For years I had a system built around a Technics SL-1700 direct drive turntable. Never sold it, but moving around after college it spent many years in a box. It was during those years that CD’s were introduced. By the time I had money for new gear everyone "knew" CD’s were the way to go. The Technics stayed in the box while I unboxed a succession of upgrades, including a few CD players.
One book I read around this time was Robert Harley’s excellent A Complete Guide to High End Audio. Still to this day an outstanding reference covering everything from components to tweaks to room acoustics. Harley devoted a whole chapter to analog. Odd, for something everyone "knew" was done. But then it occurred to me I had been taking other peoples word for this for years. I never really bothered to check for myself, and the Technics was still just sitting there in the box. So....
Few hours later, revelation. Epiphany. Wife comes home, same thing. Dustbin of history wipes the floor with digital. Of course, get real, mixed metaphor. Its not like its the centerpiece of my system to this day. But there was something about it, and going back to that old turntable was more than any other single thing what got me back on track to building a really engaging and satisfying music system again.
One book I read around this time was Robert Harley’s excellent A Complete Guide to High End Audio. Still to this day an outstanding reference covering everything from components to tweaks to room acoustics. Harley devoted a whole chapter to analog. Odd, for something everyone "knew" was done. But then it occurred to me I had been taking other peoples word for this for years. I never really bothered to check for myself, and the Technics was still just sitting there in the box. So....
Few hours later, revelation. Epiphany. Wife comes home, same thing. Dustbin of history wipes the floor with digital. Of course, get real, mixed metaphor. Its not like its the centerpiece of my system to this day. But there was something about it, and going back to that old turntable was more than any other single thing what got me back on track to building a really engaging and satisfying music system again.