Is there an audible difference between modern MD and CD/DAT?
Since MD stores audio using a data reduction technique (see ATRAC, below) there are considerable differences between the audio signal from a CD and that of an MD digitally recorded from it. Whether or not these differences are audible however depends to a large degree upon who is doing the listening, most MD users consider the sound quality of modern MD equipment to be essentially the same as CD. But even those who can hear differences usually find them to be undisturbing and inconsequential, frequently being unable to say which is which. (Note that a proper A/B comparison of the two formats necessitates using the same DAC. If an outboard DAC is unavailable, or the MD unit (such as a portable) does not provide digital out, the MD unit’s monitor mode can be used to do D/A conversion of external digital signals, thereby allowing comparison with a common DAC.) A small double-blind test made by the ABX Company found that subjects did not find a difference between ATRAC processed music and
Since MD stores audio using a data reduction technique (see ATRAC, below) there are considerable differences between the audio signal from a CD and that of an MD digitally recorded from it. Whether or not these differences are audible however depends to a large degree upon who is doing the listening, most MD users consider the sound quality of modern MD equipment to be essentially the same as CD. But even those who can hear differences usually find them to be undisturbing and inconsequential, frequently being unable to say which is which. (Note that a proper A/B comparison of the two formats necessitates using the same DAC. If an outboard DAC is unavailable, or the MD unit (such as a portable) does not provide digital out, the MD unit’s monitor mode can be used to do D/A conversion of external digital signals, thereby allowing comparison with a common DAC.
