CD vs. SACD vs. DVD-Audio vs Vinyl vs...

Hey, we listen to all formats. I don't listen to recorded music in one situation or one format. Clearly, in the car it is FM or CD or tape and I enjoy those. I even had a 45 record player in, "Bahama Baby", my hot rod in the late fifties and sixties. That was the only way to get black music, especially blues and R&B. That was kool then. But that 45 player was not a fi-fi performer, and the vinyl didn't like bumps in the road producing scratches. Since then, Tapes, FM and CDs have become king in the auto audio environment. I do have several hundred-cassette copies of LPs that are very good. At home, I listen to three recorded format FM, CD and vinyl. It's funny that those cassettes don't get played. FM and CD are the only playback formats I use for background music, and I enjoy both as that. When I want to escape into a "music performance", vinyl is the only format that gets me involved with the performance. I have invested a lot of time, effort and more money in trying to get my digital system to produce that "involvement factor" with no luck. It never gets there for me. If you have done it, well, congratulations! I can only last a 30 minutes or so before I turn digital off, and go back to the analog. Its not because I don't think it is good. It's just that digital or FM doesn't draw me into the music, period. It has its place, but it leaves me cold. Vinyl (analog) warms my soul and I can escape into the music. I have written off Sony's SACD more wasted time, effort and money. $3K+ can buy A LOT of great performances in new/used records. SACD is too little way and way too late. Maybe there will be something better around the next digital corner and I'll keep my ears listening, mind objective, and checkbook ready. But, until I can hear it. Vinyl is the music seductress in my house. Good luck in chasing those latest and greatest digital audio technologies. That chase is form of musical involvement, but no longer mine. Gerrym5

Carl, many of us in the kitchen know and follow kitchen safety insights (unspoken, or unwritten rules). It just a requirement as a group to produce and enjoy great food together. Saying we can't stand the heat in the kitchen shows that you don't understand the points people are writing to you. Once you start having people over in your kitchen or join others in their kitchen you then have a wonderful opportunity to share information and to enjoy kudos from others. That basic choice is yours, but this site is a shared kitchen. Everyone respects your right to your audio opinions and encourages you to share those. I find your opinions quite interesting and just take as your opinions. Strong personalization, attacking people, in discussions moves the discussion a way from the original discussion point and makes information sharing less than enjoyable. Please, I know you will, continue sharing your audio/music opinions and keep the personal defensive stuff to a minimum. This is a fun kitchen, and you add to it. Cheers, Gerrym5

Generally, audiophiles will not experience record wear problems when proper setups and good habits are in use. LPs can be played many times, but never the same cut within 24 hours. If you can hear the difference between 3, 8 and 15 times then poor setup and use habits are showing. I hear wear after played twice on Lacquers, which is very brittle surface and has virtually no recovery. Vinyl has excellent recovery and wear factors if properly used. Carl comments on proper cartridge/arm set up being more aurally perceptible are excellent advice. I differ on Carl's opinion on Armor All use. Forget the Armor All on the rubber. Armor All accelerates aging of all rubber compounds used on cartridges. This probably chasing a problem you should basically never experience given normal cartridge life spans in audiophile systems. Time would be better spent logging your favorite VTA on LPs and rechecking set ups. Gerrym5

Yes and No. I followed the development of a competitive automotive product "331" that specifically competes against Armor All. It was formulated by a chemical engineer eliminating all of the dehydrating chemicals used in Armor All. The president of this company is a tennis buddy of mine and he showed me test comparisons on various rubber compounds from tires to, hoses and small flex parts. Several hundred samples made up the tests. Each test had at least three new rubber samples of untreated, Armor All treated, and 331 treated all taken through an aging process. Armor All treated samples exhibited most aging and dehydration results much worst than the untreated samples. Simply put, it shortens rubber life. 331 slightly extended life while still creating much of the beautifying effects that Armor All produces when first applied. However, since 331 didn't win the first impression appearance tests it remains a very poor seller. Since that really why most people buy Armor All. This proved to be a sad investment cycle for my tennis buddy. Being in the market first, and producing the most pronounced visual immediate improvement wins the game, not something that is really better for the rubber. Again, you may feel that you are getting improvement, but seeing what I have seen leads me to conclude NEVER put Armor All on rubber, not even my tires on my M5. Like I said, my opinion is that the natural flexibility and memory life span of that rubber used in cartridges will exceed the normal audiophile's interest in the cartridge. I have about 10-15 cartridges going all the way back to Shure, Supex, Decca, Grado, Denon, Spectral, Clearaudio, Cardas, Koetsu on forward. I haven't experienced the problem you're describing. Your opinion is yours. I chosen a different process to use based on seeing some information and my own intuition. I am happy for you that you are seeing good results. Just as a follow up though, I'll look through a microscope at the rubber condition on some of my stored old cartridges when I get around to that. Gerrym5

Carl, You should follow your "14 years of expereinece with using Armor All on plastics and rubber, and it always elimated the aging process (cleans and makes it shine too)altogether, Zero" and clean your vinyl collection with Armor All. Afterall it is only logical since vinyl is in the plastics family and Armor All is so good, as you say, for ruber and plastics. PS I have always enjoyed washing my cars although its far ranks below many other pleasures. Congrats on buying the Argenta @ Music Directs close out price. Lets read you thoughts about it after you play it. Is that before or after the Armor All application? Gerrym5