Is Digital actually better than Analog?

Dear Musicaudio: +++++ " I dont own a single record, but I have been curious why so many have kept the LP's alive for so long after the digital revolution ..."+++++

Many people, like me, already own hundreds/thousands of LP's when start the CD technology and we already own our analog system. There are a lot of music that we can't get in other way but LP, it will never a realese in CD's.

These between others ( about quality sound reproduction ) are some of the reasons why still alive the LP.

I don't think that your question: +++++ " Is Digital actually better than Analog? " +++++, could have a precise answer because both mediums are totally different and you can't compare apples with bananas or a car with an airplane: it does not have sens.

Today, both mediums have its own advantages and disadvantages and both can live together in an audio system and we can use it often depending our CD or LP priorities.

95% of the recorded music comes through CD technology and this fact tell us that it does not matters about CD vs LP if we want that music then we have to buy CD and we have to have a decent CDP, no question about.

Now, you don't own a single LP: stay where you are try to make upgrades on your digital audio system ( btw, in your audio system ) and buy every single CD you like. The today 24/192 ( upsampling ) technology makes that we all can enjoy the music through CDP. Of course that if you have the money/time/patience to buy the software and analog hardware then is your call.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Cdwallace/D_edwards: It is clear that you are in love with multichannel and digital technology in a fanatical way. I like your passion for what you believe, well done. I respect both of your opinion, as I respect any other single opinion here.

Now, I'm not a fanatical about any technology: digital or analog, tube or SS, two channel or multichannel. I'm a music lover and a fanatical of MUSIC: live music and this is my reference.

Through your post I can't see/understand yet which is your reference: live MUSIC or technology/audio devices?

I'm in the analog and digital electronic design for many years and I can talk of facts on either technology for " years ". But the experiences are part of those facts and I want to share with you some of those experiences:

more than a year ago, in a business trip to Seattle, ( by coincidence ) I had the opportunity to heard the best of the best in multichannel systems ( at least I never heard something better till today ), this was with a dealer there ( Definite or Definitive Audio ), one of the dedicated room ( multichannel ) had all Wilson speakers and Halcro electronics and I think that the processor was Meridian or Lexicon, I can't remember, the room conditioning ( I think ) was designed and build by Rives Audio or some at that level. The front speakers were the MAXX2 and the surrounded WattPupy7.
In the past I had the opportunity to heard a few multichannel systems but nothing near this 500K all asault system!!!

From the very first musical note the sound was impressive, for say the least, I can't belive what I'm hearing!!!
I'm sure that with this very high quality level of demo many of the people that attend that time were " catched " and bring that technology to their homes.

The sound was impressive but something ( for me ) was not right: why I been exited but not emotional?. Then I return to my reference ( live MUSIC ) and how I percieve it in a live event:

I attend every week at least at two live events, classical/jazz,. I sit in the classical hall in the 4-6 center row: in all of the more than 20 years that I attend to concertos I never experienced the impressive " fake " of that multichannel demo or at least I never had the capacity to heard it: the sound in the hall ( where I sit ) is direct, there is a little ambience but nothing near the multichannel ( i don't want to use the " fake " word and I don't know other one ).

Now, when I attend to a Jazz club ( that normally has not avery big space ) the musical experience is more dramatic than in a big classical hall: you have the MUSIC in " front " of, what I say? not only in front of you: the musical notes hit/crash over you, you can't heard the musical ambience or it is at very low level over the direct sound.

All my MUSIC live experiences tell me that till today the best way to hear the music at home is through two channel, this is the way that put me near the live event. May be in the future the multichannel could be less " impressive " and could put me nearest to the live event and could give me the " emotions " that the two channel do.

Of course that the " music power " has no barriers of any kind and when we heard a song/melody/tune that we like it, it does not matters if we are hearing in the car, at home or by headphones we feel how grow-up the emotional feeling in all our body and this FACT is all about!!!!

I assume that you ( both ) feel in a better way those " music feelings " through the technology that you support and that's what counts to you.

Now, I agree that digital technology has a very good future but the analog technology too, let me explain it:

one of you posted that the analog technology have no advances in the last 30-40 years. I think that you don't have the right know-how about. We can take any analog area/stage: TT/tonearm/cartridge/phono stage/etc and I can prove to you that the analog technology has a very good advance ( with out any manipulation ) and in some areas a great advance today against 30-40 years ago.

Now take a look to the digital ( per se ) technology: TILL TODAY IT IS THE SAME ONE THAT WHEN START: 16/44.1 !!!!!!

this 16/44.1 was and it is the Aquiles heel of the digital technology. There are many facts against why the digital technology is so far away of the live music, I'm only give you one of them: the frequency response stop at 22.05kHz against the analog technology that goes in a more natural music way a lot higher than that. All the digital manipulations that that technology was suffer over the years ( to be near the analog sound and in this way to be near the live music ) like the up-sampling: 24/192 ( Redbook ) helps this technology to be accepted for real music lovers ( like me ).

Now, unfortunatelly the SACD/DVDA digital technology, that is a real quality sound improvement over the " glorious " Redbook, was " killed " from the very first moment that was created and was killed for their creators. This fact is a very sad one because the SACD/DVDA technology is very close to analog in some areas, even in others and is superior in other ones.

It is clear to me that in today audio/music stage the analog is a different and superior way to hear the MUSIC.

Well fellows this is my humble opinion about, just an opinion.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear D_edwards: +++++ " my goal is zero compromise " +++++

This is not a serious statement when you are talking of digital technology. Period!.

+++++ " He heard my little receiver system and despite going to all the stores in DC and Baltimore, not one store has a two channel system that is as musical. " +++++

Not big deal, very often the audio dealers have a wrong set-up. Period!!.

+++++ " Hey Raul, why didn't you go make some adjustments till it did sound like live music to you? " +++++

because it can't sound like live music, it does not matters your personal opinion. Period!.

+++++ " . Lack of knowledge and experience is never going to be the right answer " +++++

till you prove you have it. Period!.

+++++ " Want to know "what's wrong" with CD wallace? " +++++

yes, but I want to know from him not from you. Period!.

+++++ " Building a phonostage is not rocket science, I can do that too AND have " +++++

of course it is not a rocket science, but there are some " differences " between design and build a " simple car " and a Ferrari. Period!.

+++++ " that's a psychological problem when everything you thought you knew evaporates in an instant " +++++

fortunatelly my thoughts are stronger than your opinion. Period!.

I was wrong when I assume that you were a knowledge mature audio/music person digital oriented, but no you are like so many thousands and thousands of people that think that have the " bible " on its voice and forgot that they are only " one single person " with great limitations ( like you ) and that God ( yes, you certainly are not God. Not even the audio God. ) is far far away from them. Period!

Btw, I ask you which is your sound reproduction reference and your answer was: dead silence. Period!

I give you one FACT ( there are many of them ) of the today ( two channel or multichannel ) digital limitations: 16/44.1 with a limited real frequency to 22.05kHz, your answer about: dead silence. Period!

Mike, give you other facts like: " continuous. no gaps ". Anwser: dead silence. Period!.

These dead silence answers tell me that you are not really serious or knowledge about for I or any one can take its time with you. Period!

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Tvad: There is not a class knowledge experienced level contender here: that one is not a contender!!. So there is no tournament!.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Cdwallace: I wonder how many hours by week or month you are hearing live music and which kind of music. Could you tell us?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear T bone: Very good point. I totally agree with you.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.