Apple Targeting Amazon

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by HarryT

As I said previously, Jon, I enjoy listening to classical music (opera in particular), and I have a pretty decent Hi-Fi system. I'm unable to detect the slightest difference between my original CDs, and those same CDs converted to 320kb MP3 files, and that's all that matters to me.

I've never been able to tell a difference either listening to a mix of music from classical to bluegrass to folk to rock. I've done a comparison between the iTunes version of a specific symphony, a CD of that specific recording and the 24 bit lossless version of the exact same recording. No difference to my ears on my rather nice stereo system (not professional quality, but much better than most). There are probably individuals who can actually tell a difference, but I suspect that group is a lot small than the group who claim to be able to tell a difference.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by drofgnal

I've been an Apple fan boy for a long time. All our devices are Apple. I've never owned a PC. However, I have never bought into Apple content. Music, no, it's compressed. Books, no, too much trouble and I like eink. Movies, no, I quit redeeming digital movies to iTunes and now redeem via Vudu. Just an all around no on Apple for content.

My primary issue with digital content is can I format shift it so I don't lose access of the store I bought it from shuts down. Up until a few months ago, I could do that with Apple content. The most recent iTunes release broke that mechanism. Until that is fixed, I won't be buying new movies from iTunes. A pity because it's a lot more convenient than blu-ray via Amazon.

[barryem]

I grew up listening to and enjoying music in the 1940s when the very best of speakers didn't sound as good as today's cheap speakers. I have a pretty good ear, I think, and I can tell the difference in mediocre sound reproduction and very good reproduction but I never really understood why it's so important to some people. It's the music that matters and the beauty of the music comes through just fine on a fair to middling MP3 file played on a halfway decent speaker.

I would try to make the point that it's similar to judging a book by it's cover except that in another thread this forum seems to be advocating judging books by their cover.

Anyway I'll let you guys go back to listening to every possible blemish while I go on listening to the music.

Barry (who says I'm a smartass!)

[JSWolf]

I don't know what it is, but I've listened to some hi-res recordings where the music just shined through. It wasn't a comparison to MP3 or CD format. It just was better. You just heard the performance and the emotion. Sure you can say you can't hear the difference, but it's there.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I don't know what it is, but I've listened to some hi-res recordings where the music just shined through. It wasn't a comparison to MP3 or CD format. It just was better. You just heard the performance and the emotion. Sure you can say you can't hear the difference, but it's there.

If I understand you correctly, you are saying that you heard a specific recording at hi-res and really liked it, but didn't compare it to the same recording on mp3 or cd.

Of course, there are specific recordings that are better than others. That's one big reason that classical music fans will search around for specific recordings of a piece, for example, Antal Dorati's 1959 recording of the 1812 overture with the Minneapolis Symphony is frequently pointed to as a top recording. Where something is recorded, how it's recorded and the musicians involved can have a huge impact of the sound.

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by pwalker8

My primary issue with digital content is can I format shift it so I don't lose access of the store I bought it from shuts down. Up until a few months ago, I could do that with Apple content. The most recent iTunes release broke that mechanism. Until that is fixed, I won't be buying new movies from iTunes. A pity because it's a lot more convenient than blu-ray via Amazon.

Now that they have introduced movies anywhere doesn't that solve part of your problem its not available here yet so my only option for buying movies is Google play.

[sealbeater]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I will never ever spend money on eBooks or anything to do with eBooks from Apple. And please, don't spend any eBook money with Apple. Apple helped bring Agency pricing into being and we lost a lot of really good small independent eBook shops because of that. Apple needs to go down in flames and not be able to sell any sort of digital book be it an eBook or an app based in a book. I'll go so far as to say no audiobooks and no movies based on a book. Apple should not be allowed to have anything to do with books. And that also means iBooks & Pages go and so does this new book app.

I agree completely with this statement.

[Little.Egret]

Originally Posted by j.p.s

The USA doesn't have such a law, but paper books are sold retail and ebooks agency, so paperback and older (unused) hardbacks are frequently cheaper than the ebook version, sometime substantially cheaper, because of routine heavy discounting (not special sales) for the paper versions.

