2. analog
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Is a vinyl rig only worth it for oldies?

I have always been curious about vinyl and its touted superiority over digital, so I decided to try it for myself. Over the course of the past several years I bought a few turntables, phono stages, and a bunch of new albums. They sounded fine I thought, but didn't stomp all over digital like some would tend to believe.

It wasn't until I popped on some old disk that I picked up used from a garage sale somewhere that I heard what vinyl was really about: it was the smoothest, most organic, and 3d sound that ever came out of my speakers. I had never heard anything quite like it. All of the digital I had, no matter how high the resolution, did not really come close to approaching that type of sound.

Out of the handful of albums I have from the 70s-80s, most of them have this type of sound. Problem is, most of my music and preferences are new releases (not necessarily in an audiophile genre) or stuff from the past decade and these albums sounded like music from a CD player but with the added noise, pops, clicks, higher price, and inconveniences inherent with vinyl. Of all the new albums I bought recently, only two sounded like they were mastered in the analog domain.

It seems that almost anything released after the 2000's (except audiophile reissues) sounded like music from a CD player of some sort, only worse due to the added noise making the CD version superior. I have experienced this on a variety of turntables, and this was even true in a friend's setup with a high end TT/cart.

So my question is, is vinyl only good for older pre-80s music when mastering was still analog and not all digital?
solman989

Showing 1 response by melodicus

melodicus
2 posts
 
Certainly not. Clicks and pops reveal bad pressinps (generally american or british) or bad/(badly mounted) cartridge. The first digital records came out in vinyl around 1979 from TELARC, recorded with Soundstream system (16 bit, 50Kz). I own 100042 and 10047. Mastered by Stan Ricker. Plating and Pressing by TELDEC Germany. Just out of curiosity i purchased the CD (pre-owned in eBay) of the Mussorkgky. The Vynil pressing sounds better on a Rega P5, Benz Glider and Phono Lehmann.
If memory serves it already sounded better with P5, Denon DL-103 and a MC phono in an ARCAM A22. But I only put my hands on the fire for the current Glider, Lehmann and Simaudio Moon i-5 Limited Edition, By the way I played the CD in An OPPO BDP-83 ussed the two channel DAC , linked to the Simaudio via Kimber Hero.
The only CDs that sound good are Refetence Recordings HDCD which are a 20 bit resolution.
SACD is another matter altogheter. RCA living Stereo, Mercury mastered by Wilma Cozart, and some DSD recorded by Pentatone sound quite good. They match the Timbre of Vinyl, but sound "lazy", lack rythm and pace of Vinyl.
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