2. analog
  3. 140184-113812

Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

Long story short, i've just brought home a VPI classic 1 mounted with a Zu-Denon DL103 on JMW Memorial 10.5 with the appropriate heavier counterweight. Had everything dialed in..perfect azimuth, VTF, overhang, with only a slightly higher than perfect VTA. Levelling checked. All good. 

I did a comparison between the VPI and my Esoteric X03SE and it's not even close. The Esoteric completely crushes the VPI in all regards. The level of treble refinement, air, decay, soundstage depth and width, seperation, tonality, overall coherence is just a simply a league above from what I'm hearing from the VPI. The only area the VPI seems to be better at is bass weight, but not by much. 

I'm honestly quite dumbfounded here. I've always believed that analogue should be superior to digital. I know the Esoteric is a much pricier item but the VPI classic is supposed to be a very good turntable and shouldn't be a slouch either. At this point I feel like I should give up on analogue playback and invest further in digital. 

Has anyone had a similar experience comparing the best of digital to a very good analogue setup?

Equipment:
Esoteric X03SE 
VPI Classic, JMW Memorial 10.5, Zu-DL103
Accuphase C200L
Accuphase P600
AR 90 speakers

Test Record/CD:
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing (Redbook vs MOV 180g reissue)



chadsort
minorl
1,016 posts
 
I don’t understand why that reissued album is so expensive.  
pophaudio
75 posts
 
Any recommendations for guy like me with no experience in vinyls. Should I just keep what I got now or should I get new equipment? I was going to replace phono preamp to match my accuphase ad2850 or even c37 and maybe I should also go with accuphase cartridge to continue to make it better match those components and what table to this idea . Any way if this idea is good? Or maybe somebody has better idea? Thanks 
leathalism's avatar
leathalism
4 posts
 
When you talk about MC carts, there are  MC carts and there are MC carts. The 103 is a reasonable cart and that’s it.
  Really if one wants great results from your cart,then a high quality phono pre is mandatory. Be it a tube pre or solid state, once again you have to audition a number of them to get the staging and depth that is displayed by a really good phono pre.
  I am sorry, but a really good used Benz micro glider, a Plinius 14 solid state phono pre and a tube preamp is a different reality.
  I would say, you moved to this new CD unit because your previous CD was dry, gritty and fatiguing, even a valve CD would have been an improvement.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"Digital recording pressed in vinyl vs a digital recording on digital. Now, listen to a real analog recording on analog record vs a the CD of that recording and we can talk."

If Exile On Main St. is considered analog, I prefer the record but CD I have around would be objectively better. I think I like the record because it is how I heard it when it mattered. That is not that much of a recording pinnacle so it may not be fair to judge based on it. Beggars Banquet, Italian pressing from about 1980, is, to me, not as good as 2003 SACD. Same for German pressings of It’s Only Rock’n’Roll and Goat’s Head Soup vs. CDs. However, I enjoy watching the yellow label rotating and that is where record is unbeatable.


For now, digital recording pressed on vinyl vs. a digital recording on digital seemed to me significantly better which is about the opposite from what OP found.


Based on a minuscule sample of one, it may be less to it than all the theories we make would make us believe. I did no fine adjustments, obviously crossed analog/digital recording divide, and used less-than-revered analog equipment using integrated amplifier’s phono input.


Is there any recording that exists as digital and analog at the same time? That would be the only way to compare without having objections that it is digital pressed on vinyl or vice versa.

Unless we find such a recording, we may not have anything to talk about, it seems.
glupson
7,842 posts
 

minorl,


I don’t understand why that reissued album is so expensive.  


It was not that expensive when it was released, I think I paid $60 for it (it is three records in a very protective packaging, almost of Japanese kind). It is not something that I ever listen to, but bought it just because I was curious why it got such a treatment. I have a feeling they simply tried to make it as good as they could and wanted to charge for it. Sort of, expected it to be a "reference" level for the record people actually want to listen to. I may be wrong on all accounts. I really wonder how it would sound on some truly good gear that all of you have.


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