A few weeks back a lecture was delivered regarding the duplication and copying of CDs. It was quite amusing to me, personally, since I have done a little research on the matter. Why so? Well for the simple reason that I am an aspiring (okey, so maybe hopeless wannabe) audiophile. Yeah, one of those blokes who think paying for a stereo set-up with a check good enough to get a brand new car is rational. Somehow.
Personally, I dream of acquiring a set-up with Pipe Dreams 9 stereo speakers powered by Athmasphere tube amps with Meridian electronics and Kimber Cable wires. However, since such a set-up could easily cost more than that of a Porsche, I will continue to dream for the rest of my life. The belief of audiophiles that such pricing is justified is just one of their odd ideas. They also have this idea that a duped CD sounds better than an original, factory pressed CD. Not only that, some believe a black duped CD sounds the best. Weird, huh?
What’s more weird is the fact that they’ve actually gotten an explanation for it. The gist is supposedly since original CDs are pressed from the label side, the pits of a master CD are actually turned to bumps which, in reflecting the laser beam of a CD player, reflect some of the light to the rim of the CD (and thus justifies another odd belief of audiophiles, the use of “edge treatments” to improve the sound of CDs. This means that there is a bigger chance for, uh, noise or distortion. On the other hand, duped CDs made by CD burners actually have pits which tend to have a more controlled reflection of laser beams, and thus, allegedly, less noise. Yes, this despite the fact that “a bit is a bit”, the idea being that what matters is that how such a bit is made. Try GooglingBlack Memorex CD Stereophile.
With regards to black CDs, this time they seem to have run out of an explanation. Could it be that the color black is supposed to absorb light rays and therefore the errant (and thus weaker) light from unnecessary reflections of the laser beam is also absorbed, ultimately leaving just the “bit” and stripping it of noise? Nobody has offered this an explanation, only that black CDs usually do sound better than other CDs. Although supposedly Gold CDs also sound nice. Of course, “sound nice” is a qualitative term which, depending on what audiophile school of belief you belong in, should be controlling (i.e. its more important that it sounds better – colored, even – as opposed to being 100% true to the recorded sound, which might be edgy). What complicates matters is that, naturally, some say they hear it differently, and some say they don’t hear a difference.
Me? I think black CD-Rs look cooler, but as for the sound, hmmmm…….
-by Stanley Cabrera
Personally, I dream of acquiring a set-up with Pipe Dreams 9 stereo speakers powered by Athmasphere tube amps with Meridian electronics and Kimber Cable wires. However, since such a set-up could easily cost more than that of a Porsche, I will continue to dream for the rest of my life. The belief of audiophiles that such pricing is justified is just one of their odd ideas. They also have this idea that a duped CD sounds better than an original, factory pressed CD. Not only that, some believe a black duped CD sounds the best. Weird, huh?
What’s more weird is the fact that they’ve actually gotten an explanation for it. The gist is supposedly since original CDs are pressed from the label side, the pits of a master CD are actually turned to bumps which, in reflecting the laser beam of a CD player, reflect some of the light to the rim of the CD (and thus justifies another odd belief of audiophiles, the use of “edge treatments” to improve the sound of CDs. This means that there is a bigger chance for, uh, noise or distortion. On the other hand, duped CDs made by CD burners actually have pits which tend to have a more controlled reflection of laser beams, and thus, allegedly, less noise. Yes, this despite the fact that “a bit is a bit”, the idea being that what matters is that how such a bit is made. Try GooglingBlack Memorex CD Stereophile.
With regards to black CDs, this time they seem to have run out of an explanation. Could it be that the color black is supposed to absorb light rays and therefore the errant (and thus weaker) light from unnecessary reflections of the laser beam is also absorbed, ultimately leaving just the “bit” and stripping it of noise? Nobody has offered this an explanation, only that black CDs usually do sound better than other CDs. Although supposedly Gold CDs also sound nice. Of course, “sound nice” is a qualitative term which, depending on what audiophile school of belief you belong in, should be controlling (i.e. its more important that it sounds better – colored, even – as opposed to being 100% true to the recorded sound, which might be edgy). What complicates matters is that, naturally, some say they hear it differently, and some say they don’t hear a difference.
Me? I think black CD-Rs look cooler, but as for the sound, hmmmm…….
-by Stanley Cabrera
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