Thoughts About Turntable Upgrades

I thought I had quelled my long held passion for Vinyl used as a Source in a audio system.

I feel almost hypocritical in relation to this thread, as I own a Bespoke Built Valve DAC produced by a Bulgarian Designer. I felt this allowed for the OP and myself to share a little common ground in relation to a Digital Source and especially the DAC's used.

A recent experience, which has been a very non-vinyl encounter, has had a profound effect, which has fired up / stoked my passion to extend the experiences available to me, for how I experience Vinyl Replays being produced through my system.

I do state, all said previously from myself stands and is relevant for the OP, but this dog has got a itch that seemingly won't quieten until it has had a 'good ole' Scratch. 

I also have Vladimer's Toubadour IV SE....great dac for the $......I also have 400 Vinyl albums....Never played them much then bought the Hana $1200 MC low output cart. The PS Audio STELLAR phono amp is much better than the more expensive Parasound so the Parasound went back.....Now it's 25% Vinyl and 75% CD.  Get that Vinyl back out and enjoy it. Get a good record cleaning machine for about $200 from Upscale. It's worth it !

I agree with some have pointed out; the quality of my analog source is not on par with my digital source. Thankfully, my spouse didn't lose it when I mentioned the idea of maybe, some time in the future, you know, getting a new turntable. 😉 

I found this thread looking for info about a VPI Scout that I am considering. This thread was (originally) created prior to the Mofi debacle related to their original claim that their Vinyl was created from Analog sources, and later we discover that they were using Digital masters! It had a ripple affect through the industry, not the least of which related to professional reviewers who stated that they could hear the difference between a Digital and Analog mastered recording while singing the praises (pre-disclosure) of the Mofi pressings. If the master was originally recorded digitally and later converted to analog, how could the analog version possibly sound better than the original recording?! Is the analog reproduction true to the source? Is what many like about Vinyl that it 'rounds off' the edges and 'smooths' the presentation? If so, then it's the reproduced version that is preferred and not representative of the original. 

boostedis asked

"If the master was originally recorded digitally and later converted to analog, how could the analog version possibly sound better than the original recording?! "

Well I’ve wondered a lot about this also and have done some research. I think that it is at least partly due to this............

The master digital file used to cut the lacquer is at a higher bit rate/resolution than virtually any easily sourced digital. CD redbook bit depth and sample rate yields 65,536 possible values.

The digital masters for vinyl vary but mostly their bit depth and rates yield 16,777,216 possible values.

And at the lacquer cutting room they have a top end DAC op amps etc that inscribe all this information directly onto the disc. Now it’s analog, boom, done.

Yes db dynamic range is less than CD. Doesn’t matter much. And yes vinyl has noise, but it is additive to the information inscribed. Not subtractive.

Add in possible things like mechanical 2nd order harmonic feedbacks etc of vinyl and bingo.

And ...Paul of PS Audio has said that they have compared the sound of the digital masters they use to cut their vinyl to the vinyl, and as he put it....many people will prefer the sound of the vinyl.

I don't think a good vinyl set up has to be very expensive.   Mine cost about 2K and sounds amazing.  I listen to digital for convenience and discovery only.