How much do I need to spend to make vinyl sound better than digital?

I might enjoy digital more than vinyl if I am listening to pop, or rock music. Processed as it is, I listen to it with all the over-engineered effects, and it sounds fine.

However, if I want to hear acoustic instruments in a symphony orchestra at its best, with a fully 3D soundstage, good imaging, and a fully musical presentation, I’ll listen to vinyl. And that goes for well-recorded jazz or blues (Bill Evans, Miles Davis, BB King) as well. And, if the record was made in the 60s or 70s, vinyl of that era sounds more musical and voices are more "human" sounding than on anything made after 1985. Music of the ’80s was canned, thin and largely, not particularly well-recorded.

Listening to Recordings that are easily identifiable as being quality recordings does add to the experience of listening, there is the impression made from the Sound being produced as well as the knowing not much better can be offered from the Source Medium. 

Unfortunately to experience LP Albums produced on the Vinyl Medium can be quite costly in todays market, to buy into the Albums for a user of a Analogue Source. Buying used Vinyl LP's, also has its Pitfalls and not every user of Vinyl on theor Analogue Source is going to know their used item purchase of a copy of the Best Album of a particular recording is actually one which is a poor copy due to the used condition only?

For myself I have Vinyl LP's in use that are with a condition that adds to the experience of listening to a recording on a Vinyl LP.

The condition being referred to is Cleanliness, (Purification) of the Source Medium being the Vinyl LP.

I have owned Vinyl LP Albums for numerous years ( in some cases Albums are owned for near 45 years).

Over the years as my interest in being in control of the smaller things in enjoying audio equipment to replay recorded music grew, I developed a discipline for Cleaning Vinyl LP's, along with some other cleaning disciplines for audio related items.

Not too long ago, I adopted a New Design for Cleaning which has become my only cleaning method. It is a manual cleaning activity using a purpose produced solution and has superseded my usage of US Cleaning and other Solutions used over the past years for manual cleaning are no longer considered as a cleaning method, or no longer are recognised as a Cleaning Method.

Whilst I have the capability to do the manual cleaning task without harming the Vinyl LP, I will remain using the PAVCR Manual Cleaning Method using the Solutions designed within that are available to me in my Country.

The PAVCR Manual Cleaning Method, when carried out closely following the guidance given in the document, does one thing as the end result.

The one thing that is achieved as the end result, is a Vinyl LP that when used to replay the recorded music, has a new and very noticeable quality when it is being replayed. The new quality that is undeniably present is one where the Cleanliness of the LP becomes audible, there is a strong sense imparted, that the medium in use is one that is Purified and the LP Groove has been as optimised for the Stylus as can be achieved. 

There is in certain Countries only a little cost required to be outlaid to create a Purified Vinyl LP, as the volume of substances required to produce the Cleaning Solution is able to purchased as a small volume.

This cost outlaid is negligible when there is the impression made when experiencing the end result, which is the perception that a Purification of the Sound is being produced, as well as the knowing not much better can be offered as a maintenance for the Source Medium and Stylus Interface within the Groove.      

3 x $5,477.36

I’ve spent about $55,000 on my system over 57 years. 

Not only does the vinyl sound much better than digital, but I can hear when an LP is AAA vs ADA or DDA. 

To  be fair, I’ve invested more - way more - in the analog end than the digital end. I have 6,000 LPs and 400 CDs. 

Digital beats vinyl when the budgets are smaller. As the budgets get larger, then vinyl tends to win out. 

And don’t waste a whole lot of money on cables. Cables should have good enough shielding to deliver a signal efficiently, without degradation especially from RF interference. The rest is audiophile voodoo.  

In my experience. Mileage may vary. No. Mileage will vary. 

And take care of those LPs. An original press in NM condition is always better than the reissue, and almost always better than the remastered version. 

theaudioatticvinylsundays.com

@inagroove 

What is the point of spending $100,000 on a vinyl front end when one can bring one’s listeners to tears with only $16,000?