Digital fidelity (sample rate) grows more granular in higher frequencies because that’s easier for us to distinguish. (See the Fletcher-Munson Curve from Bell Labs: on a bell curve, we hear best at the frequency of a baby crying.) Think of stair steps that get closer and more numerous over time. That’s a representation of the resolution of the sound across frequencies from low to high. I may be explaining it poorly because I moved away from audio engineering toward a different career a long time ago.
Analog has all the information that’s missing in between the larger, wider steps. It’s not a placebo (didn’t say you called it that). It’s how digital audio works.
My instance isn’t allowing me to upload images for some reason. It had extended downtime the other day, so maybe that’s related. Anyway, here’s a link to a page with a chart that illustrates what I’m attempting to describe.
some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 7 months ago
Also, old records (from early in the CD era) had nowhere near the fidelity of modern records. I played a modern record for my father once and he was astounded how far they’ve come.
FireWire400@lemmy.world 7 months ago
In my experience, it’s still pretty hit or miss. The smaller indie labels tend to get it right more than the big names.