Comments on: The AudioFile: What’s Really Killing Pop Music

By: Thomas Bailey

Thomas Bailey — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:56:27 +0000

With the iPod’s 160 GB capacity, the music service should go ahead and go full CD quality, 44.1 kHz 16 bits no compression, which would give about 12 days of continuous music. In order for this to be downloaded within a reasonable time, a high-speed connection would be needed, such as fiber optics. The highly compressed files made sense when music players were smaller than 64 MB. Perhaps have two iTunes libraries, the standard, which has the normal AAC/MP3 files, and the audiophile, which uses the Red Book CD standard unaltered (1411.2 kbps).

By: Dave178

Dave178 — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 16:10:23 +0000

I actually think that Pop music production has increased so dramatically since the mid 90’s that… you are correct, our modes of listening to these productions is out of sync with the quality. Recent Pop records seem to be pushed to the limit production-wise. Take for example Panic! at the Disco, Fergie, or anything touched by Timbaland in the past 2 years. There is absolutely no expense spared in production for these kinds of records, however the electronics world cuts corners everywhere they can to make media cheaper and more accessible. The iPod and it’s competitors are indeed hurting our representations of most music. Compressed files do sound worse… period. It looks flashy and does a lot, however, we must remember that it is a mass media device, not something for a well-tuned ear. I don’t have one.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 06:48:23 +0000

Thank you! At least someone out there isn’t succumbing to “gee, it sure isn’t like it was in the old days…” syndrome.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:42:17 +0000

I have about 5 albums from this year and their quality seems to be better then my albums from the early 90’s. My most recent purchase was Feist’s The Reminder, and it may be the best engineered album to date, and at least in my collection, followed by Air’s Pocket Symphony.