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Comment by KaiserPro | Hacker News Reader

> Retro-electric stuff makes so little sense since it's the worst of all worlds.

old cars are bastards to drive. I have a softspot for a mark 2 VW golf. But its not fast, the steering is heavy and the brakes are utterly shite.

However, if I had the time and money, I would totally electrify a golf. it would be zippy quiet and hilarious to drive, especially without any kind of traction control.

However it would be fun.

Basically its like vinyl. It is a demonstrably worse format than anything digital(and other analogue formats), however it looks great. Sure you get lots of audiophiles waffle on about "warmth" and shit, but its all lies. they either like it because its how they think things should sound, or it looks cool. It is not a purer warmer sound.

same with backyard steam engines. useless but fucking cool

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Wouldn't it be easier to get a Mk2 GTI and put some decent tires, shocks and pads on it? Steering being heavy just means you have to avoid steering at a standstill which can be fun in itself since you're actively working to be more fluid.

> Wouldn't it be easier to get a Mk2 GTI and put some decent tires, shocks and pads on it?

oh very much so, it would be much easier to do that way, cheaper too.

But I don't think you do this for the ease of it, you do it either for the challenge, or to overcome some blocker (like parts shortage, or the engine is knackered.

> means you have to avoid steering at a standstill

ha! yeah, I still do the creepy and turn, even with the modern cars that I drive. I also still have a strong clutch reflex when driving automatic/electric

Yeah, it would also be easier to just buy an e-golf.

Vinyl, for whatever continuing reason, often does sound better than digital formats but only because it’s mastered with more care.

It could be that it’s physically impossible to master vinyl for extreme loudness, but whatever the reason is you can absolutely pick up a vinyl copy of an album and find it sounds much better than the streamed or CD version.

as a former apprentice sound engineer, I just don't believe that.

If you play your media on a decent NS-10 like speaker with a fairly good amp, you'll have pretty much what the mastering engineered mastered on.

Even tape has a better dynamic range than vinyl. Its like lomo photography, it does one thing very well, but is terrible for anything else. Yes it might sound pleasing, but it sucks for classical, anything with dynamic range, or anything that needs "room presence" as in recorded in a good sounding venue. close harmonies? yeah nah. drums with lots of cymbals? good luck.

Look there is nothing wrong with vinyl, its like shooting on expired film, it evokes a certain feeling. But its not better quality.

I agree that vinyl is technically worse than others modern formats, but it often gets mastered with greater care and therefore can sound better than CD or other digital formats.

Read this thorough rundown of one of the more famously over compressed albums where the vinyl release has better sound than even the 24 bit release: https://buttondown.com/rhcpsessions/archive/me-and-my-friend...

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