I believe that a cartridge and a speaker, by far, contribute the most to SQ.
The two transducers in a system.
I bit the bulllet and bought a Lyra Atlas SL for $13K for my Woodsong Garrard 301 with Triplanar SE arm. I use a full function Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp. My $60K front end. It is certainly, by far, the best I have owned. I read so many comments exclaiming that Lyra as among the best. I had to wait 6 months to get it. But the improvement over my excellent $3K Mayijima Shilabi was spectacular-putting it mildly.
I recently heard a demo of much more pricy system using a $25K cartridge. Seemed to be the most expensive cartridge made. Don’t recall the name.
For sure, the amount of detail was something I never heard. To hear a timpani sound like the real thing was incredible. And so much more!
This got me thinking of what could be possible with a different kind of cartridge than a moving coil. That is, a moving iron.
I have heard so much about the late Decca London Reference. A MI and a very different take from a MC. Could it be better? The World’s Best? No longer made.
However Grado has been making MI cartridges for decades. Even though they hold the patent for the MC. Recently, Grado came out with their assault on “The World’s Best”. At least their best effort. At $12K the Epoch 3. I bought one and have been using it now for about two weeks replacing my Lyra. There is no question that the Atlas SL is a fabulous cartridge. But the Epoch is even better. Overall, it’s SQ is the closest to real I have heard. To begin, putting the stylus down on the run in grove there is dead silence. As well as the groves between cuts. This silence is indicative of the purity of the music content. Everything I have read about it is true. IME, the comment of one reviewer, “The World’s Best”, may be true.
@mikelavigne, I hate to tell you this but you never owned an MC Diamond. They were just released. I have one of the very first ones in the country and it isn't even in my hands yet.
With the availability of rare earth magnets, strangling a cartridge with field coils is a silly proposition and as I said before, what you think it sounds like means absolutely zero to me. I would never buy one or even look at it because it is a Rube Goldberg device. You are absolutely entitled to enjoy yours.
@rsf507, You bet. The Platinum Signature is a little Jewel. It has the tiniest stylus I have ever seen. It is typical of the best cartridges. Nothing stands out immediately. You have to listen to a few albums you know to get the lay of the land. It is balanced, detailed, dynamic and the bass in transimpedance mode is the best I have ever heard. ( I have not listened to the Lyra or the Ortofon yet. They are payed for but not yet in my hands.) The tracking has been flawless. When I have all three cartridges I will make digital files of them playing the same material and put them on line. I expect they will sound very similar.
“There is this thing called listening” - mikelavigne
So simple, so basic and so true.
How ironic (and absurd) the notion that the final judgment of what equipment is best in the context of a given system, in a given room, should be made by anything other than LISTENING. Last time I checked the purpose of an audio system is listening (to music). The idea that lowest possible measured (measurable) distortion necessarily makes a piece of equipment sonically superior is equally absurd. How many examples of equipment with great measurements that sounded mediocre, even poor, have we all experienced?
Just what is it about those who rely so much on measurements that drives them to denigrate the experience of those who base their final judgment on listening? I have to think that the reason is simply insecurity in their own ability to listen critically. So, those who claim to hear what they themselves can’t hear must be deluded “golden ears”; or, are “biased” and just “used to” a certain (distorted) sound.
As is the case with many issues outside of audiophilia, those who make the most noise are often the least reliable source of truth.
I listened extensively to Soundsmith's Strain Gauge cartridge with records I know intimately. It has excellent transient response and a very vivid signature partially because it is too bright. It's tracking ability does not come close to that of the Hyperion.
Well there you go.
I listened to the Soundsmith Strain Gauge cartridge set up by Peter personally, using his own phono stage in a friends system. Spent the evening listening - would never have described it as bright ( and I cant stand unnaturally bright or grainy top end ). Perhaps the brightness was related to your tracking issues.
Have you had your hearing checked for Hyperacusis lately ? Given your stated desire to listen regularly at over 100db perhaps the ears are not in great shape.
