Retro HiFi: DBX Disc - The best thing you probably haven't heard

In this video I demonstrate DBX Discs, and am blown away to find that that this forgotten 40-odd year old technology sounds as good (or better) than anything that I've ever heard.
You can still find old DBX Disc decoders on ebay goo.gl/3dC8qX where you can also find some DBX encoded records. The Discogs marketplace is also a good place to source DBX discs. www.discogs.co...
If you want to read the vinyl inlay card info about DBX disc - it can be downloaded from here: pc.cd/pUPctalK
My related blog entry: www.techmoan.co...
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This channel can be supported via Patreon at / techmoan
One more thing - I didn't try this before because to me it seemed a patently ludicrous idea....however seeing as so many asked for this, today I tried playing a non-dbx vinyl record through the decoder to see what happened. It should come as no surprise to anyone that when you use a decoder to decode something that hasn't been encoded....it doesn't work..
The results sounded terrible. Like putting a pillow over a speaker. Or putting your fingers in your ears. Unlistenable. Rubbish. Awful.. Poor. Bad.
As The Jam once said "The public gets what the public wants"....so in a (soon to be proved misguided) attempt to placate the angry crowds brandishing pitchforks and flaming torches - HERE IS A DIGITAL RECORDING of the first two minutes of Pramlatta's Hips. pc.cd/7pCctalK
Wow whatever happened to humour....so many people pointing out “that’s not a lady” on the DBX information card. I mean come on, there is a humourous air to the video overall, it’s got flipping puppets in it so you know straight off it’s not going be the News At Ten, then on top of that it actually says “*j/k” overlaid on the screen during the joke itself. I don’t know how it would be possible to to signpost a joke any more that that other than saying...”the following words are a joke” but that would surely become tiresome. Try to lighten up a bit...have some fun, you’re only here once.
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[@Techmoan]

Once upon a time there was a person who wanted to find more information about a video - they clicked on the *video description text box* The End.

[@Ratherniche]

hhahaha so good.

[@staubandy9709]

My Amplifire was 3000$ 35 years ago. It is the Yamaha C4-M4 realy realy good sounding amp and realy heavy it is 56 kg.

[@Mr_ToR]

what happens when you play a regular record through the DBX decoder???

[@CaptainDangeax]

I think I can remember about a tape player with Dolby B, C and DBX. Ever heard about that ?

[@Satchmoeddie]

Yes, I had one. I forget who made it. Mine had Dolby HX pro too. Akai? Aiwa? Teac? I forget. The belts went bad and I binned it.

[@Techmoan]

I keep extra details about the video in the *video description text box*.

[@nliberty]

hey Techmoan can you please take a look at *Video Game VCD's* i remember playing them with a controller connected to a vcd player! I still have the disc, but can't remember where the vcd player and the controllers were. It was a Pioneer, I guess...

[@Techmoan]

The *video description text box* contains information about the video.

[@tobyhines7587]

I worked dbx for a few years.The demo room was a blast, full of great gear.I remember BSR moving production overseas.I have not plated a dbx disc in over 15 years. Thanks for posting.

[@itxofficial8281]

Honestly? Even though the sound went trough all these conversions, I still thought it was awesome! The moment when the trumpets start to play at the very beginning almost blew me away. It's easy to imagine how breathtakingly awesome this record sounds when listening to it directly. It's sad that technologies like this never really won trough. The older I get, the more important high audio quality gets for me!!

[@jimkubak]

While I definitely cannot hear fully the quality of the DBX, I can definitely hear the additional warmth and over all higher range. The fact that I was hearing the bass tones and highs that I was through the tiny DSLR microphone is a testament to the difference the technology provides! Excellent video.

[@dalmatianlife]

Hi Mat. Being partially sighted (registered) I so enjoyed this video. I am very savvy to different aspects of audio recording/playback as sound has always been very intriguing for me - almost definitely born of my lack of visual acuity - and I have spent so many hours playing about with various players/recorders from cassette, vinyl, CD, DVD, etc, right through to 32bit FLAC recordings via a high quality brand of soundcard in my computer. It appears to me that the old saying on "if one sense falls, the others will be heightened" holds a lot of truth. DBX is something I vaguely remember seeing on some old media that I have encountered in the past. Sadly, at the time I was a young teenager who really didn't understand what noise reduction was - let alone how to use it. I only had cheap/second hand players/recorders, most from skips and bins that I repaired as per my natural interest as an electrician and electrical engineer. most of these were used to record off the radio (TOP-40 on Sunday being the Nº1 preference - and I bet you remember doing that too, eh, Mat? Oh for the good old days.. haha) I would love to have been born a decade or two earlier to be old enough, and earning enough, to understand waht noise reduction was, and to live through the birth of this new technology. For me, it would be a bigger highlight than watching the first landing on the moon (preferably with at least a DPL noise reduction haha). I only wish I could truly experience the difference of the LP you played here with, and without the DBX active. It really would have been a tremendous buzz indeed. However, because of the lack of media it is something I will likely never hear with my own ears as I just can not justify the time and effort and cost of acquiring the en/decoder. Dang this modern compression digital rubbish with which we ar plagued. On a side note, I was impressed by your camera microphone and the youtube quality none the less. Well, thank you for the time taken here Matt. I do enjoy/appreciate it very much. Neal

[@nicmcv6925]

As always, I really appreciate you making these videos (quality on all fronts, it must take you ages). Metal Jesus Rocks commented on this one, he's another of my favourite youtubers (he makes vids about classic video games, software and hardware), rock on!

