2. analog
  3. 1213991810

Vinyl vs. top-notch digital

I have never had an analogy rig. My CD player is a Meridian 800, supposedly one of the very best digital players out there. From what I've read, it appears there is a consensus in our community that a high-quality analog rig playing a good pressing will beat a top notch digital system playing a well-recorded and mastered CD. So here are my questions:

1) How much would one have to invest in analog to easily top the sound quality of the Meridian 800 (or similar quality digital player)? (Include in this the cost of a phono-capable preamp; my "preamp" right now is a Meridian 861 digital surround processor.)

2) How variable is the quality of LPs? Are even "bad" LPs still better than CD counterparts?

Thank you for any comments and guidance you can provide.
jeff_arrington

Showing 5 responses by cleeds

cleeds
6,089 posts
 
mikelavigne
... less than half have active CD players in their systems. and few are being added ...
So what? That was true even 8 years ago, when CDs were still a dominant medium.
let me help you out here with some relevant information;
" Per the RIAA: “Revenues from streaming music platforms grew 30% year-over-year  ... While physical media sales were down 23%, CD sales themselves slipped 34%
I'm not sure how relevant that info is. That data is mass market data, just as your CD ownership player info is mass market. It includes people who don't care about sound and music, and those who do and think their Bose ownership proves it. It doesn't tell us anything about audiophiles, some of whom (such as yourself) still use analog tape.
... no doubt CD’s can sound very very fine ... but don't spin any ... it’s not ’Top Notch Digital’ and it’s not relevant to that subject.
CD is absolutely relevant to this thread. Please note the OP asked:
How much would one have to invest in analog to easily top the sound quality of the Meridian 800 (or similar quality digital player)?
cleeds
6,089 posts
 
mikelavigne
  CD? what’s a CD? spinning disc? what’s that have to do with digital audio? ... a 12 year old thread. we live in the present.
This thread is about CD players. Are you suggesting that it be closed to suit your sensibilities?
cleeds
6,089 posts
 
mikelavigne
been there, done that. multiple times, in multiple ways.

i have 800-900 needle drops. these are 2xdsd vinyl rips of my vinyl i have on my NAS. play them often. and hundreds of digital tape transfers at various hirez levels i can compare to the vinyl transfers.
No, you haven’t quite "been there, done that." Creating a "needle drop" is not making your own recording. Dubbing the recordings of others is not the same as actually making your own recordings from a live source.
... then there was the recording done in my room back in 2008 where pro audio guys ...
2008? That was 84 dog-years ago! Just as DACs have improved since then, so have ADCs.
i can dub vinyl with my tape deck that get’s it all.
Me too! That’s easy to do! I can also make a CDR that is indistinguishable from the LP. Easy to do!
i claim that no digital recordings i’ve heard capture music like 1/2" tape
That statement would have more value if you’d experiment with your own recordings, but I understand that takes a lot of time and effort.

cleeds
6,089 posts
 
mikelavigne
... on paper digital recorders do all sorts of magic tricks as far as dynamic range and bandwidth. and data on analog recorders misses the fact that analog recorders record data into the noise floor, whereas digital recorders have hard limits that cannot be really approached. i claim that no digital recordings i’ve heard capture music like 1/2" tape ... this subject has been beat to death, stomped on and kicked dozens of times. i have the highest level digital playback gear and daily compare the highest rez digital to vinyl and tape. the results are easily heard.
Understood. What you are doing is assessing the potential of digital and analog recording based on what other people say and record.

If you really want to understand the potential differences, I suggest you make your own recordings. For example, you might want to take one of your better analog recordings, dub it to digital, and then A/B the two. The results might surprise you. Then, do the reverse: Dub to analog an excellent recording you made first on digital. A/B the two.

I’m a fan of LP, by the way, and of analog tape.
cleeds
6,089 posts
 
mikelavigne

... if digital people think it can compete with 1/2" tape, i have to laugh, that is just ignorant ...
It’s not clear what you’re saying here. Are you claiming that the best analog tape is technically superior to even first-class digital recorders?
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