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After years of collecting and listening to various formats I drafted a list of preferred audio formats to guide my own collecting. Some inmates might find this list of some interest. The list is not exhaustive and the ranking is admittedly subjective and very arguable. I hope that this engenders interesting but un-emotional debate.

In each of the following three classes, the formats are listed in decreasing order of fidelity. This is a generalization and there are many exceptions. The generalization is based on my personal evaluation of titles from my present collection of more than 600 items from "Category A" (as defined below) and more than 2000 titles from "Categories B&C". The order is based on *perceived* (i.e. not measured) fidelity to the assumed original sound taking into account dynamic range, frequency response, tape hiss and vinyl surface noise. All the formats are Stereo as I have yet to explore multi-channel formats. I have also assumed that the best playback gear is used for each of the formats.
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Category A. Most Preferred Collector-level formats for all types of music:

1. 1st generation (i.e. master tape) 15 ips (or 30ips) analog tape with no noise reduction. Such master tapes are very rare and very expensive if not impossible to buy. (Although 1-inch 2-track is the absolute best, followed by 1/2-inch 2-track, I am referring here to 1/4-inch 2-track as the former two formats are very rare to find on the collectors' market.).

2. 2nd generation 15 ips tape with Dolby A or SR noise reduction (such master dubs are also rare to find and quite expensive 100s$/tape).
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Category B. Preferred commercially released formats for Jazz music

1. 45 rpm audiophile garde vinyl
2. 33 rpm audiophile grade vinyl
3. 7.5 ips commercially released 2-track (preferable) or 4-track analog tape (preferable with Dolby B but that is rare on Jazz tapes)
4. SACD (or DVD-Audio)
5. CD or HDCD produced via downsampling from 24-bit/96kHz or DSD sampled recordings or from analog masters.
6. Analog cassette tapes with Dolby SR (very rare)
7. RF/FM broadcast of live performance or of the above formats.
8. Standard 16-bit/44.1 KHz CD
9. RF/FM broadcast of CD recordings
10. mp3 and other compressed digital formats.
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Category C. Preferred commercial released formats for classical music

1. SACD (or DVD-Audio)
2. 7.5 ips commercially released 2-track (preferable) or 4-track analog tape with Dolby B noise reduction
3. 45 rpm audiophile garde vinyl
4. 33 rpm audiophile grade vinyl
5. CD or HDCD produced via downsampling from 24-bit/96kHz or DSD sampled recordings or from analog masters.
6. 7.5 ips commercially produced tape with no noise reduction
7. Analog cassette tapes with Dolby SR (very rare)
8. RF/FM broadcast of live performance or of the above formats.
9. Standard 16-bit/44.1 KHz CD
10. RF/FM broadcast of CD recordings
11. mp3 and other compressed digital formats.

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The list is not exhaustive and the ranking is admittedly subjective and very arguable

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