[@markjamesmeli2520]

@11:26 the video clip mentions THE KINGSTON TRIO, who in 1979 released their ASPEN GOLD album. Reportedly, it was the first folk music album to be recorded direct-to-digital.

[@wisteela]

It's great that you've done this video, as I may be getting a boxed DBX unit.

[@Fluffets]

Another great vid! I'm really glad you got to discover DBX ... I used to love using the one on my cassette player until it became inoperable after a couple decades.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

I remember when these came out. My brother was working for SpeakerLab at the time. I also recall that issue of Pop Sci, which is strange and disturbing.

[@romes-demise]

$6,500 is more than normal for a hi - fi? now I feel like I'm rich. thanks for giving me a good day techmoan!

[@tantotonto]

This technology was much appreciated when analogue reproduction was all that was available - I used it in recording - but although I believe you of course when you sing the praises of dbx encoded/decoded vinyl, I cannot see why it would be any better than a common or garden CD whose dynamic range from the beginning was rated at 96db - significantly above vinyl and analogue tape. Perhaps the answer is in the selection of contents for this tiny catalogue of dbx records - suitably impressive audio, very well recorded and mastered.

[@alptigin5438]

Can I think of anyone with a $6500 hi-fi? Um, you?

[@Techmoan]

don't make me add it up...I don't want to know.

[@ProfessorDeezNutz]

Add me to your list*

[@redston_1]

@@Techmoan ​ I added the (inflation calculated back in the day retail) prices of all the high-fi equipment mentioned or shown in your videos it's 100,00+ don't quote me on it tho its just an estimate

[@yixnorb5971]

I had a great Technics dbx deck and loved the expanded range. It would record in dbx.

[@migalito1955]

I know the feeling. I was blown away when I heard a master reel to reel tape on a professional tape player 8 years ago. Like ice cream, where I rather have quality, like Ben & Jerry ice cream here in the states, I'd rather have a few quality recordings then dozens of so/so recordings. Too bad the market is driven towards so/so....

[@blogtodeath4736]

I was working in the specialist HiFi trade from leaving school in 1977 up to 1982 and had access to DBX demo disks. They where the only ones we ever saw. Music retailers would not stock them. CD came along with promise of 120db dynamic range as standard and I remember listening to Dire Straits - Love Over Gold on a £600 Marantz top loading CD player. The sales rep deliberately scratched the disk to prove it would still play perfectly which it did! Then mass production happened and they found the quality went all to pot. The cost of rejecting up to 90% of production was killing it until Nimbus got it right and put all the other pressing companies out of business. Bye Bye DBX it was great until it was no longer needed.

[@Orecchiedapipistrello]

Dear Techmoan, after this wonderful video (thanks!!!!) I had the fortune to find unique sealed dbx discs if you want to talk about! Ask me. Best.

[@Orecchiedapipistrello]

pls contact me in private better if you know the way to do it (me not...)

[@Rockstar1974lol]

wow i cant believe i forgot all about these... really love your videos! might have to buy one and hook it up to my reel to reel and turntable:p

[@DelilahThePig]

This partially explains the lack of audio innovation leading up to CD in 1982. Apparently different technologies did exist but all failed to capture the imagination of the public en masse. Elcassette, 15 ips reel-to-reel, Sony FM-1, etc.

[@favorit601]

Interesting video, as always. In fact, I don‘t like all these noise-cancelling systems. Although they were quite common in the 1970-1980s, they all leave heavy footprints in the dynamic structure of music. They have more in common with a studio effect device than with home hifi or audiophile music reproduction.

[@AntonyJohn71]

Now that Vinyls are gaining some listener-ship, somebody should re-licence this tech and release it!

[@siouxmoux3]

You did not buy depeche mode, heart, supertramp bee gees

[@Techmoan]

Depeche Mode was only on DBX cassette.

[@TheBrokenLife]

Police!

[@ksukhia]

Sounds like you should do a vid on DBX Cassette next !!

[@null2846]

+Karl Sukhia I agree

[@TheBrokenLife]

Maxx Fordham That's all he needed for redemption.

