[Old Thread] Calibre for music?

[Divingduck]

My two cents for this discussion...

First we were talking about a music library what is able to collect classical music with the special metadata for this kind of content. Then we are talking about comparison of very old versions of MM.

Now we are talking about ripping and high quality in combination with mp3. Talking about high quality and mp3 at the same time and to the end bring in a sound polishing - this in combination with classical music? Hello, do you feel what is going wrong?
Hm sorry, for me this looks like something of a discussion without understanding principals in hi-fi, digital music and audio equipment (hopefully not in combination of a $5 loud speaker or head speaker...).
I am using MM for my library and about 1/3 of my library (1000+ own CD's and LP's) is classical and all of these are digitalized as lossless flac files. I can't see for the moment any of AnnyWalkers concerns what is a show stopper criteria of using MM as a universal audio library. As others already wrote, MM is very flexible to handle audio content in the way a user need it. But you have to learn the handling in the same way as with Calibre. Both programs have a huge functional capacity for those who like to work with it.
If it is not the right one, you maybe find something what match better to your needs.
Sorry for the poor English but I think, you know what I like to say.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Over half of my music library is Classical. I've ripped CDs in the past in both .wav and .mp3 formats and couldn't hear a difference between the two on my home sound system, even when the mp3s were ripped at only 128kbps (I rip at 320kbps). I use mp3s rather than a lossless format because it's still the most compatable format for players, such as the one in my truck. I can put more mp3s on a CD for playing in my truck (my next truck will be able to play music from a flash drive but will still be limited to mp3s). Since they sound the same to me, I see no sense in keeping more than one format of my music so I keep only mp3s.

Most hardcore audiophiles prefer vinyl but I strongly suspect the reason has to do with nostalgia rather than an actual improvement of sound. To me, the so called warmer sound was a result of an imperfect reproduction of the original sound, something easily reproduced from a CD with a good equalizer (the one in Media Monkey isn't too shabby). I personally do not miss vinyl; it was a pain to handle, easily damaged, ate up too much room, and just didn't sound as good as modern CDs and even mp3s.

I strongly suspect the problems Annie was having was solely due to using an outdated version of Media Monkey and a lack of familiarity. I've been using MM for several months now and I'm still learning how to use it.

[cybmole]

Originally Posted by Agama

And back on a book note: is there any mileage in being able to add audio books to a calibre library?

I recall a long discussion of this in another thread, where various work-arounds were suggested. So it can already be done, sort-of, if you track those down.
it was a fairly recent thread, this year for sure.
here it is:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=185020

it may be better to continue any audio-book discussions in that thread rather than in this one.

[theducks]

I guess I fall in the 'Hard core' group

I believe in the 'Listen' test (where YOU control the test, not the sales critter). CD's have pluses and minuses: Great Dynamics, lousy rolloff

Different combinations of equipment, do sound different (not always Bad.). Everyone hears different. Pick your own equipment and not have someone else choose for you (You can use them to help break a choice tie )

BTW I use 16Ga Lamp cord for most of my speakers, not some hyped pure copper cable.

[Agama]

Guilty as charged: I am also in the 'hardcore' group - but on audio grounds, not nostalgia, although I like the convenience, size and robustness of CD's.

I guess it's like theducks says: "Everyone hears different".

Happy Listening!

[Lady Fitzgerald]

The Ducks and Agama are both right; everyone hears differently. Not to mention everyone has different tastes.

[kite]

This thread title raised my hopes - and I'll have a close look at MM and foobar, but I don't enjoy the apparent criticism of a poster who has shared their way of listening to music - I'm sure that Beethoven would be quite happy to use whatever methods available to adjust the sound to his new preference for a new day. And Glenn Gould showed convincingly that Beethoven and such are best treated as inspirations for a performer, that there never was a finalised set-in-stone score.

Why do people feel that their way of listening to music is the best way for other people? If Organic Egyptian Cotton Insulated Zero Oxygen Cryo-Annealed 99.99% Pure Silver Leads With Golden Mean Ratios Between Circumference and Length give someone a better experience why does it worry you?