Dear @dogberry : This was my answer to you about my opinion and other gentlemans opinion:
""
" And really, can anyone say they know what is best in anyone else's world? "
No one can because is something personal/subjective. What we all can is to give opinions/advise on some diffderent audio items in other audiophile room/system as alternatives bt at the end the system owner has the privilege to goes with its own decision. ""
You just posted:
" I am unsure what philosophical underpinnings you propose to justify telling someone their subjective experience is less valid than yours. "
I did not, that could be a misunderstood or a bad explanation from my part. Btw, I can tell you that my " subjective " opinion is weigthed by " objectivity " too, not only subjective.
Btw, in this thread I posted to M Lavigne:
""" qquestioning you what you like it because it’s a personal opinion your opinion of what YOU like and no one can question it. """
and that's a reality, I'm not questioning @mikelavigne. I'm questioning the Dava and by coincidence Mike is an owner.
in my decades of activity i have yet to meet an audiophile, any audiophile, who does anything but listen to gear to make decisions. whether it’s gear, or pressings, or digital files or whatever....we listen. and to interact, we have to respect listening perceptions. otherwise, chaos...or even worse..... ASR.
i’m sure such people exist, but i have no desire to meet one or to hang with them.
and Raul, you did not build your system or choose recordings by measurements.
so why, as long time respectable friends, do you continue to torment me with all this baloney about distortions and measurements? why? certainly all reproduced music contains distortions, it’s never perfect. never will be. so what?
you don’t believe that crap.
i tell you what i hear, and please tell me what you hear. but enough already with all the noise. it’s just a waste of time. i respect you and am interested in what you hear.
@rauliruegaswrote "Btw, today no one and I mean it can trust only in that " listen " that is only subjectivity. We need to be very carefully about and try to analyze the item surrounded facts/characteristics in an objective way. Ears can foolish not only you but any one else including me. Dava did it with you and here two other gentlemans opinions on this specific issue in this thread"
Our listening pleasure is a subjective experience. I am unsure what philosophical underpinnings you propose to justify telling someone their subjective experience is less valid than yours. I’m all for measuring what can be measured, and claims like ’my power cord will make your music 10% better’ that are used to sell nonsense to fools are to be regarded as worthless. But if you tell me you prefer a Guarneri over a Strad, a Fender over a Gibson, how can I say you are wrong just because I have a different taste?
The most any of us can say in response to the question that started this benighted thread is that ’x is the cartridge that pleases me the most of all those that I have heard.’ That is a statement that stands no matter how anything measures.
Dear @osada22 : No, I’m not dreaming nothing your statement is wrong because was you who posted in other thread the Dava FR where it shows those 6db deviation.Fr whatever reason you don’t show yet the cartridge compliance that any owner andpotencial customers must know to calculate the resonance frequency with their tonearm they already own. Even that M.Lavigne does not cares about that spec is a must to have.
Btw, @mikelavigne today no one and I mean it can trust only in that " listen " that is only subjectivity. We need to be very carefully about and try to analyze the item surrounded facts/characteristics in an objective way. Ears can foolish not only you but any one else including me. Dava did it with you and here two other gentlemans opinions on this specific issue in this thread:
@boothroyd : " You make many valid points about subjective & objective balance for a “World’s Best” title .."
@jasonbourne52 : " This is a case where the "golden ears" crowd’s subjective impressions leads to erroneous conclusions! "
careful never to listen to a DaVa. you might then choke on those words, which could be fatal. don’t say i never warned you.
btw; owned an Ortofon MC Diamond, along with a couple of MC Anna’s and A90’s. all fine cartridges not quite in the DaVa’s league. i sold my MC Anna and Clearaudio GFS, when i got my first standard Etsuro Gold and compared those three. the Etsuro Gold was another level in realism. but in the MC Anna price range it was a winner. a very fine cartridge.
since the DaVa is sold direct without any middle men or distribution (so far), the value equation is remarkable.
