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.
+1, @mitch2 on dynamic range. There is a +/-10dB difference between my analog and digital output. I don’t listen very loud since I am only 8ft away from my speakers. I believe what you have missed is tactile nature of vinyl playback and its unique sound characteristics that often invites this kind of engagement - turning the volume up and fully diving into the music. I find it very fascinating how the different media formats can shape not just the sound but also the way we interact with and enjoy music. |
I am not trying to be argumentative, but add some detail to my comments. While the very significant shortcomings of digital equipment lasted until… well let’s say the last ten years. Now digital can sound pretty much as the designer desires. I have used many phonostage, turntables, DACs, cartridges, streamers and CD players over the last fifty years. As an example, I configured my current systems (you can see it under my user ID) to very specifically sound like real music in detail and in gestalt. In preparation I attended the symphony in 7th row center seats for a decade… and acoustic jazz concerts. Then I constructed my main system, both analog and digital to sound that way. While vinyl can sound very slightly better or not quite as good depending on the particular pressing they sound the same. I could easily configure a vinyl system to sound less analog than my digital system simply with choice of phono stage and/or cartridge. |
