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CD vs. Vinyl

I've personally had to opportunity to listen to identical music on vinyl and CD on an extremely high end system, possibly a seven figure system, and certainly recognized the stark difference between the vinyl sound and a CD.

What makes this difference? Here are three situation to consider assuming the same piece of music:

(1) An original analogue recording on a vinyl vs. an A/D CD

(2) An original analogue recording on vinyl vs. an original digital recording on CD

(3) An original digial recording on CD vs. a D/A recording on vinyl

I wonder if the sound of vinyl is in some ways similar to the "color" of speakers? It's not so much of an information difference, just the sound of the medium?

Any thoughts?
mceljo

Showing 2 responses by rgs92

rgs92
974 posts
 
I really agree with Mrtennis here. With an audio component, like with a mate, there are so many factors involved, some very hard to define because you are dealing with human senses, each factor can be better, worse, or just different from each other, and therefore a simple ranking becomes really treacherous.
rgs92
974 posts
 
I've been to the NY audio show (and various dealers) several times with lots of vinyl and digital rooms. FWIW, all the systems that haunt me still for their sheer beauty of sound happen to have been digital. These include systems with Dynaudio Evidences, JMLabs Grand Utopias, Von Schwiekert VR9s,
Avantgarde Trios, Aurum Acoustics, and Apogees. (Digital was from EMM, Linn [CD12], Levinson, and others I've forgotten.)

And you know, I grew up happily with the joy of LPs and my AR turntable. Now, with an EMM front end and some Senn HD800s with a good tube headphone amp and good cables, the music is just so breathtaking and true and flowing and joyful I don't want to change a thing. I often say to myself I wish some of the good folks here on audiogon could hear what I hear. (OK, I do need to warm up the system for a while to get to this level...) So I have embraced CD sound without reservation.
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