Wired Science on PBS: The Analog vs. Digital Powder Keg

Filed under: Home Audio



A great way to start an argument between audiophiles is to bring up the subject of analog vs. digital. A very interesting Wired Science video does just that, though at the recording stage rather than the listening stage that audiophiles are more familiar with. A blind listening test is used with the artists and a pair of recording engineers with “golden ears” (whose credits include working on mixes from the likes of Justin Timberlake and Beyonce, easily the best produced material in the world), listening to a track which switches instantaneously from an analog to a digital recording.

Video link after the jump.

Predictably, both groups are correct a bit over 50% of the time as to which recording is being used, which statistically equates to guessing. While some may see this as evidence that there is no real difference between analog and digital recordings, I see it as yet more evidence that blind tests with unfamiliar material, played back on unfamiliar equipment, just don’t work. Of course the blind test argument is yet another powder keg.

VIDEO LINK - Wired Science on PBS: Audio Files

Unfortunately, the piece really doesn’t get into what ultimately affects end users, which is not the recording method used, but the listening device. Most of us have no control over whether our CDs are produced in AAD or DDD format, but we do have control over whether to listen to LPs, CDs, or music files on a storage device. What is shaping up to be the next big argument between audiophiles is optical disk vs. hard disk.