@dover, I listened extensively to Soundsmith's Strain Gauge cartridge with records I know intimately. It has excellent transient response and a very vivid signature partially because it is too bright. It's tracking ability does not come close to that of the Hyperion. I decided not to get one. The Hyperion is a cartridge I could live with and may in time get one. The cartridges I own indicate what I think is best. The MSL Signature Platinum, The Lyra Atlas Lambda SL and the Ortofon MC Diamond.
@osada22, the DAVA is a poorly constructed, ill thought out, piece of junk. I would never let one get near my turntable. @rauliruegas's purpose is to warn people away from the DAVA and he is right.
Dear @richardkrebs : Good that you have a new cartridge that fulfill your priorities.
Those priorities are mainly the ones that bias each one of us preferences to say: " this is the best cartridge I heard ".
SS manufacturer is very good for marketing and in my opinion what you are listening has a direct relationship with the new cartridge body design that promotes lower internal resonances/vibrations/distortions but that that " fact " could be says that the cartridge stylus it's more time in contact with each groove I think it's not true till the manufacturer can prove it.
Cartridge body shape is an important issue for any cartridge, we can see that importance not only with your cartridge but other cartridges as the A95, the Verissimo and others. The Colibri avoid that issue just several years ago with it's body-less design.
"" it tracks superbly . " again that's your bias because the cartridge compliance is 10cu that's almost " marginally " for grooves tracking.
As you and other side it's an almost impossible question to answer, there are to many paramerts involved in each cartridge that contributes to its quality performance and additional are our priorities.
Btw, " Front runners at the moment are Grado and DaVa...""
in good shape @terry9 , that Dava FR is around 6db out of a " decent " cartridge FR. The Hyperion is only 2db. Obviously that you have your own priorities and thta's what I'm saying.
now an 8 month wait for a DaVa, wait getting longer all the time. and as it’s sold direct it’s a steal at the price. best approach is to order one, then when it comes in, easy to sell it to those on the wait list, if it does not float your boat.....or you like something better.
i find the DaVa the perfect compliment to my diamond tipped Etsuro Gold.
@dover Thank you very much! I'm looking to get another cartridge to complement my diamond Koetsu. Front runners at the moment are Grado and DaVa. What ARE the best cartridges you have heard, and why?
I know that's a lot to ask, so please don't bother if you're busy.
My DIY air bearing tonearm is pretty flexible - wands are easily replaceable and can be made to fit the cartridge.
The Hyperion description from @richardkrebsis similar to what I've heard.
The SS strain gauge cartridges take it up another notch.
From the Paua up the SS are superb on classical.
Not the best cartridge I've heard - but very good. I've heard quicker, more dynamic, more resolving.
On the other hand I have heard some of the current top of the line contenders that have obvious flaws in my view. The SS are like Spendor speakers - they just get out of the way and let you listen in to the music. Beautifully balanced.
Tracking is very much a function of arm cartridge matching and set up as it is the actual cartridge. The fact that SS can tailor the cartridge to your arm is a bonus.
Obviously this is an impossible question to answer in absolute terms. None of us have heard all the possible contenders. But...In your opinion, what is the best cartridge you have heard?' That can be answered.
I have recently started using a SS Hyperion II. In one of Peter's lectures he talks about cartridges sampling the record groove as the stylus bounces from wall to wall. He claims that his designs stay in contact with the groove more of the time. I now understand what he is saying. With the benefit of hind sight ( hind hearing), every system I have listened to sounds like the stylus is scratching its way thru the grooves, shaking as it progresses. The Hyperion sounds like it is lubricated and just slides smoothly along. This characteristic is at first disarming and then so darn, obviously right. This is definitely not to say that it smooths out the sound. It has micro definition in spades, little details are revealed in all their thrilling glory. It also scares you with how dynamic it is, how present it is and how it conveys the emotion engraved in the record. Goose bumps, tears, smiles, joy. To me this is why we play this game.
Another test is how different do various records sound from others. Here again the Hyperion excels. One record can sound shrill and brash another dull and muffled. This strongly implies that it is getting out of the way and reveling honestly what is on the record.
