I even play their own LPs for the local rock bunch through good speakers in 
a normal sized room.  They now want them.

Steve Smolian.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sam Brylawski" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 3:10 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] The "dumbing down" of Downloaded Recordings


> Two comments on Jim's thoughts and the responses.
>
> First, classical music sales are reported to be quite healthy. A 
> fascinating
> article on classical music and the web appeared in the New Yorker last 
> year.
> http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/10/22/071022fa_fact_ross
>
> On sound quality, my own informal observations are that the audiophile
> community has always been relatively small, i.e., a minor market force. I
> think that there have been or are a number of web sources for
> less-compressed, or non-compressed files, but demand is not mandating an
> expansion of resources. Perhaps the sophistication of video sound systems
> will create new markets for higher-fi. Somewhat related, it is heartening,
> to me, to observe the success of the Met Opera's HiDef movie theater
> venture.
>
> But, looking at the long history of audio technology in the marketplace, I
> think that you'll find that convenience more than fidelity drives the
> market. Cylinder champions claim that that format sounds better than 
> discs.
> Yet double-sided flat things, easy to store, won that first (?) battle of
> the formats. Portable radios, cassettes, CDs, ipods, and podcasts continue
> the trend. Satellite radio lets you have it both ways, but most people 
> just
> aren't all that interested in the quality of the reproduction and listen 
> on
> regular auto and boom box speakers.
>
> What can ARSC members do? Show their friends the difference, see that
> original masters are properly preserved, and buy the good stuff, I guess.
>
> Sam
>