Does Going Digital Mean Missing Music?

arlanTLDR writes "The Seattle PI is running a story about how the MP3 format is the sign of a musical apocalypse. Apparently, many top music producers are 'howling' over the fact that files in a compressed format contain 'less than 10 percent of the original music on the CDs.' Is this just sensationalist FUD, or is there something to the assertion that listening to an MP3 is like hearing music 'through a screen door?'" The article mentions that the iPod and its cheap earbuds bear some of the responsibility for rendering this degradation in sound quality less objectionable.

Comments

Re:Sounds we can and cannot hear.

[fgodfrey]

I've done it. It's pretty darn easy. Listen to the cymbals and the kick drum. If the cymbals don't sound like distinct hits and the kick sounds a little muddy, it's an MP3. You're going to need a decent sound system to do it (no, not a $50k system, but computer speakers or headphones won't do it - a $500 home stereo system is probably good enough). The difference between MP3 and CD is also very evident in sound effects. Due to screwing up my iTunes import settings, I ended up doing a sound design in MP3. When I got to the theater, it sounded like crap and I had to redo almost all of it once I realized why.

Now, if you can't hear the difference, by all means, keep listening to MP3's. Heck, I usually listen to them. However, most people can tell the difference in a blind test.