Not all ebooks are agency but it was quite a shock to see an ebook discounted by Amazon just like a pbook

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=1318

[Barrister1]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I wonder if Apple has ever considered building an eInk iReader?

iInk?

[Barrister1]

Originally Posted by barryem

I grew up listening to and enjoying music in the 1940s when the very best of speakers didn't sound as good as today's cheap speakers. I have a pretty good ear, I think, and I can tell the difference in mediocre sound reproduction and very good reproduction but I never really understood why it's so important to some people. It's the music that matters and the beauty of the music comes through just fine on a fair to middling MP3 file played on a halfway decent speaker.

I would try to make the point that it's similar to judging a book by it's cover except that in another thread this forum seems to be advocating judging books by their cover.

Anyway I'll let you guys go back to listening to every possible blemish while I go on listening to the music.

Barry (who says I'm a smartass!)

You must not have listened to a lossless recording on a high end system. It brings out every nuance and there is no comparison. Can you listen and enjoy music on a cheap system? Of course. But the high end system is that much better and engrossing. It can be quite an amazing experience.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Barrister1

But the high end system is that much better and engrossing. It can be quite an amazing experience.

Not really. Many a friend has wasted time introducing me to their "superior" high end systems. I don't hear the amazing. But I'm happy my tin-ear allows me to save tons of money on expensive audio equipment

[cfrizz]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Not really. Many a friend has wasted time introducing me to their "superior" high end systems. I don't hear the amazing. But I'm happy my tin-ear allows me to save tons of money on expensive audio equipment

You are a very lucky man!!! However, if you willing to buy some of the gear used, you can get a "superior" Mid-Fi system that can keep you happy for years. That's what I did.

[DiapDealer]

I'm more than satisfied with streaming my digital music to a middle-of-the-road bluetooth speaker. Much like reading, I'd rather put my money in the content rather than the reader/player. More power to those who can "hear the difference," but I simply can't. The good news is that I don't feel cheated in the least.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Barrister1

You must not have listened to a lossless recording on a high end system. It brings out every nuance and there is no comparison. Can you listen and enjoy music on a cheap system? Of course. But the high end system is that much better and engrossing. It can be quite an amazing experience.

Sorry but I've been interested in high fidelity for a lot of years. What I find most amusing is the "Golden Ears" crowd who can hear differences that don't exist. I have fond memories of one day at UBC when Radio Society did comparisons of 6 or 7 amplifiers being driven by a high end pre-amp and feeding a quartet of Klipsch speakers. Oddly, there was a small group that could hear the differences between the amplifiers (one sounded thin, another emphasized the bass, another was distorting, etc.). Sadly after about 2 hours, the folks from RadioSoc who had setup the test rig revealed the sad truth. Only one amplifier had been used -- I seem to remember it was a Crown product. All the rotary switch did was to remove the speaker connection and restore it. Today, their spiritual descendants spend $150Cdn on a 2 metre HDMI cable to improve their video and sound.

I still find my mid-end system driving my Koss headphones gives me excellent sound and without spending more on the system than my car or driving my family and neighbours up the wall.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Sorry but I've been interested in high fidelity for a lot of years. What I find most amusing is the "Golden Ears" crowd who can hear differences that don't exist. I have fond memories of one day at UBC when Radio Society did comparisons of 6 or 7 amplifiers being driven by a high end pre-amp and feeding a quartet of Klipsch speakers. Oddly, there was a small group that could hear the differences between the amplifiers (one sounded thin, another emphasized the bass, another was distorting, etc.). Sadly after about 2 hours, the folks from RadioSoc who had setup the test rig revealed the sad truth. Only one amplifier had been used -- I seem to remember it was a Crown product. All the rotary switch did was to remove the speaker connection and restore it. Today, their spiritual descendants spend $150Cdn on a 2 metre HDMI cable to improve their video and sound.

I still find my mid-end system driving my Koss headphones gives me excellent sound and without spending more on the system than my car or driving my family and neighbours up the wall.

If they think they can hear a difference and enjoy investing money in their system, then it's no skin off my nose. Who knows, maybe they really are one of those few people who can hear the difference, or maybe it's just their imagination. I can't tell the difference, so I'm perfectly happy with what I have.