Amazing. What'll they think of next?

Second word of my post: "Most". Not all. Kinda like "most people fall while learning to ride clipless"

If you think your experience is typical of most audiophiles, I beg to differ. Besides, car audio != audiophile. That's things that go "boom boom"

Do they still make those green lens pens that are supposed to improve the sound from CDs? Or those ridiculous stones that you were supposed to put on top of your CD player that also improved the sound?

Ironically, I remember having a lengthy debate over dinner with Jonathan Scull, the editor of Stereophile, who insisted that these things made a difference, and yet was unable to accept the fact that the best music comes from single ended triode amps, high distortion and all - solid state is sterile, in comparison. Go figure.

V.

Is that like a computer that can fit in a single room? Pfft, I've already got one of those.

There's a cream for that, you know.

...

Thoughts are actually discouraged.

Scarier still, what will you think of next?

I'll come up with something. You'll rue the chicken! Or something.

I buy plentyof CDs. First thing I do when they arrive is rip them. I've always been a huge music fan, but with the ease of interface, and volume I can carry on a portable I listen to way more music and a much wider diversity than I ever did.

CDs are dead to me now.

Exactly - long live vinyl!

It's an image of a product that was delivered on time.

facepalm.

And the inherent limitations in the medium.

Haven't listened to any other than your dad's old, raggedy 'table with a thumbtack for a stylus?

Limitations that you have yet to experience!

Eh, we can go on all day - me telling you what's what because I've experienced it and you telling me what's what because you're read about it. Why don't we just leave it at this - next time you're in NYC, stop on by - I'll buy you a few rounds to wash down that crow

You're making lots of unfounded and, as it happens, incorrect assumptions.

I understand that some people find noise, distortion, compression, unpredictable frequency response and other media induced artifacts pleasing, but don't pretend it's in any way an accurate representation of the music.

Halfspeed, no offense, but you don't know what you're talking about.

Just sayin'.

I don't think he is off at all with his last statement. It's no different than the people that think the old blank and white movies were better just because they are nostalgic. What they long for has nothing to do with the quality of the music. The rice crispies that some people love with vinyl isn't present when listening to someone sing live. The people I have heard talk about it don't love it because it sounds better, they love it because it brings back memories.

Ten years with my head in pro audio equipment says otherwise.

What is it, and how far in advance was it announced?

Well do you think that snap, crackle and pop is inherent in the vinyl? Have you never listened to a vinyl recording that wasn't damaged by wear or abuse? Because they do exist, you know, plenty of them. Just checking.

It's simply a matter of different strokes for different folks. Some prefer CDs, some prefer vinyl. Each has admirable qualities and each has drawbacks. To say one is better than the other is simply to express your opinion, nothing more. Doesn't make it so. To think it's fact is simply to be misinformed.

One key for me is to make sure never to have audio components of high enough quality to be able to tell any differences in the source media

In my TSX, I just drive with the windows down to noise it up.

Both those should work.

So, the "audiophile" is the one that has tweeters with a frequency response up to 70 kHz? (note: humans can holy hear up to 20 kHz, if that)

The digital versus analog debate is pretty tired. Which one sounds better? The better questions is: What kind of sound are you looking for? CDs have lower noise and a much higher dynamic range. On the other hand, vinyl does have a certain "patina." Different strokes......

BlueGene/L at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. For much of the second half of the last decade it was the fastest computer in the world by a large margin. There were articles mentioning its ship date more than a year in advance. The next generation has also been announced far in advance. Of course, multimillion dollar contracts with deadlines and penalties can make it easier to ship on time.