For Brandenburg, vinyl’s appeal is more in the mind than the ears.
Karlheinz Brandenburg, often called the “father of MP3,” has weighed in on the ongoing vinyl versus digital debate. His take? Vinyl’s sound superiority is more myth than reality.
Brandenburg argues that the warm, rich sound vinyl fans love is more about psychology than audio engineering.
But this stance is not just based on his own beliefs. According to him, it is grounded in decades of research.
Brandenburg’s Views on Sound Quality: Digital vs. Vinyl
In a recent interview, Brandenburg revealed he hasn’t played a record in over 25 years.
Why? Well, this German electrical engineer and mathematician is convinced that vinyl’s perceived benefits have little to do with actual sound quality.
“We have done too much research in this area at Fraunhofer IIS for me to be receptive to supposed advantages,” he stated.
Brandenburg isn’t blind to vinyl’s resurgence. He knows it’s happening for good reasons. But for him, it’s not about better sound. It’s about other mental factors.
Instead, Brandenburg argues that digital formats, particularly hi-res streaming and CDs, are objectively superior.
The MP3 technology, for example, is rooted in the mechanics of human hearing rather than psychological processes. Compared to vinyl, these digital formats allow for more efficient encoding of complex audio signals (A.K.A. an overall a better sound).
Psychological Factors Behind Vinyl’s Popularity
Despite Brandenburg’s assertions, vinyl records have experienced a remarkable comeback in recent years. But as he mentioned, people like vinyl for reasons beyond just sound quality.
Handling the record, placing it on a turntable, and being unable to skip tracks — all these little things can make listening more enjoyable. And, when you add in how our brains naturally match patterns and expectations, listeners think the sound is better than it really is.
“What we can say for sure at this point is that listening is based largely on expectations. You can’t consciously avoid that” Brandenburg states.
“Our brain is an excellent pattern matcher here. The ear is constantly comparing with what we have experienced or heard. In addition to memory, factors such as the current environment or impressions also influence our perception. So, we evaluate the variants according to personal taste.”
In short, the resurgence of vinyl records points to the power of nostalgia rather than a better listening experience.
In fact, many vinyl fans would agree. A quick search on forums reveals that many of them say that the ritual of playing a record and holding the album artworks are the key reasons for their preference.
For these listeners, vinyl offers more than just sound. When you listen to a record, you’re not consuming music passively. It becomes a relaxing and active event meant to be cherished.
Technical Insights: Why Digital Wins Over Vinyl
From a purely technical standpoint, Brandenburg’s argument for digital being better is backed up by measurable differences.
Here’s a breakdown:
CDs, with their 44.1 kHz sampling rate, can reproduce sounds up to 20 kHz, or the upper limit of human hearing. This results in a clarity that vinyl struggles to match.
The dynamic range – the span between the loudest and softest sounds – also favors digital formats. Vinyl’s dynamic range (55-70 dB) is significantly narrower compared to digital music (90-96 dB).
Vinyl also comes with inherent technical imperfections. Those pops, clicks, and surface noise that some find charming are, in fact, limitations of the medium. Digital formats, by comparison, deliver a cleaner, more consistent listening experience.
High-resolution digital audio pushes these advantages even further.
With higher sampling rates and bit depths, hi-res audio captures even more details of the original recording. It’s basically better than both standard digital formats and vinyl in terms of potential sound quality.
Yet, even Brandenburg admits that despite digital’s technical advantages, vinyl is still popular because of the emotional connections people have with it. So, the vinyl vs. digital debate rages on, with no clear end in sight.