1. Freshly Roasted beans 2. Freshly ground beans All the rest is just ceremony... It sort of reminds me of the #vinyl debate. Does it really sound that much better than MP3 or Compact Discs? -I think that if it does it is marginal. That said, the "ceremony" is a huge part of it. The ceremony is the fun part of most things, making/drinking coffee included.Buy good coffee beans: They should be whole beans, sustainably farmed, and roasted within the past few weeks. Plus, if you want to take part in the "third wave" coffee renaissance currently sweeping America, they should be a lighter roast so you can actually taste the flavors—the terroir—of the coffee. With darker roasts, you're missing out. We know it's a weird analogy, but a dark roast is just like taking a nice steak and charring it beyond recognition.
Or... if you are ecib, you can refurbish and old popcorn popper and roast your own beans. -Check that link out, it's pretty awesome.I disagree to a certain extent, I think there are 2 things you need for perfect coffee
The vinyl thing can be solved with science. CD audio is always 44,100 slices per second, each slice somewhere between zero and one, as measured by 65,535 steps. The best CD in the world and the worst CD in the world have this in common. Every CD player ever invented starts with this data specification. Converting that to voltage which drives speakers varies from system to system and if you spend a lot of money you will get better results than if you spend very little, but at a basic level, you're at 16/44 whatever you do. MP3 isn't. MP3 applies one of a spectrum of algorithms to approximate those slices. In addition to the "voltage-to-sound" step MP3 has in common with CD, there's also the quality of algorithm, the bandwidth of data committed to the approximation, and the quality of algorithm that converts that algorithmic approximation back into slices. Vinyl has no slices. It has no algorithms. There's a straight line between wiggles-on-platter to wiggles-in-air. Which means if you've got a quality disk on a quality turntable through a quality needle and a quality pre-amp, you will hear a difference compared to a cheap disk on a crap turntable through a worn needle and a shit pre-amp. People who freak out about how awesome vinyl is tend to be right - they tend to respect their vinyl. And people who dog on vinyl are also right - they focus on the shortcomings of the bottom end. That's the great secret of CDs - they make everything equal. There's no point in blowing a gajillion dollars on a CD player because outside of the DACs they're pretty much the same. It's also the great secret of vinyl - it is a medium that rewards attention to detail. CDs don't wear out either. It's speculated that the only reason Dark Side of the Moon finally dropped off the Billboard Top 200 is that nobody needed to replace their worn albums anymore.
One of my favorite parts of hubski is when this happens. I don't drink coffee... and yet, I skimmed these comments and came across one of the most succinct descriptions of audio formats I've ever read. I've seen multi-page articles that used twenty times as many words without saying as much. I came in for the coffee talk... and stayed for the vinyl - and I'm glad I did.
CDs don't wear out either. It's speculated that the only reason Dark Side of the Moon finally dropped off the Billboard Top 200 is that nobody needed to replace their worn albums anymore.
-That's brilliant, I'd never heard that theory. I suppose it makes sense.
There is no debate that fresh ground/roasted coffee tastes noticeably better than non, and that 128kb MP3s sounds like ass :) Vinyl vs CD is just apples and oranges. I was driving down the road the other day and the DJ played "Going to California" (first time I've listened to the radio in a long time). I enjoyed it so much that I plugged my phone in and searched Grooveshark for the song, finding multiple versions. The DJ played an original master that still had the hiss of the reel audible in the background, which I was grooving on. The first track that came up on Grooveshark was a remaster that had it completely edited out. I had a visceral negative reaction. I had to pull over to scroll around and find the version with the hiss amid all the identically labeled tracks that came up.It sort of reminds me of the #vinyl debate. Does it really sound that much better than MP3 or Compact Discs?
Ha! In regards to the vinyl/coffee comparison, I was trying to point out that the "ritual" is an important aspect of the enjoyment. There aren't too many things that we do at a certain time, every day without fail but making a pot/cup of coffee is often one of them. The ritual is important, the ceremony. Same thing with pulling vinyl out of it's sleeve. You, of course, are right regarding low-quality MP3 and vinyl. As you mention, its less noticeable in person. I'm pretty sure that you've met bgood79 before at a Hubski gathering we had in Detroit. In fact, I know you did. Anyways, bgood has a kick ass, top notch sound system. While it's ideal to listen to vinyl at his house, putting on an MP3 through his system sounds pretty amazing too. Oh, and congrats on two things too: 1. finding a song you liked on the radio. 2. nuptials.
Speaking of ritual, I'm so obsessed about wasting coffee that wheneven I make it I shut off the machine after every two cups and stir the grounds with a spoon... It may sound pedantic, sure, but I can even tell the difference between a high-quality MP3 and lossless CD audio. Given two sips of any two kinds of black tea, I can immediately tell you which one has more caffeine. Same with coffee. I'm pretty weird. :)
This article further justifies my insatiable hunger for vinyl...
Thanks! Getting married was easier! Regarding ritual, I think it's nice to elevate or enhance the ones that you have to (or choose to) perform every single day, no matter how slightly you do so. Kind of has a positive compounding effect...Oh, and congrats on two things too: 1. finding a song you liked on the radio. 2. nuptials.
I once read about someone attempting to be fully present and in the moment each time their phone rang or while behind the wheel of their car. For someone like me, while at my keyboard would be a good start. But that's a great idea, easier said than done. I'll give it a whirl though, thanks for the thought.
That is an awesome link! Thank you. I especially love "congratulations, you now have a fire hazard" Somewhat agreed on the "ceremony", but there are times when I can get out my little stovetop espresso pot, fill it up, and wait for the popping to stop before pulling it off the stove. Most mornings, I just want coffee now, with the minimum of fuss.