Analog invites you to turn up the volume


I've been listening to a lot of streaming digital lately and really enjoying it. The sound is nice, music selection is outstanding and sure can't beat the convenience. It has almost overtaken my listening sessions but last night I decided to fire up the turntable. I noticed myself turning the volume up and just rocking out at the level I thought was most satisfying. I was kind of startled to see how high I'd set the volume and when I checked the Db meter, it was 5 to 8 Db louder than when I listen to digital. I asked myself why I don't listen to digital at the same volume and I really couldn't come up with an answer because I certainly can. I just don't care to. 

tcutter

You might want to consider that for best sound quality your digit streamer is inviting you to turn down the volume.

Lot's of variables including the quality of source components (obviously), but my take on this is, that vinyl is natively analog. No DAC. No square waves converted to sinusoidal. So it sounds better, especially loud.

Case in point - I recently listened to a $350K Nagra system with Wilson speakers. That price included a Nagra TT but we were listening to the DAC.

It sounded super detailed, crystal clear, and effortlessly powerful. But after a few minutes I thought this is cool but no way I'd listen to it for a long session at home. Never mind loud.

Just my 2 cents.

When it came in printed format, I used to read UHF Magazine (originally Hi-Fi Sound), a Montreal-based journal. The editor had a bee in his bonnet about the idea that if you constantly felt the need to turn up the volume there was something less than ideal in your system. Well, just as a cigar is sometimes just a cigar, I think that sometimes it just sounds so good I want more!

Either vinyl or digital can be optimized for superb sound.  No way a basic digital rig can compare with an optimized  vinyl setup, and visa versa.

Different sources sometime play louder, or, less loud, at the same volume levels, just like sometime volumes levels change from track to track.  I found that streamed music on my audio rig sounds just as satisfying to me at loud volume levels as my CD or vinyl set-ups ever did.  Happy listening.