Vinyl vs. CD ? Anyone compared yet ?

[toscano]

I've been holding off on the CD version due to the generally shitty sounding mp3s of the leak, so I was just wondering:

1. What is the prognosis on the CD sound ? Clipping or no clipping ?
2. If you have the vinyl - Is it an improvement over the CD ?

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

 

[coach]

I've been holding off on the CD version due to the generally shitty sounding mp3s of the leak, so I was just wondering:

1. What is the prognosis on the CD sound ? Clipping or no clipping ?
2. If you have the vinyl - Is it an improvement over the CD ?

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

Sorry, I haven't heard it, but just wanted to say that I read somewhere that the album was recorded digitally. If that's the case, I don't think there'll be any difference at all, on the contrary, depending on th pressing, it might be lacking in comparison.

 

[mikal]

I've been holding off on the CD version due to the generally shitty sounding mp3s of the leak, so I was just wondering:

1. What is the prognosis on the CD sound ? Clipping or no clipping ?
2. If you have the vinyl - Is it an improvement over the CD ?

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere.

i haven't heard the vinyl, but i've listened to the CD in my car. the one thing i've noticed so far is that even the 320 rip mp3's are not nearly as great as quality as the CD. i guess that's the case with any album. but it definitely stuck out to me. as far as the clipping part, i'm no expert, but it seems like the volume of the mp3's was actually enhanced, which created distortion. i normally set the volume on my car deck at 18 for the mp3's, and couldn't take any louder. with the CD, i can comfortably turn it up to 19. not a huge difference, but noticable.

there is definitely a lot less distortion on the CD. i can't wait to get home from work and rip this to ITunes Apple Lossless files and finally delete the mp3's.

 

[dopper]

i haven't heard the vinyl, but i've listened to the CD in my car. the one thing i've noticed so far is that even the 320 rip mp3's are not nearly as great as quality as the CD. i guess that's the case with any album. but it definitely stuck out to me. as far as the clipping part, i'm no expert, but it seems like the volume of the mp3's was actually enhanced, which created distortion. i normally set the volume on my car deck at 18 for the mp3's, and couldn't take any louder. with the CD, i can comfortably turn it up to 19. not a huge difference, but noticable.

there is definitely a lot less distortion on the CD. i can't wait to get home from work and rip this to ITunes Apple Lossless files and finally delete the mp3's.

How are the cymbals for Crazy Tonight on the CD? They sound distorted on the iTunes and mp3-leak versions - almost like they are disintegrating or like an explosion sound effect from an early 80's video game.

 

[Clawgrabber]

i haven't heard the vinyl, but i've listened to the CD in my car. the one thing i've noticed so far is that even the 320 rip mp3's are not nearly as great as quality as the CD. i guess that's the case with any album. but it definitely stuck out to me. as far as the clipping part, i'm no expert, but it seems like the volume of the mp3's was actually enhanced, which created distortion. i normally set the volume on my car deck at 18 for the mp3's, and couldn't take any louder. with the CD, i can comfortably turn it up to 19. not a huge difference, but noticable.

there is definitely a lot less distortion on the CD. i can't wait to get home from work and rip this to ITunes Apple Lossless files and finally delete the mp3's.

couldn't agree more. i could get the mp3s up to 40 on my car, and 31 with the regular cd. and the sound is jut plain better. there are all sorts of subtle drum sounds in magnificent that i couldnt even hear on the mp3s, and moment of surrender is far more balanced and crisp. there doesn't seem to be any distortion.

I seem to be turning back around toward cds again.
okay not really, but in the case of U2, its necessary. the sound is leagues better.

Maybe i should get the vinyl to compare.

 

[dopper]

Here is one blogger's opinion. Seems to think there is a different (and better) master for the LP.

my vinyl review: U2: No Line on the Horizon 180 gram vinyl review

 

[redhill]

Here is one blogger's opinion. Seems to think there is a different (and better) master for the LP.

my vinyl review: U2: No Line on the Horizon 180 gram vinyl review

Thanks for the link!

 

[Danny Boy]

Here is one blogger's opinion. Seems to think there is a different (and better) master for the LP.

my vinyl review: U2: No Line on the Horizon 180 gram vinyl review

Except he's comparing the vinyl to an MP3 download. At least compare the vinyl to the CD if you're going to claim it's a sonic improvement.

 

[RaceAgainstTime]

I haven't heard the CD yet, but obviously the vinyl version is significantly better than the MP3. To me, you can really tell a difference in moment of surrender. The vocals in the song sound much less distorted.

