From: nobody@but.us.chickens   
      
   On 10/1/2010 5:56 AM Arny Krueger spake thus:   
      
   > "~misfit~"  wrote in message   
   > news:i83oln$n2p$1@news.eternal-september.org...   
   >   
   >> My first post here, please be gentle....   
   >>   
   >> I just saw one of my old favourite CDs (and an excellent yardstick   
   >> for judging stereos or speakers) in a 'specials' bin. It's Rickie   
   >> Lee Jones' eponymous album from 1979.   
   >>   
   >> I'm in New Zealand and my copy, which I bought in about 1980 and   
   >> gets listened to at least weekly, was manufactured by Warner Music   
   >> Australia. This copy that I just bought (even though my original is   
   >> still in perfect condition I like it enough to buy a second copy)   
   >> is made in Germany by Record Services GmbH, Alsdorf.   
   >>   
   >> I was just wondering, is there likely to be any difference in   
   >> quality / sound between them? (My main system is limping while the   
   >> main speaker's mids are getting re-coned and my back-up speakers   
   >> are fine for HT but not for critical audio reviewing.)   
   >   
   > The answer to your question is something that you can determine for   
   > yourself with just an ordinary computer.   
   >   
   > Just download EAC or CDEX (freeware), and convert the CDs to digital   
   > files. Both products include digital file comparison utilities that   
   > will tell you whether or not they are identically the same.   
      
   Well, maybe.   
      
   While the two discs should be *virtually* identical, it's likely they   
   won't be *absolutely* identical--in other words, a byte-by-byte   
   comparison of the two files will probably fail.   
      
   I'm no expert on CD audio, but I know enough about the process to know   
   that since CD-DA has a higher error tolerance than data CDs (CD-ROM,   
   etc.)--a lower level of error detection and correction--it's possible   
   for errors to make it through the drive into the bitstream. Small   
   errors, but errors nonetheless.   
      
   Still, Arny's right; the two files should be, let's say, something like   
   99.9% identical. Thus demolishing many myths about audible differences   
   between CDs due to pressing locations, etc.   
      
      
   --   
   The fashion in killing has an insouciant, flirty style this spring,   
   with the flaunting of well-defined muscle, wrapped in flags.   
      
   - Comment from an article on Antiwar.com (http://antiwar.com)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)