even on top notch equipment, i still find surface noise to be bothersome. the odd click or pop startles me like a firecracker would amidst the calm. i find that only PERFECT analog [everything top-drawer and in top spec/adjustment] is "fatigue-free" while all the rest irritates me after a while. when program content analog tape hiss pops up between the comparatively hiss-free [but still broadband-noise-laden] "silent" grooves, that bugs me also, they should IMHO put the hiss all through the record and not just during the music tracks. off-center pressings [the rule rather than the exception, i have found] bug me as the pitch wavers. the pinch effect towards the end [engineer tom dowd expressed frustration with this aspect of LP reproduction] makes the music with the rotten luck of being put there near the end of each side, sound frankly subpar. being a hunter of good old musics, i can't count the number of discs i've found that look shiny clean but have been ruined by blunted needles/accumulated mistracking damage, that are fit only for airborne target practice. for all these reasons plus some others not mentioned here, i much prefer digital, even compressed [not lower than 320 kb/s VBR] digital is preferable to all those aforementioned music-wrecking nasty little hummers.
Does Anyone Think CD is Better Than Vinyl/Analog?
I am curious to know if anyone thinks the CD format (and I suppose that could include digital altogether) sounds better than vinyl and other analog formats. Who here has gone really far down both paths and can make a valid comparison? So far, I have only gone very far down the CD path and I just keep getting blown away by what the medium is capable of! I haven’t hit a wall yet. It is extremely dependent on proper setup, synergy and source material. Once you start getting those things right, the equipment gets out of the way and it can sound more fantastic than you can imagine! It’s led me to start developing a philosophy that goes something like this: Digital IS “perfect sound forever”; it’s what we do to the signal between the surface of the CD and the speaker cone that compromises it.”
So I suppose what I’m asking for is stories from people who have explored both mediums in depth and came to the conclusion that CD has the most potential (or vice versa - that’s helpful too). And I don’t simply mean you’ve spent a lot of money on a CD player. I mean you’ve tinkered and tweaked and done actual “research in the lab,” and came back with a deep understanding of the medium and can share those experiences with others.
In my experience, the three most important things to get right are to find a good CD player (and good rarely means most expensive in my experience) and then give it clean power. In my case, I have modified my CD player to run off battery power with DC-DC regulators. The last thing that must be done right is the preamp. It’s the difference between “sounds pretty good” and “sounds dynamic and realistic.”
So I suppose what I’m asking for is stories from people who have explored both mediums in depth and came to the conclusion that CD has the most potential (or vice versa - that’s helpful too). And I don’t simply mean you’ve spent a lot of money on a CD player. I mean you’ve tinkered and tweaked and done actual “research in the lab,” and came back with a deep understanding of the medium and can share those experiences with others.
In my experience, the three most important things to get right are to find a good CD player (and good rarely means most expensive in my experience) and then give it clean power. In my case, I have modified my CD player to run off battery power with DC-DC regulators. The last thing that must be done right is the preamp. It’s the difference between “sounds pretty good” and “sounds dynamic and realistic.”