I agree with Mijo that there can be no single “best” cartridge, for both objective and subjective reasons, and have said so. So too have many others. And yet this thread goes on,… and on.
@atmasphere, I think there is a lot more to it than sound quality. 45% of album sales are to people 18 to 35 years of age, people at the beginning of their careers who can ill afford expensive turntable gear. Records make great collectibles. You get a much nicer token of the artist than a digital file. You get nothing streaming. Lets not talk about CDs. Men in particular instinctively like machines and tools almost absent in the digital world.
There is no best cartridge. The sound quality of records is so variable you could not discern a best cartridge through them. Anybody going to change cartridges with each record? You also have to take into consideration the tonearm and phono stage but, there is no best "system" for the same reason.
I have a short audition recently with the DS Audio Grand Master pairing with the SAT arm and Airforce Zero turntable, and consider this one of the best analogue set up I have ever heard. Of course, I couldn’t tell which component had the greatest contribution to the great performance!
@lewmIt is vexing. The idea of the best cartridge is somewhat abstract give that most people haven’t heard all of the manufactured cartridges past or present. Even among let’s say, forty of the best reviewed cartridges of all time, I doubt most vinyl spinners would have heard even half of them. And basing an opinion about which cartridges are the best cartridges according to reviews in Stereophile magazine, is akin to studying baseball statistics on the back of baseball cards.
So according to my personal interpretation of which cartridge is the best, it’s the cartridge currently on my tonearm. All other possibilities mentioned here become topics for endless mental processing. In actuality, bringing up a diamond cantilever is pointless (as my cartridge doesn’t have one) and you were correct in saying so.
I believe Sony once made a cartridge with a diamond cantilever. The cantilever and the stylus might have actually been one continuous piece. Maybe someone could confirm this?
@rauliruegas+1! The Dava field coil cartridge with its 6db frequency response deviations precludes its use for music playback! Even the lowly Shure M44 beats that! This is a case where the "golden ears" crowd’s subjective impressions leads to erroneous conclusions!
@frogman always exist a true problem with audiophiles and that’s that our ears are way limited and several times we can be foolished by when we trust on them on what we like it.
Look, in the last 2 years Dava cartridge owners ( including M Lavigne. ) die for it as the " best " quality cartridge and all of them have that attitude because they like what they listen ( and I think still do. ) against other cartridges and all of them do not knew that the cartridge FR between 20hz-20khz has ( at least ) a 6db deviation till 2 days ago that after those 2 years the manufacturer disclosed ( in other thread and under pressure. ) the cartridge specs. All those gentlemans trust in their ear, references and audio system experiences. Obviously each one of them with a different room/system.
That way of " massive " behavior was totally subjective and yes they all like it and they like it with out knowing the " numbers " that shows that were totally wrong by any cartridge quality standard and obviously all paid money for.
That FR deviation is the worst I knew and know of any other cartridge .
We can’t trust exclusively in our ears and experiences, " numbers " always helps a lot if we know to " read it " we just need this kind of objectivity like it or not.
Dear @frogman : I aggre with some of your statements and disagree with others.
"" each piece of audio gear inserted into an audio system affects the resulting sound in one of two ways- it moves the resulting sound closer to, or farther away from the sound of live music ""
There are main characteristics in live MUSIC that can't be matched in our systems.: first is that in a live event seated at near field position there is almost nothing between you and the MUSIC sources but air and that's why that power and dynamics that develops the live MUSIC sources transients and the other characteristic is that natural tone color and rythm in live MUSIC.
So each gear can't puts us closer but farther away. Why?:
Each link in the room audio always alters/degrades the recording MUSIC and that alters/degrades means that recording information even at minimum is losted and added by each single system link developed any kind of distortions the next link in the system can't recovery the losted information and can't disappears the developed distortions but the other way around because what happened in the first system link continue in the more or les same way with all the other links till we listen the final MUSIC sound information.
