Well I had been living with the Sony SCD-777ES for 8 months
now. I was impressed with SACD not until I replaced my VPI
HW-19 III with JA MICHELL Gyrodec SE. It was explosive smokes the 777ES. The combination of vintage Western Electric 300B triodes and vinyl is mind bogling. And by the
way for me it's a must to step-up transformer for MC cartridge. I use it on the Koetsu Black mounted on Graham 1.5T. |
I have LP pressings that I purchased new in the 1960's, and were played on a regular basis by my Thorens TD125 and SME arm with Ortofon MC cartridge. This was extreme high end for that era and was a remarkable investment, as it protected the life of my vinyl. Even to this day, none of my records show objectionable levels of noise or reduced quality, even with my Walker table and arm, fitted with a Koetsu Rosewood Platinum Signature.
At one of my most recent music sessions, we played several albums by the Doors and Jazz by Dave Brubeck. These LP's were originals from my 60's collections. One listener commented that he would mistake the signal to noise (quietness) and sound for a SACD or CD, except that the LP was killing both formats on quality. |
Rar1 I find the allure of vinyl to be primarily in the area of dimensional realism. There is a "fullness" to the sound, even in modestly priced equipment, that I have not heard from digital.
Walk into a vinyl store and listen for yourself. If you like what you hear, great, if not that is fine too. Go for what turns you on.
Keep in mind that what you hear in the vinyl store will probably be at the lower end of what vinyl is capable of.
I have not heard any super high-end digital with the exception of limited exposure to SACD. SACD was very nice and I will probably purchase a SACD player some day.
I am very glad that I did not dispose of my LP's even though I sold my equipment years ago. The limited availability of current music in LP format is also an issue for many.
I hope this post has not come across as condescending, I am just trying to give my perspective. There are also other facets of vinyl enjoyment that I have not touched on here. God bless. |
I am not looking to start a war or anything like that ... just looking to share honestly and see what might be wrong with my memory. As I remember the vinyl experience, it was always a function of how good your taping facilities were. Even with good gear, and my vinyl gear was at least mid-fi most of the time (Technics/Dual/B&O/Shure/Grado/ Discwasher, etc.), the first time I would listen to an album, I would also make a tape copy and I would listen to the tape most of the time. I (and lots of others) would do this, because records just scratched up and acquired noise way too easily. CD was a godsend, for this reason alone. What precisely has changed ... or maybe nothing and my recollections are just off ? I would buy both normal editions, as well as audiophile pressings. Thanks. |
I expect to get back into vinyl after a many year absence from both high-end audio and vinyl. My timetable is approximately within the next 6-9 months. I will be using an Atma-Sphere modified Empire 208 table, probably with Graham 2.2 arm. I am looking for cartridge recommendations. I listen to most music types. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. God bless.
P.S. I would enjoy receiving any commentary on how the Origin Live modded Rega's would sound in this setup. |
This is like giving an alcoholic a bottle of Night Train, but in Kansas City is a shop with at least 3,000 sq.ft. of vinyl. Pretty sure I remember it as Streetside Records and Tapes 816 561 1580. Best of luck and I'm not responsible. |
That Basis/Graham/Herron combination sounds like a real winner, and actually I'd love to own that rig myself, but my bank account is much healthier without spending that much cash. I use the Michell Gyro II SE with the Origin Live Rega RB250 and Benz Ruby II, and that is the best sounding analog I've had in my system by a good margin. I owned a VPI Aries/JMW, with ClearAudio Gamma and Transfiguration cartridges, but just couldn't get that rig to perform like it should have. I also got excellent sound from the Townshend Mk-III Rock with modified RB300 and Transfiguration cartridge, but it always sounded a touch bright for my taste. The brightness may have been related to a slight upper midrange resonance in the RB300 arm, I suspect. I would have really liked to have tried the Townshend with the Origin Live Rega RB250 and the Benz Ruby 2, because that combination might have been excellent too (a beer-budget giant killer if you could get a good deal on the Benz). |
I agree with all the fawning over vinyl. Just got my VPI Aries and JMW/Grado. It's a dream. What a combo with BAT and Aerial 10Ts. |
For what it's worth..if anyone is searching for high-buck
vinyl sound...on a budget, try to find a used Townshend
Audio MkIII Rock turntable. It is the one with the damping
thing on the cartridge end of the arm...and comes with an
improved version of the RB300 (RB600?) arm. This table
was well reviewed some years back in Fi... The whole thing
is built into a version of the seismic sink. Set up with
a top Grado or Benz is a good way to get into..or stay in
analog without spending 3 to 5k. You also get to use your
own choice of cable via high quality RCA jacks on the back
of the sink. |
As a confirmed Audiogonoholic, I bought everything except the cartridge on-line, demo or used. I ended up getting a Basis debut 5, a Graham 2.0 (soon to be 2.20) tonearm, a Herron phono stage and a Harmonic Technology crystal phono cable. I bought a Benz Ruby 2, series 2, low output cartridge, through a local dealer so they could mount it. When I get more adventurous I will try mounting my own.
David |
I agree with Bluenose. Davids' life will never be the same; the frequent stops at used record stores, garage sales, flea markets, even buying vinyl on-line. Welcome to our world ... |
Isn't it a wonderful heady feeling, David? The vinyl fix will have you hunting out garage sales and used vinyl shops gleefully hauling away those precious records to clean and play......You're in for a lot of enjoyment. Good for you! Cheers, Bluenose |
Hi David,
Whaddya end up gettin' for record spinnin'? and whaddya mean by the "...except for SACD" thing?
;O)
Most decent vinyl rigs should show SACD its heels once it's set up properly and broken in. |