 

[super fly guy]

Well my vinyl sounds tinny and far away,much prefer the CD.

 

[Brian-C]

I have the vinyl and the MP3. Wouldn't mind hearing the CD. The last great U2 vinyl, which was an improvement (to these ears) over the CD, was Zooropa. I could nary tell the difference with the Passengers. The CD for Pop sounded much better than the vinyl. I never personally heard a vinyl copy of AYCLB.

With the No Line vinyl, it's leagues better than the MP3. Maybe that also has to do with my speaker set up. Haven't played the iPod through those speakers yet. But there's a vibrant sound on the vinyl, especially "Being Born" and "Unknown Caller." Moody suckers, they are. I was pleased with it. But at 50 minutes, it was kinda lame that it couldn't be on one disc. I had to get up three times.

 

[gareth brown]

The last great U2 vinyl, which was an improvement (to these ears) over the CD, was Zooropa.

goddammit I need to buy a decent turntable SOON! I still haven't played my Zooropa LP I've had it like 2 years now, went nuts when I found it, took ages looking through all sorts of record shops. Good to know it really is better than the CD

 

[Danny Boy]

Well my vinyl sounds tinny and far away,much prefer the CD.

You do know you have to plug your turntable into your receiver/pre-amp, right?

 

[TheEnd]

And if your receiver/pre-amp doesn't have a phono amp you will need to get an external phono amp.

 

[gwiz]

I have the vinyl and the MP3. Wouldn't mind hearing the CD. The last great U2 vinyl, which was an improvement (to these ears) over the CD, was Zooropa. I could nary tell the difference with the Passengers. The CD for Pop sounded much better than the vinyl. I never personally heard a vinyl copy of AYCLB.

With the No Line vinyl, it's leagues better than the MP3. Maybe that also has to do with my speaker set up. Haven't played the iPod through those speakers yet. But there's a vibrant sound on the vinyl, especially "Being Born" and "Unknown Caller." Moody suckers, they are. I was pleased with it. But at 50 minutes, it was kinda lame that it couldn't be on one disc. I had to get up three times.

Yeah, I hate how sometimes companies feel they have to space it out now. I'd rather have one vinyl

 

[sue4u2]

I have the vinyl and the MP3. Wouldn't mind hearing the CD. The last great U2 vinyl, which was an improvement (to these ears) over the CD, was Zooropa. I could nary tell the difference with the Passengers. The CD for Pop sounded much better than the vinyl. I never personally heard a vinyl copy of AYCLB.

With the No Line vinyl, it's leagues better than the MP3. Maybe that also has to do with my speaker set up. Haven't played the iPod through those speakers yet. But there's a vibrant sound on the vinyl, especially "Being Born" and "Unknown Caller." Moody suckers, they are. I was pleased with it. But at 50 minutes, it was kinda lame that it couldn't be on one disc. I had to get up three times.

I really want the vinyls. I used to have a turntable that I thought CD's would never sound as good, and they didn't. (too me at least)
But I don't have that turntable, now.
I still long to get back to that sound or nostalgia. I don't even mind the getting up part, but one disc would be better.

 

[TheEnd]

I plan on getting a turntable in the near future. Want to get a power amp first though.

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

i've got all LPs / single etc. Also NLOTH .. haven't heard it yet

 

[danondorf]

I have the boxset and vinyl.

Vinyl sounds amazing. Much, much less harsh than the CD or MP3 rip.

 

[Brian-C]

A few things I noticed last night:

[1] I believe the blogger said that "Crazy Tonight" clips on the high register of the vocals. I didn't get that at all. Might be his speakers. When a part of the loud register clips, as, say, my CD version of "River Deep Mountain High" from the Phil Spector boxed set does... what happens is, depending on your source and your speakers... you either get distortion in the vocals, or else it almost feels like your CD/LP was bumbed, and there is a phasing effect. I did not get that with "Crazy Tonight" at all. The vinyl version sounded glorious where I was sitting.

[2] A funny thing about the Passengers vinyl is the recorded record hiss at the beginning of "Chains." Almost universally, people at my house glance over at the speakers, thinking that this "new" piece of vinyl, unwarped by years in a basement, is hissing. Those unfamiliar with the album have no idea that the CD does the same thing.

 

[dopper]

A few things I noticed last night:

[1] I believe the blogger said that "Crazy Tonight" clips on the high register of the vocals. I didn't get that at all. Might be his speakers. When a part of the loud register clips, as, say, my CD version of "River Deep Mountain High" from the Phil Spector boxed set does... what happens is, depending on your source and your speakers... you either get distortion in the vocals, or else it almost feels like your CD/LP was bumbed, and there is a phasing effect. I did not get that with "Crazy Tonight" at all. The vinyl version sounded glorious where I was sitting.

