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Comment by mdhen

8 days ago

The main reason vinyl often sounds better is because it is better mastered, so this is concerning.

That's just not true and vinyl doesn't sound better by any measure.

  • It's true from time to time. Low's last digital releases are actually unlistenable due to heavy-handed compression, but the vinyl seems to have been spared.

    I had to record the vinyl to get usable digital files.

    • The loudness and compression on Low's last couple of albums is very much deliberate, so it's surprising that the vinyl doesn't have it. Though I heard similar claims about Sleater-Kinney's The Woods, which was also intensely compressed for artistic effect.

      13 replies →

  • It’s completely true, when the vinyl has a different mastering. It can be a completely different version. It’s not because it’s vinyl

    • Mastering doesn't change much. They're just going to roll off the low end a bit. A separate mix is an entirely different thing though.

      4 replies →

I'd say "rarely" instead of "often" though it depends on the genre I guess. There are also a lot of genres that can never sound as good on vinyl simply due to the lack of dynamic range/silence; mostly classical and electronic.

  • > There are also a lot of genres that can never sound as good on vinyl simply due to the

    inability to encode very low tones.