[@TaralgaBushAdventure]

I think the "lovely lady at lower left" you mentioned at 15:14 is a skinny bloke with 70's hair and glasses. I knew a guy in the early 80's who had dbx on a tape deck of some kind (possibly TEAC), and he showed us what a CD recorded onto a TDK SA90 tape sounded like. We couldn't tell the difference. He was convinced that shortly there would be dbx on all car tape stereos. He didn't think people would want CD's in their car, just due to the poor storage environment, and that tapes made more sense as they were disposable, and you could just make another recording. But it didn't happen that way. He was the type of guy who spent "$2000" on his stereo - and a bit more. He even had a concrete slab laid in his house, so the turntable would not be influenced, as it would have been on floorboards.

[@petersmit7650]

Interesting to see that all the old audio technologies & inventions from the 50s/60s/70s/80s are now replaced by one simple MP3. Will the MP3 ever be replaced by something better??

[@brickman409]

Yes, FLAC

[@RandomAcronyms]

Opus is a more likely replacement for mp3, it's very good audio quality at low or high bitrates and it's royalty free with backing from a lot of big tech companies.

[@brickman409]

***** Interesting. I've never heard of that before. Ill look into it.

[@RandomAcronyms]

+brickman409 ya, it's Xiph's, the maker of ogg vorbis, next audio codec. it combines the power of high bitrate codecs like vorbis and mp3 with built-in low bitrate filters from the likes of he-aac. and it made with optimizations for syncing live audio with live video, very promising.

[@davidleeashkenazi8992]

I want it now!

[@Techmoan]

If I wanted to hide information in plain sight....I'd put it in the *video description text box*

[@chrisfratz]

you'r posting so many "look at the description" coments

[@wa1ufo]

Like the CIA. They hide things in plain sight!

[@Awsomeisimo]

Can you use a dbx tape deck, as a dbx decode for a record, been thinking of getting it and trying to find dbx records, since the deck says tape and phono

[@aevangel1]

Somebody is Salty...

[@Techmoan]

A world of enlightenment awaits in the *video description text box*

[@cabbycabby1770]

Haha, why read when I can just ask the questions you've already answered in the comments section? ;) Great videos!

[@zacharygustafson8714]

I think you want me to ask you questions about the tech directly!

[@YujiUedaFan]

Techmoan, stop spamming comments on your own video... from a year ago...

[@mordacthedenier]

This sounds horrible after playing it on my phone, recording it using my Talkboy, playing it back through a payphone on a busy city street onto an answering machine and then listening to it in a bathroom with the shower running.

[@BravoCharleses]

I just read your comment on a black and white CCTV camera from the '80's which is focused on a microscope which is looking through the wrong end of a telescope whose eyepiece is covered in Vaseline all while wearing my 2007-vintage Kanye shades and I must say your comment looks awful. Barely readable.

[@PaulSmoker420]

🤣

[@Techmoan]

If you wish there were some way to "show more" text in the *video description text box* - click the 'Show More' button.

[@BigAdam2050]

"How many people do you know with a six and a half grand hifi!" I know one, bloke called Techmoan. Nice chap.

[@Trance88]

But he isn't 25. :-P

[@Diggnuts]

I thought he just wasn't getting enough sleep!

[@1blisslife]

Indeed! Great chap if you ask me!

[@reddgmd]

He lives in the *video description text box.*

[@billmilosz]

A few people I know have such small systems. Most of my mates have better.

[@Techmoan]

Look in the *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box* *video description text box*

[@Stereophonic33]

Hahaha! Guess some people can't take a hint?

[@davidleegoth]

Techmoan but where can i find more info......I'm stumped?

[@HavenMarches]

lmfao

[@Techmoan]

As The Jam once said "The public gets what the public wants"....so in a (soon to be proved misguided) attempt to placate the angry crowds brandishing pitchforks and flaming torches - *HERE IS A DIGITAL RECORDING* of the first two minutes of Pramlatta's Hips. pc.cd/7pCctalK You can hear the needle drop at 2 secs in...the silence after that is the lead in and then the music starts. There has been no manipulation of the recording - it's just phono out from the DBX 224 decoder into the audio in of a Sony HDR-MV1 recording in PCM WAV ...and after listening to this back on my laptop speakers...it sounds pretty unimpressive ;-) I still feel that analog audio can only really be experienced in person, not via a digital recording - just like a photo of a oil painting all the information is there, but it's not the same ...but hey what do I know, I'm just some guy on the internet.

[@mgkleym]

If nothing else it shows how good it is at filtering out noise and pops.

[@Blox117]

your upload was not in vain, this is proof (at least to me) that the dbx recording is far superior to that of normal vinyl sound. some people have great sound setups built around their computer, not just laptop speakers. my computer outputs to a receiver to two 3-way bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer.

[@Techmoan]

One problem was where to set the output levels so it didn't peak-out the inputs on my PCM recorder. Was going into the yellow at -4 dB too hot? So in a way I have manipulated the sound during recording.

[@Blox117]

Techmoan ive made some recordings of cassettes using audacity; if you can see the waveform in the editor go too high and low past the barrier then it is too loud.