Now and even that we did not attend to the recording proccesss we can work inside our room/system to stay nearer to the recording if at each system link we choosed good item designs with the lower distortions that technically is possible and that's why my room/system main target is to put everykind of generated distortion at minimum and in this way I will be nearer to the recording and if I'm nearer to the recording I'm nearer to the live MUSIC. can have some good control inside the whole system playback proccess but obviously no control of the recording proccess.
Yes, accuracy is way important and technical specs count about today.
Do you thing that that Dava cartridge FR 6db deviations can puts you nearer to the recording in any room system or that the next system link can do it? NO WAY no matters what because no single room/system link is neutral.
Subjectivity is important but objectivity too and we have to take in count all the facts/obectivity around the playback proccess. Objectivivity along subjectivity is what works and not that " technical issues take a back seat. "
Also recognize there are some things that are either unmeasurable or not yet measured.
The words of Daniel Von Recklinghausen come to mind. They apply directly to this conversation. As I mentioned, something is driving LP sales. If the digital community fails to recognize the significance of that, it will also fail to take the measurements that they have failed to take in the past. If you live your life according to made up stories rather than 'what is' you will suffer. Literally this is why digital has been unable to eclipse vinyl; the digital community simply makes up the story that 'its better'. This made up story is the impediment that causes digital to fall short for the last 40 years.
A few pragmatic designers do move the art forward but a serious problem is so much really dreadfully awful terrible digital gear that is still in service. IMO that bit is what is preventing digital from finally committing the LP to history.
In the meantime having a good cartridge set up in an arm that can really track it solves a lot of headaches- you can just sit down and enjoy music rather than having to worry about any specs. But as Mr. Von Reklinghausen points out the right specs are important for that to happen.
No argument with Frogman. For me the most astonishing aspect of live music is the transient response and dynamic range, compared to home audio. There’s plenty of “distortion “ in a live club venue due to bad rooms and ambient noises, but the sense of immediacy is riveting. For me therefore, the speakers are of paramount importance. I don’t care if the signal is pure as can be, analog or digital, if the speakers are sluggish all will be lost. I once had a sax player perform in my listening room, standing between a pair of massive ESLs. That was informative.
Assuming no significant electrical incompatibilities that would cause us to unfairly judge its actual potential in a different application, each piece of audio gear inserted into an audio system affects the resulting sound in one of two ways- it moves the resulting sound closer to, or farther away from the sound of live music. This, no matter that piece of equipment’s pedigree. Even the very best gear has a long way to go to being truly “neutral”. We can talk about technical “accuracy”, or technical superiority all we want, but then are left with the inevitable question of whether it actually brings the sound closer to the sound of live music. THAT, as far as I’m concerned is the most important measure of a component’s superiority; and technical issues take a back seat. So, how to make that judgment?
The best we can hope for is to judge the sound relative to the sonic “generalities” that we have learned to recognize through experience and exposure to live sound. And, yes, even the sound of electronic music can be judged this way; although, the well of information available for making that judgment is far far less deep than that available from live, unprocessed acoustic music. A simple and unavoidable fact.
Oh, but then there are the cries of- “there are too many variables”, “we all hear differently”, “how do we know what it sounded like in the studio?”, etc., etc. Or, “it is superior if it sounds closest to what is on the recording”. First, how the hell does one know exactly what is on the recording unless one was at the recording session AND have an extremely good aural memory? We don’t.
So, ask yourself this question: how is it that when walking down a street and one hears the sound of a saxophone or vocalist coming out an open window a block away one can immediately tell when it is an actual live musician playing?
First, it is the complex tonal textures and, even more importantly, the dynamic immediacy and nuance that immediately tell us it is the real thing; aspects of musical sounds that suffer tremendously during the record/reproduce process. There is no electronic signature. And, importantly, we don’t have our audiophile hats on at that moment. Hats which tend to cause us to lower the bar of expectation and accept at least some degree of electronic signature as “normal”. I think that, ironically, many audiophiles have not learned to listen. We tend to go into a different mode of “listening” when dealing with and listening to “Audio”. Another example:
How is it that even over a telephone, the lowest of the low-fi pieces of equipment, we can immediately recognize, not only the voice of a loved one, but that the person has a slight cold, for instance? We can because of familiarity with that sound. There is no substitute for this.
