People often ask me why I’m not particularly enthusiastic about vinyl or cassette releases. That usually surprises them because, these days, vinyl especially has become almost sacred. Some people swear it’s the only “true” way to experience music. Others argue for CDs. Personally, I don’t think any of those formats are perfect.
If I’m choosing how to listen to music, I’d rather have a high-quality digital file such as a 24-bit WAV or FLAC. Not because digital is somehow magical, but because I think it’s probably the closest most of us will ever get to hearing what the artists actually approved – especially if it’s a recording done in the last 20 years.
The reason comes from an experience I had many years ago. I accidentally found myself in a rather unusual place – The Farm Studios in England, which at the time was owned by Genesis. I was there with a friend when Tony Banks kindly showed us around the studio. As it happened, they were remixing one of their albums. Now, I’m not a Genesis expert and I’m not even particularly a Genesis fan. What fascinated me was the space I was in.
I was standing inside a studio worth an absolute fortune, surrounded by incredible equipment, listening through world-class speakers where internationally successful musicians made tiny judgement calls about every detail of their music. Every decision they made was based on exactly what they were hearing in that room.
Eventually that album would leave the studio. Back then, it would most likely have ended up on CD. Immediately, something would have changed. The moment the music left those studio monitors, it became a compromise. Every format has limitations whether vinyl, cassette or CD. Streaming services often affect the audio even further, but this was before streaming had taken over. Then there’s the equipment we all listen on. Different speakers, headphones, amplifiers, DACs, rooms, cars and earbuds all colour the sound in their own way. By the time that music reaches your ears, it’s travelled a very long way from the room where those final decisions were made.
People often argue endlessly about which format sounds best. To me, once you’ve stood in a professional control room while artists are approving a mix, those arguments become less important. The real reference point isn’t vinyl versus digital. It’s the sound coming directly from the studio monitors while the musicians are saying, “Yes. That’s the mix.” None of us can recreate that experience at home, but we can try to get as close as possible.
For me, high-resolution digital files make the most sense. A 24-bit WAV or a good FLAC file avoids many of the compromises introduced by physical formats. Does that mean everyone will hear a dramatic difference? Probably not. Does it mean digital is “perfect”? Absolutely not. The room you’re listening in still matters, as do your speakers, and your ears. But if your goal is to hear something that’s as close as possible to what the artist approved before release, high-quality digital is probably the way to go.
I still appreciate vinyl collections, cassette nostalgia and even CDs. But that day at The Farm gave me a reference point that I’ve never forgotten. Whenever people argue passionately about which format is “the best”, I remember standing in that control room. Because the very best version of that music never left the studio. Everything the rest of us hear is simply the closest compromise.
