hi-fi+ Global Network Magazine hi-fi+ Issue 241 Back Issue

Sources Special
Because recording sound (and moving images) have been with us from birth, we have a tendency to take them for granted. But, a combination of two things this month demonstrated just how much wonder we got from that first encounter with recorded sound.

In researching this month’s feature about sources, we went right back to the mid-19th century. That first recording that was finally transcribed into sound in 2009; to ears that are used to modern recording and replay techinques, this version of ‘Au Clair de la Lune’ sounds like someone shaking bees in a tin, and the earliest surviving Edison recordings fare little better. But to the ears of someone of 150 years ago, this was sheer magic!

It’s impossible for us to comprehend that, as the rise of technology has made us a little immune to wonder. Also, the ubiquitous nature of recorded sound today means it needs to be something really special to trigger such strong emotions. However, if you cast your mind back to that first time you heard what really good audio can do, you get a taste of that sense of wonder.