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 4 responses by dan_ed

dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Mike, I know you'll appreciate this. I heard a pivoted Talea laugh out loud at a Kuzma Airline. The Kuzma does have something special when playing girl with acoustic guitar. But as soon as you add the second girl with guitar the Kuzma didn't know what to do with the extra vibrations so it just dumped them back into the cartridge. Linear trackers have their own set of problems.

dealer disclaimer
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
"the last 1/3 of records are audibly compromised." Huh?
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Yeah, and then there is the cannons. "yawn" I don't know where you live but if you can get over my way I'd be more than happy to take you up on your challenge.

This theory that there is an inherent flaw in tracking the inner grooves of vinyl is an urban legend propped up by less capable equipment and/or setup skills.

Hi-rez, that which we can reasonably purchase for our homes, still does not give me as good a presentation as vinyl.
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
Jdaniel13, I understood what you meant. This does come up from time to time. I would agree with Audiofeil that the arm was probably the source of the issue. FWIW, I've been using a 20x2H for the last few weeks and before that a 10x5. It is definitely not the cartridges. I hope you didn't get so discouraged that you gave up. And, no, you don't have to spend
mega bucks to get there.

Be nice, Bill. OH, you were nice. :-)
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