# Best Albums with Good Compression



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

What are some good Classical albums that have good sound compression on them making it such that the dynamics aren't so apparent?


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

I’m confused as to what you mean by ‘good’ compression. Compression rather than being considered a ‘good’ thing in classical music was a necessary evil to prevent overload (distortion) along with the use of gain-riding when masters used analog tape recording. Even when the first digital masters came out on tape, the dynamic range on vinyl had to be limited though the end result was better than when analog tape masters were used.

Fwiw, back in the day when recording companies such as Vox came out with their one-hour LPs (30 minutes per side), to overcome the previous typical LP side of 22-23 minutes, they accomplished it using increased compression (and narrower grooves).

All that said, while maintaining the dynamic range of classical music as heard in a concert hall was always the recording objective (finally accomplished with CDs with digital sources), it’s a problem when listening to classical works with headphones and earbuds. One can be listening to a quiet passage and then all of a sudden there’s an orchestral crescendo that hits your ears as high as 110db+, not a good thing for the aging inner ear.

Since I have hearing test evidence of inner ear damage, my routine now is to get the best loss-less source possible such as flac then edit the sound files, decreasing the volume level of the loudest passages, with an editor such as Sound Forge. I may further compress the recording to not less than 256 kbps compression if memory space is limited on, say, an iPhone. But my favorite works are kept as WAV files, now more possible with iPhones having 256 gb memory.


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## mbhaub (Dec 2, 2016)

I like compressed dynamics for driving in a car, but otherwise want as full of a dynamic range as possible. Many old LPs, and especially the mono years, had to limit the dynamics and many of the CD transfers maintain that. My Yamaha receiver has a button for Night Listening which compresses the range when listening at low levels. Very useful and works fine. Look into that.


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## Amadea (Apr 15, 2021)

I think you should give a look to this section of the forum: https://www.talkclassical.com/recorded-music-and-publications/


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Amadea said:


> I think you should give a look to this section of the forum: https://www.talkclassical.com/recorded-music-and-publications/


I didn't even know that section existed, thanks!


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

I almost never listen through headphones, so my problem is not my inner ear but the neighbours. So a diligent use of the remote is mandatory.

But I would never let the degree of compression decide my choice of source material.

And the ideal of having the concert hall in your living room is utopic. You will need a very large room and a specially damped room and professional HI-FI. 

Calculate with 100,000+ Euro's for the purpose.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

premont said:


> I almost never listen through headphones, so my problem is not my inner ear but the neighbours. So a diligent use of the remote is mandatory.
> 
> But I would never let the degree of compression decide my choice of source material.
> 
> ...


:lol: hahahahaha!


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