Mit Magzter GOLD unbegrenztes Potenzial nutzen

Mit Magzter GOLD unbegrenztes Potenzial nutzen

Erhalten Sie unbegrenzten Zugriff auf über 9.000 Zeitschriften, Zeitungen und Premium-Artikel für nur

$149.99
 
$74.99/Jahr

Versuchen GOLD - Frei

What we lose

Stereophile

|

October 2024

In the August issue's As We See It, Tom Fine and I encouraged readers to hold on to their physical media-those black and silver discs-even if they're stashed away in a closet or attic, replaced by hi-rez streaming. An important reason we gave is that with physical media (in contrast to streaming), you know exactly what you're listening toor at least you can know, with a little work.

- JIM AUSTIN

What we lose

Also if you want to, you can do a lot of work, since there is much to know and to learn, especially about vinyl records (and shellacs), and learning about them-about the labels and those arcane codes in the runout groove area-is a big part of the music-collecting hobby. Serious record collectors are likely to have several pressings of favorite albums and to know the provenance of each one. With streaming, you're limited to whichever version they end up with, and usually they don't bother to tell you which version it is. An example is Rock for Light by Bad Brains, which is considered by Robert Baird in this month's Aural Robert.

Punk has never been synonymous with high fidelity-on the contrary. Punks rebelled against a lot of things, including what they considered soulless sterility in mainstream early-'70s music and an obsession with pristine sound. In recording and playing, punk promoted a "DIY" aesthetic. Many punk rockers could hardly play their instruments. Bad Brains could. As for the sonic quality of their recordings, it improved over time.

Bad Brains started out as a jazz-fusion band-think Return to Forever-so it's no surprise that they had chops. Even after they named themselves after a song by The Ramones, they still couldn't quite decide if they were punk, reggae, hardcore, or metal. Eventually these elements blended to make a unique sound that I find approachable; think hardcore reggae with virtuosic guitar. As for the recording quality, it got better over time.

WEITERE GESCHICHTEN VON Stereophile

Stereophile

Stereophile

Hi-fi near and far

As the Spin Doctor, I tend to lead an analog life. I'm not just talking about my preferred ways of listening to music, but also my approach to other everyday technology.

time to read

11 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

15 FOR 50 1975 IN 15 RECORDS

WAS IT SOMETHING IN THE AIR, SOMETHING IN THE WATER? COSMICALLY INSPIRED BY THE STARS AND THE MOON? OR MAYBE THE DEVIL WAS FINALLY CLAIMING HIS OWN AS ROCK MUSIC IN ALL ITS VARIANTS WAS UNASSAILABLY ASCENDENT.

time to read

12 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

Doing it for themselves—and for us

Women have undeniably become the most dynamic and vital creative force in music today. Without their good energies and ideas, music, which in the digital age has become more background than art, would be much less interesting and inspiring.

time to read

3 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

The BEAT Goes On

Adrian Belew had an itch that needed some serious scratching.

time to read

7 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

Half a century in hi-fi

Not many hi-fi dealerships can say they've survived half a century of history. Natural Sound, which is based in Framingham, Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston, is one that can.

time to read

3 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

The skating force phenomenon

At the beginning of last month's As We See It, I wrote that I've lately been focused on \"analog things.\" I proceeded to write about refurbishing and modding my old McIntosh tuner. That's \"analog thing\" #1.

time to read

4 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

Monk's tenor

In Robin D.G. Kelley's definitive, 450-page biography of Thelonious Monk, Monk and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse first meet on p.100, in 1944.

time to read

4 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

ECM's vinyl essence

In the 1990s into the 2000s, I had the pleasure of interviewing jazz drummer and composer Paul Motian for both Modern Drummer and DownBeat.

time to read

3 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

T+A Symphonia STREAMING INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

German aesthetes are fond of saying “Das Auge isst mit”: “The eye feasts too.” In audio terms, your ears do the listening, but your eyes want their share of pleasure.

time to read

18 mins

November 2025

Stereophile

Stereophile

Umami tunes

If you go to Tokyo, there's a good chance you'll develop a new appreciation for shopping malls. The Japanese know malls. They know just what to do with them. Inside a Tokyo mall, you can peruse the usual handbags and shoes in their unending variety. But you can also stare at Fuji apples as large as a baby's head swaddled in tissue paper, flip through the world's most exquisite stationery, stock up on fabric from the 1920s, and taste things that will haunt you well into retirement.

time to read

12 mins

November 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size