Tech Lowdown

the Tech
iPhono3 Black Label
recording labels joined the bandwagon and adopted the RIAA standard. Right up
to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many Eastern European recording labels
(including Russian recording labels) were still, using their own CCIR equalisation.
To further complicate matters, even after officially agreeing to implement the RIAA
equalisation curve, many recording labels continued to use their proprietary
equalisation, even well into the 1970’s. Columbia is one such prominent example in
the USA, and Decca/Telefunken/Teldec in Europe is another.
The choice is there for the customer to choose ‘by ear’. Or alternatively, simply
leave it on RIAA permanently too.
A most delicious irony is that the actually quite excellent and ground breaking
sound quality of early Decca and Deutsche Gramophone digitally mastered LPs
tends to be considered as “strident” and “digital” by many audiophiles, which is of
course true when replayed using an RIAA equalisation stage, as the mastering EQ
used was Decca FFSS which boosts the high frequencies around 2db more than
RIAA.
The reason for the objectionable sound quality of these LPs is not the digital
mastering at all, but the equalisation. In fact, since the early 1970s practically ALL
LPs were cut with the aid of a so-called cutting computer to maximise playtime,
which involved passing the analogue signal to be cut onto the LP through a Digital
Delay system with 16-Bit/48KHz A2D and D2A convertors. Hence, virtually ALL
commercial LPs since the early 1970’s are in fact “Digitally Mastered”, not just those
that explicitly employed digital recording and production systems and hence
stated this on the Label.
Replay the same “bad digital sound” LPs using the correct equalisation and a most
glorious and natural sound quality is revealed, which was always there, just hidden
by a lack of tone controls or adjustable equalisation.
Short but sweet summary
Columbia*: most Columbia/CBS, Epic, EMI (records originally issued under
Columbia) etc.
RIAA: standard EQ curve for all records issued after 1980s and some after
1950s.
Decca*: most Decca, London, Deutsche Grammophon (DG), Archiv, EMI,
Argo, NAB etc.
* For pre-1980 records
Tip: If an LP sounds overly bright, edgy, thin and lacking scale and body via RIAA
EQ, please try Decca EQ.
If an LP sounds both too bright and with muddy overblown bass, please try the
Columbia EQ.