Preferred FORMAT???

[FreakAnimalFinland]

I find it very odd how a lot of people have this notion that a computer is good enough for recording, editing, mastering and CD-authoring music/noise, but somehow mysteriously not good enough for listening to it.

Speakers is not the only issue.

I have never used computer that has good pure & clean sound. Every computer I have used, has flaws of sound when you just use the mini-jack output. Be it my old PC's, lap-tops or various qualities and nowadays iMac. I know all you need is proper soundcard. But as it is, if I burn audio on CD and play it on stereos, sound is much better than play file.

I would think this is pretty much judged by reality - not by ideal case. You know, one could say the ideally they consume lossless files  of best quality. They end up consuming atrocious quality music at youtube. It's like saying there's great XXX out there, but always eventually be browsing 2 minute clips of worst pixelated XXX.  To listen proper releases on proper stereosystem is quite easy way of simply not allowing the possibility.

Just yesterday, I decided to give a try to latest Immolation album. Friend has said drum sound is so awful, you can't even listen the album. So instead of LP, which I have still sealed, I went to youtube to listen it. After realizing it has quite horrid drum sound, but that I had no problems listening to material, I was already at 2nd song. Then just decided to push stop. Not because it would be absolutely unlistenable, but close. Glitches, stream abruptly stopping, etc etc. If I had simply put the LP on stereos, atmosphere would have been very different. Excuse, possibility, easiness... lured, yet managed to get away before atmosphere of album would be ruined totally.

[Zeno Marx]

I find it very odd how a lot of people have this notion that a computer is good enough for recording, editing, mastering and CD-authoring music/noise, but somehow mysteriously not good enough for listening to it.

Speakers is not the only issue.

I have never used computer that has good pure & clean sound. Every computer I have used, has flaws of sound when you just use the mini-jack output. Be it my old PC's, lap-tops or various qualities and nowadays iMac. I know all you need is proper soundcard. But as it is, if I burn audio on CD and play it on stereos, sound is much better than play file.

This is a key factor when using a computer as a stereo component.  From what I'm reading, there is a lot of background noise (crosstalk) on a computer, and stock soundcards aren't intended to give good sound.  My previous computer was terrible with background noises.  At a decent volume, you could hear all kinds of audible garbage that was reminiscent of phone modem squiggles.  I've read more than once that if you want to use your computer as a true stereo component, you wouldn't have any other software on the computer but your player.  It would be stripped of everything else but an OS and a media player.  Most people aren't going to do this for various reasons, but since we're having the conversation, there it is.  And a soundcard designed for high-fidelity and a DAC of some sorts.  That's quite a leap considering a lot of people don't even have audio-grade speakers.

[FreakAnimalFinland]

Yep. I'm fully aware of those "squiggles", and despite somewhat destroyed ears, this disturbs me as listener of recording.

I can adjust to it when editing noise/music on software, as I know it won't be there when final music is ready and stuff is burned on master CDR. But it disturbs me that it IS there until material is out from computer.
For this reason, better speakers won't help in computer listening - it may even damage severely. My current speakers has so detailed and crisp high frequencies, "regular quality" mp3 is pretty much impossible to listen to. While muddy low quality speakers may cloud the shittyness, high fidelity speakers exposes all the flaws.

While some people always conclude that it's just noise what sounds rough and crappy anyways, I tend to strongly disagree and expect highest possible audio quality from noise. If format is able to correct flaws of musical material, it's benefits of it, yet if it increases the flaws, it fails.

Good example is Genocide Organ's latest album. LP sounds about 10 times better than CD. Yes, it is very rough DMM cut. Yes, it adds this layer of distortion on top of just about everything. But just compare CD and LP. Songs like Tamil Eelam or such... What a drastic difference of LP and CD ! While one could complain that LP suffers from lack of fidelity due DMM cut, in this case it basically gives the touch for kind of overly digital multi-effect glitch sound, transforms it to something nasty and warm. Like loudly dubbed tape where format adds little dose of sonic magic in purely mechanical/magnetic/physical process.  I would feel kind of sorry for those who'd settle for download, as they'll miss a lot.   In same way, in some cases, those who stubbornly worship fidelity of LP in cases where CD is without doubt more suitable, appear as music haters. They worship format, they don't worship the sound/music. So I could merely repeat my previous conclusion: I prefer format what compliments each sound piece. On every level: Sound/presentation/general atmosphere.

[ConcreteMascara]

I use this sound card for my PC which is hooked up directly to my stereo system and I don't get any of those sound artifacts anymore. I still generally just use my CD/record player/cassette deck which are hooked to the stereo too, but if I'm using my PC for audio playback it's pretty damn good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829271004

[dmkerr]

While muddy low quality speakers may cloud the shittyness, high fidelity speakers exposes all the flaws.

Indeed.  The more faithful the speakers, the more faithfully they'll expose whatever is upstream.

[BARRIKAD]

10" vinyls - legend!

[Urashima]

Totally vinyl!

[tiny_tove]

7" vinyl!!!

[Leatherface]

cd for me... can take it and listen where i want (at home, in my car,...) in a compact format and a great sound.

[superskum2013]

all format are an interest

second that , perhaps not so much for mp3 as there's just an overkill of stuff out there but as far as physical releases go i'm interested in all , especially the ones i can play (so no Minidisc (hope to change that soon btw.),8tracks or Wax-Cylinders etc...)

[anomalie]

CD's

[Cementimental]

I've read more than once that if you want to use your computer as a true stereo component, you wouldn't have any other software on the computer but your player.  It would be stripped of everything else but an OS and a media player.

Sounds a bit like an audiophile-scene magical-thinking urban myth to me. A PC with a decent mid to high end audio interface is good enough for MAKING half the music around today but not for listening to it? Riiight. It's true you can't necessarily expect it to be perfect right out of the box with whatever default cheap sound card tho I agree.

[Baglady]

Which format I prefer depends on the actual feel of the release as a whole; the sound, the artwork and sometimes even the background. I wouldn't want the Americanoise comp on vinyl for example, be it 120g or 300g vinyl. It's just fine on tape or the modest but nice 2CD reissue. At the same time I wouldn't have wanted the recently released Ákos Rózmann box set on vinyl instead of CD. It would have been way too annoying listening through it. I like vinyl, given the length and feel of the material fits its limitations; long tracks split between two or more sides is no fun.

[Urban Noise]

I personally like all formats and don't go for that "only vinyl" or "only CD" kind of thing, I just buy whatever happens to catch my attention.
For brutal and in your face stuff I prefer 7''s and Tapes, for longer pieces a CD is better in my opinion. I like LP's too but, be it Noise, Metal or anything else, I just don't buy them that much.

[Bob]

With vinyl I think there is the effort to try and keep it alive some were afraid it would end and be gone forever I think but it also the most expensive format. I like the digital download I think it is amazing that with a computer you can get a piece music anywhere in the world. If you walk into a an internet cafe in any city you can walk out with whatever music you want. I think with a digital music player those kind of machines sometimes compress and reduce the quality of the sound but they are also a very easy way to consume allot of music and can store allot of music. People will often use a phone for music at the present but I am not really phone friendly.