[@fknrdcls]

Fantastic, thanks for this. Noise reduction and dynamic range are very obvious in this recording vs a regular record.

[@Techmoan]

It's worth looking in the *video description text box*

[@gregwolking]

Yes, it certainly is. Thanks! I bet "Who Are You" sounds amazing!

[@Techmoan]

The *video description text box* is the place to be.

[@Techmoan]

After I publish a video, the only way to update it, is to add text into the *video description text box*

[@YensR]

i'm really afraid to end up in a muppet sketch, but: Annotations? I realise many people hate them, so this might not be a better idea.

[@leisergeist]

+YensR mobile users won't see those sadly (or luckily, given what most people do with them)

[@YensR]

LeiserGeist Thank you, I didn't realise that! I rarely use the mobile app, I find it rather clunky, to be honest.

[@kristina80ification]

Is clicking the "show more" button really that hard? Also, on top of what that person said about mobile, it is some what inconvenient to have to watch the entire video over again just to find out what ever new information might have been added.

[@YensR]

No, it is not hard at all - and actually I meant that instead of posting several times in the comments, Techmoan could put the advice to click "show more" into an annotation, NOT all the new info. Even I am not that stupid...

[@Techmoan]

I want a digital recording of this analog experience...where can I get that......... it's in the *video description text box*.

[@donpalmera]

It's obvious the quality can't be heard through youtube because you didn't use proper oxygen free directional cables to wire it up.

[@donpalmera]

マシューセガファン94 冗談だよ。ばか

[@FayezButts]

LOL

[@jantestowy123]

don't forget about decent directional Ethernet cables too ;)

[@donpalmera]

jantestowy123 Oh of course, directional ethernet for all the connections between the uploading computer and the internet connection are a must. Wouldn't want the sonic frequencies of the bits to be lost!

[@Diggnuts]

If not recorded with a 24 karat gold core cable, you might as well record fart noises...

[@Techmoan]

If you are new to youtube and wondering where the people who make these videos can put a description about the video - look in the *video description text box*.

[@MrBlaq]

Even though you gave us the disclaimer that this would sound shitty on KZbin, the second you switched over to dbx I could immediately tell that this sounded great. Excellent video.

[@Techmoan]

It's the weirdest thing...very odd to hear something that sounds so real.

[@Techmoan]

If only there were some more information about this video....hold on, what's this in the *video description text box*.

[@bulldogbrower6732]

Well folks, he finally flipped his lid. Must have been the dust from all that stuff he collects.

[@hyperion8008]

I don't know what all the fuss is about...it sounds exactly the same through my ZX Spectrum

[@Barrybados]

lol

[@NonsensicalSpudz]

sounds exactly the same on my magnavox

[@meercreate]

Ikr, it sounds the same through my TRS-80 as well

[@mos6581com]

Philistine, at least play it through a Commodore 64.

[@Diggnuts]

It sounds the same in the paper cup on my end of the string...

[@Techmoan]

I often put extra information in the *video description text box*

[@DECCAS8]

I wonder if there's any extra information in the video description text box

[@donaloflynn]

I doubt it. Wouldn't Techmoan have suggested looking there if there was?

[@rich.e]

@@donaloflynn Agreed. Nothing to see here, move along please.

[@samc269]

For those who are serious in music and enjoy natural sound, dbx is not for you.

[@Techmoan]

A great place to find more info is the *video description text box*.

[@Techmoan]

I wish there was a way that someone could add information to a video after it has been published....wait there is and it's called the *video description text box*.

[@DissociatedWomenIncorporated]

Well this DBX is rubbish. It just sounds a bit darker, and a bit red. (Serious comment: real interesting video, as usual :D)

[@martinda7446]

Ho ho!

[@shaunsmith1825]

Try it with headphones.

[@kriswingert1662]

I had it then and now. This video does not do it justice. From the records and tapes I have, it is so much better. Even have a car deck with it. My Heart Dream Boat Annie album with dbx is far better than the cd I also own. This is a serious comment from someone who has been using it since 1985.

[@dmrr7739]

Shaun Smith I tried it with headphones! Well, headphone. The right earpiece got stepped on, so I cut it off with scissors. But they’re the $8 headphones, not the $5 cheapies, and I STILL can’t hear any difference! Personally, I think he needs to replace the capacitors in his record or his KZbin machine or something.

[@jasonmontell1472]

Anyone whos actually used dbx wouldnt say its rubbish

[@Nukle0n]

I love getting introduced to these fabulous formats on your channel, but holy moly is it also depressing with some of these technologies falling by the wayside, to imagine what could've been.

[@Techmoan]

Indeed it is.

[@nickbitten6037]

Techmoan - great video, am now looking through charity shops for DBX discs. Love older formats. Keep up the good work matey.

[@Techmoan]

Salvation awaits in the *video description text box*.

[@Techmoan]

I have more information about the video in the *video description text box*.

