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Topic: [Soliciting TOS 8] Do you think that 1980s CDs sound any better than modern CDs/digital downloads? (Read 1047 times) previous topic - next topic
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[Soliciting TOS 8] Do you think that 1980s CDs sound any better than modern CDs/digital downloads?

I have a collection of about 900 CD releases and personally feel that those released in about 1991 and earlier sound a lot punchier (they have much better treble) with better definition and a better soundstage, and also tend to sound less distorted than newer ones, despite them being quieter. I think that the fall in quality that we've seen with CDs over the past 30 years is due to the so-called Loudness War which began in approximately 1992. What I really don't understand would be the trend from the past 20 years of labels issuing CD/digital remasters (while taking the original version out of print) that in fact sound worse than their original counterparts, even though they often contain additional previously unreleased content. I buy nearly all CDs of old releases secondhand since I find that 1980s mastering techniques generally sound a lot better to my ears than the techniques that are standard today, and which are used on modern releases and most digital remasters.

Most 1980s and very early 1990s CD releases have an average dynamic range score of between 11 and 15 (averaging at about 12-13), whereas the vast majority of modern CDs and digital streaming/download albums have an average DR score of just 4-6 (although in rare cases they average at about 10, which is still at the very low end for a 1980s CD), which works out at an average of under half the dynamic range of typical 1980s CDs. I have an original 1983 CD pressing of a Jean-Michel Jarre compilation which I believe was a European CD launch title, and it sounds far better than most CDs released in the past 20 years.

Re: [Soliciting TOS 8] Do you think that 1980s CDs sound any better than modern CDs/digital downloads?

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Gourlish on
I have a collection of about 900 CD releases and personally feel that those released in about 1991 and earlier sound a lot punchier (they have much better treble) with better definition and a better soundstage, and also tend to sound less distorted than newer ones, despite them being quieter. I think that the fall in quality that we've seen with CDs over the past 30 years is due to the so-called Loudness War which began in approximately 1992. What I really don't understand would be the trend from the past 20 years of labels issuing CD/digital remasters (while taking the original version out of print) that in fact sound worse than their original counterparts, even though they often contain additional previously unreleased content. I buy nearly all CDs of old releases secondhand since I find that 1980s mastering techniques generally sound a lot better to my ears than the techniques that are standard today, and which are used on modern releases and most digital remasters.

Most 1980s and very early 1990s CD releases have an average dynamic range score of between 11 and 15 (averaging at about 12-13), whereas the vast majority of modern CDs and digital streaming/download albums have an average DR score of just 4-6 (although in rare cases they average at about 10, which is still at the very low end for a 1980s CD), which works out at an average of under half the dynamic range of typical 1980s CDs. I have an original 1983 CD pressing of a Jean-Michel Jarre compilation which I believe was a European CD launch title, and it sounds far better than most CDs released in the past 20 years.

Hello,
The audio industry like any other industry, the quality of the final product is dependant of the entire production process, the quality of the final product can be harmed at each step of the chain.
I've often listened degraded tracks form a lot of diferent sources, today all people are looking for very low DR tracks because they listen them with portables device in a noisy environement.