffle is a big ol' car trunk. The best speaker system evar was a 12˝ mono speaker mounted in the metal dashboard of a '56 or '57 Chevy with a tube radio.

Today's high-end systems include center-channel and true rear-channel speakers (not just “rear speakers). Center-channel and rear channel speakers work best when fed by a properly mixed (or re-mixed) digital source.

See — it all ties in.

Yes. its tough to monkey with a premium factory system. I wouldn't touch my wife's Saab with premium Harmon Kardon system. Truly a joy to listen to on trips. But my work vehicle is an old Jeep Cherokee (figures right?) I upgraded nicely through Crutchfield tech advice. Fit a nice Alpine unit with the matching Alpine speakers. They sell the mounting adjustments to make everything fit your vehicle. Very happy with the results. Mo problem installing.

Since you can't really hear a system in your car until after it's installed IMO the best bet is to use a good tech advisory and also use the manufacturers mated speaker options for the unit.

Timely article in today's New York times:

In Mobile Age, Sound Quality Steps Back.

Interesting article.

I have all my music saved as Apple Lossless files. My library is bigger than my iPod, but I have found that the increased sound quality is worth it.

I replaced my factory car stereo with a head unit from Crutchfield, a JVC something or other. It has a USB jack on the front that syncs with my iPod. I haven't played a CD in the car in years.

I don't notice the increased quality as much in the car, although it sounds a lot better than the radio. I do notice a big difference at home though. I have an Apple Airport Express hooked up to my stereo, it streams from the computer over my wireless network, and I can even use my iPod Touch as a remote. It all works really well.

But sometimes I just enjoy the process of playing a record.

I have the ELS 5.1 system in my Acura and it sounds pretty darn good when I play DVD-Audio. The Beatles "Love"DVD-A is outstanding.

Probably the best OEM I've heard is the Marc Levinson in the Lexus LS.