[@Techmoan]

Where can I find more info???? It's in the *video description text box*.

[@Techmoan]

You may find the answer to your question in the *video description text box*.

[@Kowalskithegreat]

ok

[@Techmoan]

Take a look at the *video description text box*

[@georgeprice7922]

Techmoan so,did you get the records you ordered?

[@Techmoan]

There's more info in the *video description text box*.

[@smittywerbenjagermanjensen9802]

I love seeing how cynical you got over the years from all the bullshit comments you've read. I really appreciate youtubers who read comments on their videos like you do but maybe you should take a break from it, it's not good for you mate!

[@Ecoli-jm5ik]

Bender Rodriquez stfu nigga!

[@al35mm]

DBX was actually a pro audio system, usually used with tape for both multi-track recording and mastering. I used it on several tape machines, and it was mainly used to maintain dynamic range without introducing saturation or distortion and to reduce tape hiss and noise. DBX was still used on new pro tape machines in the 90's until everything went digital. And the DBX name is still going in the pro audio market to this day! The bottom line is, DBX was never a consumer/audiophile product, and I guess these disks were a bit of an experiment to see if DBX could expand into the consumer market to rival Dolby, who also had a pro audio system that never seemed to be as popular as DBX.

[@Dan-TechAndMusic]

If only this caught on and all records from the 70s and up were DBX encoded, and amplifiers came with it built-in, wouldn't that have been something?

[@Techmoan]

It would.

[@zacharygustafson8714]

Well considering vinyl is making somewhat of a comeback, someone should try to bring this thing back.

[@zusurs]

Viniyl is making 'comeback' only in narrow hipster and vintage entusiast circles, and, of course, for some crappy DJ labels. For general public there are lossless compression formats available novadays that has quality that these analog records can't even come close to. I mean - decent FLAC recording has multiple orders of magnitude higher reproduction quality.

[@rossy105]

+Artūrs Savickis But records are cool tho.

[@cuddles6938]

Last year Vinyls sold over 9 million copies in the USA. New Vinyl Records are also around $25 a pop since they are made better than the crap they sold us that broke so easily.

[@sgtgrash]

You're sure about that? ;) I find it quite funny that BSR McDonald owned the rights to DBX. It was probably the only way their bloody awful pressed steel and plastic 'turntables' would ever get close to sounding vaguely 'hifi'.... XD

[@zusurs]

TekReview's Just only iTunes alone sold 3 billion songs last year. Thats 330 times more, to give you some perspective.

[@realmackle]

The craziest thing was I could really tell the difference in sound quality vs. a normal record on that table. Really incredible stuff!

[@juliaset751]

I was pretty heavily into DBX for a while. I did have a problem with the sound audibly “pumping” at times. Once you heard it and understood what it was it became like the elephant in the room.

[@doug2330]

Very true. i was surprised that Techmoan didn't mention that. I used to work for a retailer that had the dbx domestic UK distribution for a while. I was given a classical disc, I think Mahler?, with dbx encoding, but this was not retail packaging, just had a sticker indicating not-for-sale sample. I still have that somewhere. I mainly messed about with it on cassette and reel to reel recorders, and the pumping could be very noticeable. They also has some playback only systems, maybe 117/9, which enhanced dynamic range on playback of any material, by simple raising and lowering the volume.. At it's lowest setting, it was OK. Also remember the Burwen NR playback system, another qualified success (it kind 0f worked). CD killed these all off.

[@insideworld8088]

@@doug2330 I hear about this pumping that I had before, but since I changed my reducer (dbx) I no longer have any pumping and everything sounds great with the original dynamics

[@ubikRoyBatty]

Thanks so much for your review. I went straight out and bought a decoder and a few albums, the sound blew my mind! What a shame it's a dead format.

[@Techmoan]

Well at least we got to experience it, not many did. Glad you agree about the quality.

[@myronhelton4441]

@@Techmoan They could record DBX lps to cd. I have a store vought cd with hiss on the cd, but the record companies dont use the analog tube vinyl tapes to go to cd, they change the analog tapes to digital.

[@Yamahapsr200]

So I am wondering: How does a normal record sound through the dbx thingy? I mean you tried dbx disc w/ dbx dbx disc without dbx and normal record without dbx. I mean it probably would not sound nice but still. I wanna know D:

[@caseystark9164]

I would also really like to know this as well.

[@twitchingdan]

DBX w/ and w/o DBX were tried. The normal record w/o DBX would sound like a normal record.

[@Defensive_Wounds]

Correct, still sounded flat and crap. As records tend to be.

[@caseystark9164]

+TwitchingDan +Defensive Wounds You missed our point, we want to know what a normal record with DBX decoding would sound like. For example, would it get rid of the cracks and pops? Would it cause the audio to sound worse? Better? Corrupt it?

[@twitchingdan]

Casey Stark It probs wouldn't work that well bc of the tech used.