Clearly I'm being critical of people here. Before you jump up and down on my head you might want to check in AnnieWalker's posts for where she says that she doesn't like the MP3 player in MM. All that exists on this thread around that is, "I don't like the player", which, given that MM also plays FLAC files, doesn't mean the same thing.

Calibre is great software, and if you people like MM then I'll consider it closely. However I don't think Calibre is well served by threads such as this one. That's not to say I haven't seen much much much worse elsewhere. Just that I think you can do better.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by kite

If Organic Egyptian Cotton Insulated Zero Oxygen Cryo-Annealed 99.99% Pure Silver Leads With Golden Mean Ratios Between Circumference and Length give someone a better experience why does it worry you?

I LOVE it

[theducks]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I LOVE it

And I thought Monsters advertising was over the top

I obviously don't know squat.

[cybmole]

I wired up my monitor with one of those - the picture is SO MUCH clearer - even the hype is now visible

:Kite - consult a dictionary for the meaning of high-fidelity. it does not mean adding bells & whistles to the sound source. There was a time when serious hi-fi freaks bought amps with no knobs at all - except -grudgingly -one for volume, as anything else damages the "purity".

not liking an MP3 player can only mean not liking the range of "knobs", as all player produce the same digitised sounds from the underlying 1s & 0s.

you also say "However I don't think Calibre is well served by threads such as this one"
I agree - but the thread, & similar ones, exist because can calibre do music libraries is a recurring question --look at all the similar thread links.

[kite]

I'm not taking my full face motor cycle helmet off just yet.
But it's a relief to see that you guys have a sense of humour.

I'll admit that I found it a little difficult to follow "live and let listen" when I read of CD player capacitors being replaced to improve music quality. And it took days before the idea of placing the whole CD player in a bath of liquid nitrogen and slowly bringing it up to room temperature didn't have me gob-smacked and concerned about my fellow humans. But I did manage it.

And if I can manage that AND "Organic Egyptian Cotton Insulation sounds better" then I'm sure the idea of "tube amps sounding warmer" is within your ability to accept as a valid listening experience.

But there is still no use in jumping up and down on my motor-cycle helmeted head.

[cybmole]

[QUOTE=kite;2311583then I'm sure the idea of "tube amps sounding warmer" is within your ability to accept as a valid listening experience.

.[/QUOTE]

I heat my entire house with tube amps

love the glow - don't love the electric bill

PS there is logic in both the things you reference. Capacitors form part of the all-important digital to analogue conversion process so better quality ones do affect the sound. a better quality PC sound card will also have better quality DAC chips & associated components for the same reason.

Tube amps sound warmer ( as any electric guitarist will tell you) because the valves are analogue devices, not-hi-fi - when driven hard they boost mid-range harmonics (i.e. they add harmonic distortion) . Jim Marshall & Leo Fender did not do hi-fi!
So tubes are good if you want a great guitar sound, bad if you want a true hi-fi experience - & great if you can sell the things , as boutique, with DNA matched twin tubes for $3000 dollars or more when they cost about $30 to build

[theducks]

@Cybmole
My first amp had a pair of EL34's. I did close the heat register in the room, and sometimes even opened the window. In the Winter
I don't have that Amp, but I still use those speakers.

[robin58]

I'm sure that Beethoven would be quite happy to use whatever methods available to adjust the sound to his new preference for a new day

I think Beethoven would have been happy just to be able to hear his own music...

ETA. it always irks me when people try to interpret how a long deceased composer would have wanted someone to hear their music. Nobody knows. A conductor's interpretation is in reality no different than a cover band playing in some bar when they lend their views to it. Therefor adjusting or tweaking it so something sounds more pleasant to the listener is their business alone. It's almost as annoying as when teachers/professors try to tell someone what they think some poet meant when he wrote those verses.

[kite]

Originally Posted by robin58

... It's almost as annoying as when teachers/professors try to tell someone what they think some poet meant when he wrote those verses.

My horror - when they'd state their unevidenced opinion, about what the writer was trying to communicate, as fact and then analyse how well the writer succeeded or failed to achieve those goals.