watch this:

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/story/67-audio_files.html

I saw this and, as an audiophile, it just made me sick. I wanted to grab that digital nazi by the neck and strangle him through my computer screen right then and there. The whole world is NOT moving to mp3 crap. I think cds are probably here to stay. I also hope LPs don't get phased out anytime soon. Audiophiles unite! All hail lossless audio and analog recordings!

I'd like to see how people's brain respond to analog sources vs. digital in a functional MRI. I'm curious to see ultra high and low frequencies affect us on an emotional level. I remember seeing a study once that showed that even though we can't consciously hear ultra high and low frequencies, but our brains still react to them.

Did anyone manage to identify the headphones been used by the test subjects during the blind test? I think they're crap-ass Sonys, which would go a long way towards explaining why they can't hear a difference.

yeah they looked like low end sony monitors like the old V6's.

I thought they were AKG's (if this is the same show I saw on Sunday on actual television).

And: yeah. Those "golden ears": "I've worked with Beyonce', and Duran Duran, and blah blah blah..." -- yeah, fidelity is real important with those guys. (Although I like Duran Duran musically, their production is nothing special. I might give them a "B-"/"C+".)