[@mootbooxle]

That is beautiful!! I would sure love to hear some dbx discs in person!

[@rushnerd]

Geez, what a nerd.

[@mootbooxle]

+Ｒｕｓｈｎｅｒｄ takes one to know one!

[@drpupper948]

mootbooxle I listened to the file he provided with some great earbuds. And the quality is soo good! Now I just have to listen to the actual thing so I can experience the true audio.

[@ondra30]

Hi Techmoan, you seem to compare wrong numbers. Dynamic range is measured absolute and over RMS. The 100dB figure means absolute DR, in another words 100dB signal-to-noise, but the DR rating (for instance DR7) is averaged over RMS and peak values. This cannot be directly compared. Classical music has actually well over 50dB, most acoustic genres around 30dB and electronic modern music roughly 20dB.

[@stephensams709]

DBX encoded albums are pretty awesome. I still have quite a few that I bought in Japan in 1980/81 and I still have my 224 encoder/decoder. I had not played one in quite some time, but after watching this, I pulled a couple of them out and was still amazed at how good they sound.

[@12voltvids]

I have a few DBX discs. Yes they sound fantastic. Cassette using DBX also sounds great.

[@tdcattech]

Nice research. It's like watching a detective show as you step through the different articles and publications.

[@STARDRIVE]

That's one opportunity they missed when reviving vinyl records. What wonderful concept.

[@Techmoan]

Take a second or two to read the information in the video description text box.

[@the_cheese]

This is the best-researched and most well presented KZbin video I have run past my optical sensors.

[@TCWordz]

Well this DBX stuff's a load of rubbish. On my laptop speakers it just sounds a bit darker and a bit red as well.

[@shaocaholica]

How are you finding articles on old tech in old publications? Do you just have them? It would be great if that stuff were all digitized for searching but I know they're not. Not all of them anyway.

[@Techmoan]

books.google.com

[@Techmoan]

Yes, I believe that in the US it was built into the Stereo standard...just like Laserdisc and CED used CX noise reduction. NR is used on a lot of tech - but since it's built in as standard, no one needs to mention it.

[@Techmoan]

Yes I've heard of it.

[@theladyfingers___]

Your increasing frustration at stupid commenters is incredibly amusing. I didn't know there were any noise reduction techs for vinyl, so this is very interesting. It saddens me so much that the humble CD has 96dB of DR and nowadays it's all loudness-warred into less than you'd get on a crummy cassette.

[@diogenescollytus654]

It's all about the commercials, particularly radio: they compressed the sound to make the commercials as loud as possible in order to make the commercials as loud as possible (specifially speech) in a noisy car. Being lazy they eventually mastered only one version and this same version was produced in CD format. They favored the CD format because of the wide DR but the DR was eventually wasted. Sad destiny for a good format. The loudness war was between different formats and non-CD lost: it was possible to produce the loudest sound in CD format.

[@stephblackcat]

This DBX is total rubbish! On my laptop screen it just looks a bit darker and a little red.

[@SPAZZOID100]

Stephanie Lovik lol

[@ZoeThePirate]

Wait... the master tape of Who Are You was good enough to get a dbx version? And yet the MFSL gold disc sounds deader than a budget bin rerelease of "Alvin and the Chipmunks Fart to the Tune of 'O Come All Ye Faithful' - In a Paper Bag - Underwater."

[@jjcoolaus]

Please ignore the trolls who can't read (or hear) anything you say. Your videos are awesome :) and always educational.

[@Patrick_Bateman92]

Where do you get access to these old magazines? Do you have physical copies or do you have access to an online archive?

[@UKSonicBoomBoy]

I'm amazed the DBX format has not continued. Yes I know I/we couldn't hear the full 100db sound quality but the hiss reduction is quite remarkable even for a vinyl record.

[@julosx]

We can dream of such a technology used to burn a CD… The pops and hiss wouldn't be an issue then.

[@juntistik]

How the hell are you able to find all these articles? That's some really extensive research.

[@gavinbalter9464]

He probably uses some sort of search engines for newspaper articles several of those exist

[@wal]

Great video, not sure how I missed this one before! We have similar interests, I do videos about older stereo equipment also, although most of mine is car audio related. It would be very cool to do a colab video one day. Keep up the great work!!

[@zanedominic8776]

i know im randomly asking but does anyone know a tool to get back into an instagram account? I somehow forgot my password. I love any help you can offer me

[@donovankieran9449]

@Zane Dominic instablaster =)

[@zanedominic8776]

@Donovan Kieran I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and im in the hacking process now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@zanedominic8776]

@Donovan Kieran It worked and I now got access to my account again. I'm so happy:D Thank you so much you saved my account :D

[@donovankieran9449]

@Zane Dominic you are welcome :D

[@MrRandomcommentguy]

It didn't sound good on youtube! DBX is a scam!

[@cabbycabby1770]

Haha, you mentioned the sudden volume warning on the disc... But I didn't think about it for watching this video. I cranked it up when you turned the DBX on.. And BOOM!

