U.S. Internet Censorship bill (SOPA/PIPA)

[Fivelives]

Overall I'm happy now with variable pricing and no DRM.

I'm happier with variable pricing and no DRM, but I still fail to see what makes one track more valuable, dollar-wise, than any other track. At least I CAN buy them by the track now, and don't have to pay $15 for one song I like and 9 other songs that I either don't care for or dislike outright.

I wish I could find out, somehow, how much iTunes lowered the piracy rate just by going live. I'm also curious as to just how they can come up with anything even resembling an accurate figure for piracy in the first place. I can't even begin to imagine it could be NEARLY as widespread as they claim. It's probably a worse problem now than when they started though, just because I can see people getting all pissed off about the situation and then turning to piracy just as a big EFF YOU to "The Man".

Also, pretty damn glad that SOPA/PIPA are dead in the water, but has anyone heard about the EU's version, ACTA? Apparently that's already passed in a few countries, unless I'm misinformed. I hope I am, any kind of censorship just flat out sucks. Especially in "The Free World".

[Fetzie]

ACTA has been ratified by most EU governments, as far as I know also the US, Indian and a couple of Asian governments, however to become law (in the EU at least) it needs to be signed off on by the European Parliament. The plenary meeting (session) to decide whether to pass it or dismiss it will happen no sooner than June 2012.

ACTA is not just a European version of SOPA. The US government is also a signatory to it and wanted the three strikes/internet cutoff rule in it, which was shot down by the European negotiators.

Of course none of this will do anything, as about 99% of forgeries and pirated IP comes from China, who refused to take part in it, and is part of the reason why this was not written by the WTO.

[Skye1013]

Read something yesterday that Canada was getting ready to pass "SOPAs little brother." I'm curious how far that one goes (assuming it was true, I think it was a news story someone linked on facebook.)

[tlitp]

While providing good coverage, iTunes/Amazon only sell 256 kbps tracks (AAC for iTunes, MP3 for Amazon). Which is, bluntly put, a deal breaker. Lossy compression was OK during the 90s, but that era is long gone.

On the other hand, the lossless-based providers often "struggle" with the coverage. One has to try several of them, sometimes with no luck at all, to get tracks otherwise readily available on iTunes/Amazon. Fortunately, nowadays there are a lot of such providers (a few examples, in no particular order : Bandcamp, GubeMusic, MusicZeit, Addictech, Zunior, HDtracks, Boomkat, iTrax, BLEEP, Qobuz; Digren already linked Magnatune earlier).

However, do keep in mind that most hardcore audiophiles will not ever buy digital music "as is" (i.e. already ripped). They're interested in ripping the albums themselves.

[Flex]

However, do keep in mind that most hardcore audiophiles will not ever buy digital music "as is" (i.e. already ripped). They're interested in ripping the albums themselves.

And using gold plated USB, FireWire and SATA cables to prevent signal contamination.

[Arnock]

Er, perhaps I'm misinformed, but doesn't gold-plating not do anything to improve digital information transfer?

[Flex]

Er, perhaps I'm misinformed, but doesn't gold-plating not do anything to improve digital information transfer?

That's the joke. Is why I laugh at "audiophiles" in the digital age.

[Arnock]

and they are irradiated, I am told, to vapourise any moisture that has found its way into the molecular structure of the conductors.

I lol'd.

Hard.

[Fetzie]

Maybe they liked the colour of their gold-plated jacks and thus buy everything gold plated so that it all matches.

[theckhd]

and they are irradiated, I am told, to vapourise any moisture that has found its way into the molecular structure of the conductors.

I lol'd.

Hard.

What is this I don't even.....

[Fivelives]

I laugh at audiophiles because the human ear can't really detect the difference between most bitrates. I'd like to see someone do a "blind" soundtest, and see if so-called audiophiles can really tell the difference between 128kb/s and 256kb/s (and lossy vs lossless files).

I'm almost positive it's purely a marketing thing, so that companies can sell their cabling for RIDICULOUS prices.

[tlitp]

Five, a lot of ABX tests have been carried over the years. Generally speaking, most lossy-compression tracks are (better said, "should be") transparent in that bitrate range. Stating that all of them fit the description is simply unsupported by facts.

Flex, what the hell gold/nickel layering has to do with being an audiophile or not ? Not that you aren't right to simply LOL at some idiotic marketing attempts, but you seem to be barking at the wrong tree.

[halabar]

Five, a lot of ABX tests have been carried over the years. Generally speaking, most lossy-compression tracks are (better said, "should be") transparent in that bitrate range. Stating that all of them fit the description is simply unsupported by facts.

Flex, what the hell gold/nickel layering has to do with being an audiophile or not ? Not that you aren't right to simply LOL at some idiotic marketing attempts, but you seem to be barking at the wrong tree.

Well, the gold plating is useless, but most of those cables are better made..

[Flex]

Well, the gold plating is useless, but most of those cables are better made..

Don't start that crap!

[halabar]

Well, the gold plating is useless, but most of those cables are better made..

Don't start that crap!

Well, I usually buy the cables one level below below the gold plated versions...