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Vinyl...should I stay, or should I go?

I've sort of hit a crossroads and have decided to part with my turntable, all accessories which go with the turntable, and my record collection. However, before parting ways with my analog gear I wanted to gather some feedback and make sure I've given vinyl a fair shake.

My setup is a VPI HW-19: a Zorin tonearm and a Dynavector 17dx cartridge, with a Manly Chinook phono-stage, It plays through Primaluna dialogue Pre amp and amps. The speakers are Goldenear Reference. 

Confession, despite this setup, I've mostly streamed Roon music through an ultraRendu into a ModWright oppo 205. It's just recently I decided to give listening to vinyl a try. I'm pretty much a novice to the finer points and nuances of getting the best out of vinyl.

Experience: I'm finding the streaming music seems to be more centered with a deeper and more textured soundstage. When I stream, no matter what era the music is from, the singer/music is front, center, deep and wide. On the other hand, the last couple of records I've tried. A very old and somewhat used Alan Parsons Project lp and Jim Croce, Don't Mess around with Jim 180 gram lp, have not presented the same quality soundstage. In fact, in both cases while much of the music is centered, the singer's voice is coming mostly from the left side (speaker). Also, I'm finding the bass to be lacking. Last night in a side by side comparison, I was taken aback by how much better sounding was the streaming music.

Question: Is this typical of vinyl or is there something in my setup (again I'm a novice) I'm overlooking? With all this said, any advice on what to check or look for would be much appreciated. I'm not trying to start a debate about the merits of vinyl vs. streaming. I'm really just trying to find out if what I'm experiencing is typical of the vinyl experience or if there's something I should be correcting before pulling the plug and selling off the analog gear. Thanks
liv2teach

Showing 2 responses by geof3

geof3
1,129 posts
 
Oh boy... tough situation. As you purchased the cart “used” it could be used to death, could have some other issues as well. Here is where things get tough... you need an even playing field. If you don’t know the exact history of the cart, start there. New cart. Maybe a Sumiko or others. Don’t spend a ton (yet). Then, get your cart and arm dialed in. If you don’t know how, and don’t want to learn then have someone do it for you. I agree with the others, your issues are most likely setup/settings related. 
The thing with digital is it’s easy, brainless, and effortless. Absolutely subjective which is “better” simply because there are too many variables. I will say, vinyl, when done right, is sublime. Period.
geof3
1,129 posts
 
@alvinnir2, that is definitely the case. I don’t have have a huge collection, and for the most part, mine have been carefully selected. However, there are still a few duds pressing wise. After a bit, I think all vinyl fans tend toward the good recordings/pressings vs the random album selection. Digital is similar though. Not all recordings are mastered well... but the selection and new music side of digital simply cannot be beat.
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