[@dennisolof9994]

If this DBX is that good, why do they not bring it back all together, and have everything that is released on Vinyl to be in DBX format. At least then, if you invested in Vinyl today you would get great quality compared to CD.

[@Akamig.]

the word “DBX” is used 44 times over this video. I counted it because why not?

[@MikeGervasi]

Based on your advice I ordered a few titles and a decoder :) Thanks for really digging into the information and research for your vids. UPDATE: Set everything up yesterday and I have to say it's hit or miss title to title. Jazz sounds amazing (Brubeck- Tritonis) and others sound thin in the middle (Police). Also recorded some standard vinyl on to reel with the DBX encoding and that is a huge step up. HIGHLY recommend Blood Sweat & Tears especially Side 2.

[@cdigames]

I had gotten a DBX Disc in a Vinyl Exchange years ago, and now I know why it sounded like garbage, I always assumed it was old and well worn!

[@ethan043]

Still have it? Maybe you could try to find a tape deck with DBX or a decoder to finally hear how good it sounds.

[@lrochfort]

Mr Techmoan. I love your videos, they're thoroughly well put together. However, I now very much seem to need a pbx decoder and some records. This is 100% your fault, just so you know.

[@Techmoan]

You're welcome.

[@fordtechchris]

it happens every time he posts retro tech.... suddenly I NEED it!

[@Ivo--]

Can you not just record a sample straight into a decent sound card input?

[@CAHSR2020]

That's what I was thinking too. You're reviewing a technology that is designed to make limited vinyl recordings sound as good as possible but you then you go and blame digital encoding for poor quality without giving it a decent chance to sound good in the first place.

[@micha0001]

+CAHSR2020 Maybe some difficulties with Copyright? ;-)

[@ixamraxi]

Even if you were able to get a perfect reproduction onto the computer, after you encode the video to upload it to youtube its been compressed (ruined), and even if you could encode it lossless, after its uploaded to youtube it gets recompressed into different formats (ruined), and even if you have a lot of bandwitch and so you can stream it in to your computer in lossless quality, theres no guarantee your computer will play it back properly, and even if you know you could play it back in lossless quality it wont sound as good on cheap speakers, and even if you ran your computers out to a stereo. there is no guarantee your amp (or speakers) is of sufficient quality to sound right. There are a a lot of circumstances that need to be just right for you to be able to replay this anywhere near the quality it sounded to Techmoan, and most of these limitations are outside of techmoans control, so its just not feasible. He makes the best recording he can, and after that its out of his hands.

[@Alexanification]

The loudspeaker to microphone recording is the main altering. A recording to a soundcard would be more like the real deal. The converting is less noticeable than the recording method. I very first experienced that as a kid, while recording radio to reel to reel.

[@Ivo--]

Amra It's quite silly to say that it would not matter. Yes, KZbin does re-encoding, but youtube uses AAC with a decent enough bitrate so you can at least get an idea about how the recording sounds.

[@Fake_Blood]

I don't know where you keep finding these formats, but keep them coming!

[@JamesPawson]

Any video with the muppet is a good video. (The phenomenal level of research and production values don't hurt either.) 14:22 Depeche Mode - _Speak and Spell_ I wish I could hear that!

[@tripaseca4018]

woooah man, thats sound amazing!

[@JacGoudsmit]

I bet an important reason that dbx didn't take off was that Audio-CD's came out around the same time. I imagine a lot of record stores wouldn't be interested in two new formats, that they had to make space for. And if they did make space for dbx discs, they'd probably end up with a bunch of unhappy customers who would get dbx discs instead of normal discs, either not knowing they needed a decoder, or simply not noticing the big sticker (and probably logo in the store) at all. So they'd go to the record store, buy the cool new Who album and be back next day trying to return the disc because it sounded like crap even though it was supposed to sound better.

[@TheBrokenLife]

The timing certainly is suspect and no one can argue that CDs ruled the consumer market.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

DBX was being put on some cassette decks in the early 80's, I have a Teac with it, but didn't know it was also offered for the LP market. I feel the same as you with the change to CD's in the market, that was a big reason we weren't allowed to but DAT which was already in the market outside of the US as well as Minidisc later until CD's were already filling the market. Seems the record companies didn't like the idea of people copying music onto digital formats that they couldn't control.

