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Can Digital beat our Analog installations?

Having gone a long walk on developing my analog systems I am addicted to phono reproduction. Nevertheless I always kept an eye on CDs and also SACDs. Before I currently updated my digital dCS chain to the complete Scarlatti boxes I experimented on the best wordclocking connections. in the end I decided going for an additional rubidium clock added to my Verona master clock.

I am using also a second system equipped with the Accuphase 800 drive and 801 DAC, an Esoteric XO1 Limited and a Wadia 861 SE for other utilization. Let's concentrate on the dCS stack. These four boxes are sounding such good and analog like that I like to question my friends, Why isn't Digital an alternative to our best analogue chains?

So it's time comparing digital vs. analog systems and maybe some sophisticated digital chains are beating our sophisticated analog systems. Will it be possible?
thuchan

Showing 1 response by actusreus

actusreus
733 posts
 
At least to me, the analog experience is more than just the sound. There is something very organic and deeply satisfying about a vinyl record and the routine that I engage in to get it set up and then see spinning making wonderful sound. No digital system can replicate this experience so to me the answer is and will always be a big fat NO regardless of whether the sound in an absolute sense is comparable or better.

Also, after watching "Sound City" and experiencing the awful quality of many of today's recordings, it seems to me the conversation should perhaps focus as much on their recording quality as on their reproduction. I can't imagine a recording done completely digitally could compete with an analog recording done right, and no insanely expensive stack of digital junk could help it.
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