You don't list the rest of your gear. Perhaps a different CD player or some tubes would warm up the system. Some cables (such as Cardas) will warm things up also. |
Have you read the thread below: Interconnect to tame bright sounding CDP? Lot's of good suggestions. |
Digital tends to sound "harsher" than analogue. That is, until you find well designed components that use good quality parts and / or band aid poorer performing digital units. Sean
> |
Curious to know your phono-amp and TT? Enjoy the analog music. |
Suggestion...put a Taddeo Digital Antidote 2 between your CDP and PreAmp. It smooths out the CD edginess, ends the listening fatique without changing the music AND is cheap. A neat little tweak that helps your listening experience while you explore or experiment with the other great tips on A'GON. |
My turntable is a very modest pro-ject debut 2 and a pro-ject phono box, that isn't the best gear in the world but to my ears it's an improvement, my CD-player is a very
accurate machine: the rotel rcd 971, but in combination
with my CDM 1NT's the turntable sounds smoother.
My amp is a rotel 971 mk2.
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My personal experience has been similar to yours, Willy, that analogue music is more pleasant to my ears, even with modest pro-ject or rega 2. It is too bad that some of collections are available only in CDs, otherwise, I would have sold my CD gears long long time ago. No doubt, there are great CD players, but my personal preference is still analog. |
Couple of weeks ago my friend and I, We end up listening
to both of my system,My reference system is where my
digital front end,my friend made a comment, that
my reference system is so musical, natural sounding,
and enjoyable to listen.Then He requested to hear my
Diapason adamantes II speakers,this is where my mmf5
turntable is,It only took one LP for both of us, to realise
How good vynil is, very pleasant to listen,We just
listened,and enjoy the music.The LP involved is Allison
Krauss,New favorite. Then we listened to the SACD AK Live,
The song is Youre the Lucky one.It was very close.But
the LP is better.We also agree that my digital is thinner
sounding than the LP.Its nice to have both format.Its
very difficult for me to listen to cd, after vynil.
If I have plenty of time,sure vynil is the way to go.
Thanks,I just thought to share my humble experience. |
Not knowing what spk. wires you are using w/your B&W's, it might help soomth out the sound by going to bare-wire connections all around. The Kimber 8VS would be an excellent/affordable wire to consider. I agree, vinyl sounds better to my ear as well. |
Although, in general, I agree with your assesment that analog is preferable to digital "most" of the time, I don't find it so when the LPs suffer from so much compression as many classical releases do from the 60s through 70s. In many cases, comparing the CD with the same LP tips the balance towards the CD.
I do not know whether this is as prevalent with pop or rock releases since I don't own many but there are many pretty awful-sounding LPs from major classical companies. Not only in compression issues but also the use of bad vinyl. I just opened a sealed copy of Mahler's Symphony No. 6 with the Berlin Philharmonic and Herbert von Karajan on DGG and the sound is terrible. The compresison of frequencies is simple butchery in a work that requires large dynamic contrasts. The CD of this release is infinitely more listenable although you are still aware of some digital edginess. It seems that classical labels, like RCA Victor, started making extraordinary LPs in the late-50s and early 60s and then it all went downhill from there. In the late-70s and early 80s English companies like Chandos, Hyperion and others started putting out marvelous releases that, even today, sound great. But they were the exception and not the rule.
I am thankful that there is now a small trickle of re-releases being done by Classic Recordings and others of some of the great classical releases of old even though they are expensive. Here I can satisfactorily hear that a "great" LP can and does sound better than the same issue on CD.
I do own many LPs that have the benefit of both good production and manufacture and they do sound so much more musical and involving than CDs. But, I have realized that it all depends on individual items and I can no longer make a blanket statement that "LPs sound better than CDs." |
A good and musical CD-player (like Accuphase or Linn CD-12) sounds in many cases more realistic than analog. I can for example refer to the Decca recording of Brahms' first Pianoconcerto op. 15 with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Bernard Haitink. To my ears this recording when played on a good CD-player sounds like the real Concertgebouw. I know because I live in The Netherlands and I visit the Concertgebouw on regular base. Vinyl has the tendency to sound more fuller because of an emphasis on the midrange. But the Concertgebouw doesn't sound like that! So in many cases I prefer digital. Strangely when I play analog recordings which are remastered on CD they often sound better on vinyl. But this can be a matter of how well the remastering job has been done. |
Sometimes it also depend on the musicality and the set
up of the system,A month ago I changed my ic on my (vynil)
second system, not realising the system did improved
so much in terms of musicality,involvement,synergisity,
I did not even evalute, when I replace the ic, It turns
out, it was the missing puzzle.I agree with DAzzdax,
and Vvrinc. |
Please do not take offense to my post but your equipment has no synergy. Rotel has a tendancy to sound forward and yes sometimes aggressive (not as bad as Adcom but not great either). Your B&W's are also highly revealing and will reproduce what is put into them. My advice, sell your Rotel Gear and by a Tube Integrated Amplifier. You will be amazed. Also, maybe consider a tube CD Player with a more relaxed sounding amp like an Electrocompaniet integrated. All this equipment can be found used for not that much more than your Rotel equipment. Once this is done, I think you will hear a different sound from your speakers... Good Luck!
Chris |
Chris aka the Kid said a mouthful and was what i was getting at. Only difference is, Chris had more info to work with than what i did : )
Other than that, there is no mention of cabling being used for either interconnects, speaker cabling or power cords. For that matter, no mention of any type of room treatments or AC conditioning either. Hard to offer constructive suggestions with limited background on the situation. Sean
>
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My speakers strongest points are at the same time their
weakest.
The speakers are detailled and analytical, so you can hear
everything including the weakness of your system, cd or lp.
I have also Linn kan 3 speakers, they're far from transparant as my B&W's, but with my rotel gear the sound is softer ( not so harsch ), but with lp's the Kans sound not as good.
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Seems like the concensus of this thread is either upgrade your CD player and/or replace wires or amplification to 'color' the sound or listen to your records. |
Hope the above response didn't come across as flippant, was not intended that way. But it seems to me that you just like analog better (I do). What I should have said was to spend your money on records. If you feel like upgrading equipment I would suggest a good subwoofer. I think adding something like a REL strata would really complete your speakers and 'fill out' the sound. Then upgrade your turntable. |
The OP is stating fact...analog is the best and Least fatiguing medium. Digital will never sound like this....never. yes, I own cd's, however the LP is still king in this house. |
I will not sell my speakers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well Ok phono is a bit superior to digital.
I agree.
But on speakers,
,Once you hear a high quality FR with some sort of bass modual added, Take 1 channel, hook up your B&W other a high quality FR.
Flip the balance knob back and forth.
Then let us know your decision.' |
My speakers are golden!
Any cd, LP, is warm and amazing. Zero fatigue what so ever!
Well, maybe those darn Scorpions remasters from years back. Those were piercing and made me grind my teeth.
The speakers I use now, do tame them a bit, but I prefer my old Cd issues.
Worst for me is sizzling treble, can’t stand it at any volume. My speakers are a gift from the Speaker Gods. Hope they last me a lifetime! |