[@lamelama22]

Interesting. I always wondered why vinyl formats were never really improved... but I guess it was a backwards compatibility thing. Gotta love that analog(ue) sound! That said. A CD has 90 db of dynamic range, and SACD/DVD-A/etc significantly more, let alone something like 24-bit/96kHz, not to mention all of the other audio techniques that have been added over the years. Does this dbx record sound great? I'm sure it does. Does it sound better than any modern format from the same source? Doubtful. Could someone tell the difference in a double-blind test with audiophile gear and headphones? Very very unlikely. It's probably just the placebo effect from seeing such great audio come out of ancient / primitive vinyl and wanting it to be good. I'd just be content to not have noise on my computer's audio jack's whenever I'm copying stuff to the hard drive or doing something intensive! :(

[@tripsadelica]

There were a whole pile of DBX recordings on sale at the old "Douglas HiFi" store in Bourke Street, Melbourne Australia back in the late 70s. I know because I browsed them and lusted after the decoder units (and all the other lovely HiFi sets...jeeze HiFi units are nowhere near as beautifully made these days...all those VU meters and buttons...all turned aircraft aluminium!). I was a uni student back then and all my budget could stretch to were the lovely heavyweight "master vinyl" recordings. Now here's something interesting. One day whilst browsing and salivating over stuff I wanted to buy (and couldn't) an American guy was demonstrating a reel to reel DBX recording taken from a special transfer of the Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack to "Star Trek-The Motion Picture" (which I personally adore). When he played the opening fanfare and the second track (V'ger and the Klingon attack) the sound was just amazing...I was almost blown out of the store! You could hear every instrument, especially the tubular bells used as a counterpoint to the big brass in the main theme. And when the "blaster beam" raised its sonorous head in the Klingon attack I swear the glass almost broke in the front display window. Truly breathtaking! Subsequent research over the years has shown that the master tapes for that soundtrack were recorded digitally using a suppression method similar to DBX. I thave the cd versions, the FLAC versions...the lot. They all sound very nice but not a patch on what I heard in that store back in early 1980. Perhaps my ears worked better then (I'm sure they did...woes me!).

[@Techmoan]

There is a DBX disc of the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack that I'm tempted to pick up...although it's not the same recording/orchestra used in the film, so that's put me off it a bit.

[@tripsadelica]

I wouldn't bother either. Only the LSO could produce the sound that Williams wanted to convey. I wish I had a link to the DBX recording of the Trek soundtrack. Just brilliant! BTW...I really enjoy your channel and the work you do in bringing all these devices back into the public eye. More power to you. You would have loved the old Douglas HiFi store in Melbourne. It was huge and had a really wonderful advertising feature. At the front of the building there were two huge reproduction tape reels in constant motion, making the store look like a huge tape deck! Nowadays the company has shrunk back to its roots in Western Australia and has very little presence on the Eastern Seaboard.

[@kieferonline]

+Techmoan Please go for it! I bet it's still going to be a fun listen. And I'll be hoping a clip from that can make it into one of your videos!

[@Techmoan]

You seem to have (or had) some cool neon signs on shops. I was watching the 7 news report about the Sharpies Golf House sign the other day. By the way I hope you are avoiding the weather.

[@tripsadelica]

I'm in Melbourne...we've missed Sydney's wild weather. We have had heaps of rain and cold nights. Doggy has been sleeping indoors near the central heating duct for days now. At least El Nina is killing the drought! :) Have a look at this page: www.homeentertainment.com.au/retro.html

[@LordSandwichII]

How come they aren't more popular with audiophiles?

[@U014B]

Audiophiles not actually knowing what sounds good and what doesn't? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@alt-rightbostonian2773]

1000% agree, it sounds amazing, they need to bring back this tech!

[@Dokdirt]

nah I prefer all of the highly compressed auto tuned modern recordings of today

[@jefierro]

I have spent a bit on audio, I like music and I like to listen as clear and original as my budget will allow, I have DACs, Amps, expensive headphones, 24bit FLAC music, but for the life of me I can't distinguish a well encoded 256 bit itunes from a 5000 bits 24 bit FLAC Miles Davis Song, they all sound to similar to me, I only detect bad original recordings and overcompressed music. The only thing I can attest is for dynamic range, I can find +80db in 256bps mp3's (audition) in my collection and it sound wonderful to me, but find songs with lower db's and the music starts to sound flat and annoying.

[@Greeceindirestraits]

Lovely! Thank you for this one as well. Although I already knew the answer, I had the same question. But before asking, I saw the description and then the comments and they made me smile! Humour is the best way, always. And if it doesn't work, well, I said always. I also appreciate all your hard detective work with the number of releases on dbx and the not so glorious death of it. I will try to find any successors. After all if this coding technology could be imprinted on vinyl, maybe it can be reused now with the vinyl come back. And I wonder why it wasn't used on CDs, DVDs, etc (it was used after all on cassettes) Apart from the dynamic range, the thrill of a quite vinyl, alone, (usually found only on quite expensive audiophile pressings and even there only in the beginning, before dust settles in) would worth it. Last but not least, it would be great to know how a dbx encoded vinyl sounds compared to a simple, or even better audiophile, pressing of the same record. That Blood sweat and tears first album would be a great trial! From a quick search it seems that it is back! (or never really left?) dbxpro.com/en-US Anyway, thank you!

[@kawmic7]

Sadly the puppet is depicting the most consumers.😠😠😠😠😠😠😠 They don't care about quality, at all.