[2] A funny thing about the Passengers vinyl is the recorded record hiss at the beginning of "Chains." Almost universally, people at my house glance over at the speakers, thinking that this "new" piece of vinyl, unwarped by years in a basement, is hissing. Those unfamiliar with the album have no idea that the CD does the same thing.

How are the drums and cymbals on the vinyl Crazy Tonight?

 

[Brian-C]

goddammit I need to buy a decent turntable SOON! I still haven't played my Zooropa LP I've had it like 2 years now, went nuts when I found it, took ages looking through all sorts of record shops. Good to know it really is better than the CD

Ha! You gotta go for it.

Zooropa was actually the one where I sat the fence for a long time. See, my parents didn't buy us a CD player until 1993, so even when I got Achtung Baby, they ordered it for my birthday from a record shop in Philadelphia, and got it imported on LP. I had previously frayed the cassette tape, which, for AB, you could find in K-Mart or really anywhere.

But with Zooropa, I bought the CD the day it came out. Unfortunately, during 1992, I went to the great length of buying every U2 album before AB, as they quickly became my favorite band. Had never heard much of their material before AB. So I had everything on vinyl, Boy to AB. Then, when Zooropa came out, DJ culture was thriving, and lots of people were buying vinyl. But not so with rock music. Vinyl seriously almost went extinct in pop and rock releases around 1993. I remember the buyer at Repo Records, near Villanova University, told me that Zooropa could be ordered on LP, but it was expensive, because they had to get it from Brazil or Korea or something like that. For a 16 year old kid, it was out of my price-range. I waited until I was out of the house and earning my own income to get it on LP, as well as Passengers and Pop.

But that's my personal history, as if anyone cares. Now I'm such a freak, I have most on both CD and LP, except the first two albums they released in the 2000s. Not interested in those at all. Bought Atom Bomb on LP only and never listen to it. So glad this new one moved me, personally.

 

[Brian-C]

How are the drums and cymbals on the vinyl Crazy Tonight?

I didn't notice anything off. That said, nothing stuck out to me either. Are they supposed to be quadrophonic or something? Like, is a good speaker setup supposed to render them more clear or dynamic? I'll listen more closely.

 

[Anji]

I really want the vinyls. I used to have a turntable that I thought CD's would never sound as good, and they didn't. (too me at least):

Nor to me either

I always felt that Vinyl had a much greater depth than any CD ever could. And I deffinately did a LOT of like for like comparisons when Vinyl was on it's way out.

I still have my deck, as it is a part of my stereo unit that I have had for many years, alas most of the vinyl is now in the loft as it is far too clumpy to store downstairs anymore, on account that I had SO much of it

I keep saying it, so I am going to HAVE to bite the bullet and make this the first Vinyl Album I have bought in many a decade

 

[dopper]

I didn't notice anything off. That said, nothing stuck out to me either. Are they supposed to be quadrophonic or something? Like, is a good speaker setup supposed to render them more clear or dynamic? I'll listen more closely.

On the CD they are heavily distorted - presumably from being mixed too loudly.

 

[purpleoscar]

I have the boxset and vinyl.

Vinyl sounds amazing. Much, much less harsh than the CD or MP3 rip.

That's good that there is another option from CD. Thanks!

 

[dopper]

Vinyl rip anyone?

Has anyone with a vinyl copy of NLOTH ripped any mp3 or AAC files? I don't have a turntable, but I'd love to compare the sound quality to the CD. Thank you!

 

[mikal]

no. we've had enough sound comparisons and request threads.

 

[Sicy]

no. we've had enough sound comparisons and request threads.

Exactly. I'm not allowing any more request threads for this album. Go buy it, rip it yourself, whatever you have to do.

 

[Brian-C]

On the CD they are heavily distorted - presumably from being mixed too loudly.

Didn't sound distorted, heavily or otherwise, to these ears. Thank god. I tried to notice those things last night. It's a very smooth listen. Not as sonically dynamic as, say, UF or Zooropa, but nothing seemed clipped or harshly out of whack.

With Zooropa, the vinyl is utterly amazing. I was in the other room cleaning a month ago and played it on vinyl. Seriously sounded like a top glam-rock album. Just so spacey. I NEVER got that from the CD, even when I played it blaring out of the same speakers.