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
soundsrealaudio's avatar
soundsrealaudio
756 posts
 
No surprise to me. That model esoteric is very good  sounding....
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@dynaquest4

 You covered too many bases and a response from me would just take too long. I'm glad, though, that my post got your chops churning and interested you enough to provide such a verbose reply.

I used film from 1972 to 2004. After digital reached 8mp I never looked back at film.
 
Just because i start uploading my film scan archive online recently, actually all of them are from 2004 to 2010. I see a lot of feedbacks, much more than with digital. So i assume there is still something special about analog film. This is one of my cross-processed 120mm slide film, on that picture you see a Great Canary Telescope sited on a volcanic peak 2267 metres above sea level in Atlantic Ocean. This is the world's largest single-aperture optical telescope. I can not do a picture like that with digital camera. It's a magic of the film. 

I think the lack of enthusiasm about analog film photography or vinyl records in a digital world does not affect everyone. There is and always will be something special about analog formats. 



akaim8's avatar
akaim8
28 posts
 
in the case where a listener prefers digital to analog, most likely it’s because the listener cannot discern and hear the holes in the sound that exist with digital. in that case, stick with digital. if you have really good ears, then nothing but analog will ever suffice, especially if you grew up listening to analog since the dawn of stereo sound in the late 1950’s. the new generation grew up listening to digital so they can’t tell the difference. it’s sort of like the young kids who have a 4 cylinder Honda car that they think is really fast....but Dad had a 1969 GTO with a V8 and 360 horsepower back in the day, and he knows better....I've yet to hear a CD that could compare to analog tape on an open reel machine, the differences really jump out at you with headphones.  the ambience and depth with analog is superior.   it's not something you'll always hear playing it through speakers in a room.  it's a subtle difference yet it's definitely better and more authentic with analog recordings.
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
Chakster:

Not sure I get why you uploaded that "slide" image.  To me it just looks like a a digital scan of a blurry purple haze.  And since it is now a digital image, what I supposed to compare it with.  
dynaquest4's avatar
dynaquest4
445 posts
 
akaim says:

...the differences really jump out at you with headphones. the ambience and depth with analog is superior.   it's not something you'll always hear playing it through speakers in a room. it's a subtle difference...

I do not agree that analog has better sound quality than digital.  Different for sure, but not "superior."  And, I was raised on radio, records and tape and my first car out of college was a new 69 Firebird (400ci/335hp).

I note in your quote above that you reference the difference (between analog and digital) as "subtle" but also describe the difference as "superior...and will jump out at you..."  Seem like a contradiction there; though not as bad as some who will describe the subtle difference as "jaw-dropping."
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