I don’t understand the point of proclamations about component superiority based only on technical issues. As important as those are, it really comes down to what sounds best to us based on our own set of sonic priorities. However, if superiority (“best”, whatever) is to be declared, to me it has to be relative to whether the sound of that piece of gear moves the sound closer to, or farther from my sense of the sound of live; and, the emotional component that is best expressed when live. Simple as that.
When a System is put together in a way that the devices in use are able to resolve recorded information and present it in a manner that creates a perception that an Honesty and Truth is being presented, it will be quite easy to describe the experience as having a realness to it.
The wording used to describe the believability of the 'realness', will be as varied as the wording one might use to describe how attending a Live Performance from an enjoyed Band hit home, as much of the emotion being portrayed will not only be created by the now experience, but these will also be influenced by very specific events that took place over earlier periods of time and how they impacted on each individual.
Individuals are very much controlled by their emotional state. Music Replays evoke emotion, and the impact of the evoked emotion, can be used to determine the quality of the replay. This is not the best method for judging equipment performance. It is the best method to judge why a item or selected system is the best choice for an individual.
To see a Band, Perform Live, that was a creator of selected Song at a Loved Ones Funeral, or a Special Song chosen at an Important Moment in one's Life, will have a compound effect on an attendee of an audience.
I think I’ve already said this: CDs and DVDs inevitably bore me. You could say it’s because my Ayre C5Xe-mp CDP isn’t good enough. Top quality LPs kill it. Hi-rez streaming is another matter. That’s where modern digital can shine. But I won’t give up vinyl for streaming because I’ve got so many wonderful LPs, and there’s a certain Zen about playing them that appeals, not to mention the visceral sensation of reality that occasionally occurs. May I be left alone to enjoy? Raul always ends his posts with “enjoy the music “. Yes, do that. Also recognize there are some things that are either unmeasurable or not yet measured.
digital is more accurate. There can be no doubt about this. It is superior in every and all measurable parameters. This says nothing about "sounding better." Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
Something is keeping current LP sales on the rise. Most of it isn't coming from audiophiles and likely the buyers know nothing of the specs. Usually when a succeeding tech appears it eclipses the prior art which disappears. That's not happened over the last 40 years with the LP so we can safely say digital is an incremental improvement sound-wise as opposed to transformative (disruptive).
IMO the factor is that most people don't ever hear good digital audio (just as most people don't ever get to hear good analog either). Some of the older digital playback gear was pretty dreadful, especially if it was less expensive and my surmise is a lot of that is still in service.
@lewm, digital is more accurate. There can be no doubt about this. It is superior in every and all measurable parameters. This says nothing about "sounding better." Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.
@rauliruegas, My wood comment pertains to cartridges only. I have owned a Koetsu Rosewood and a Grado Statement. Yes, wood can be treated in a number of ways but it will never be as inert and massive as a metal. Resin treated it can be used effectively in tonearms but I still prefer a metal or fiberglass wand. I have not yet heard an Epoch and at this point have no desire as I have focused on very low impedance moving coils. Like me you think the Ortofon MC Diamond is a killer cartridge design. So, don't give me this BS on wooden cartridges :-)
I'll jump in once more. This thread is not about CD vs LP, and any entries of that kind ought to be ignored or deleted.
My opinion is that the new technologies that take the idea of minimising the moving mass on the cantilever are on the right track for ultimate fidelity. I know I'm biased, but the cantileverless Deccas started out in this direction, and the Soundsmith strain gauge and the DS Audio optical cartridges are running with it. The AT Art1000 with the coils right at the distal end of the cantilever is a third approach. It seems to me that only the very best of conventional LOMC pickups might vie with them, but at a much higher price. There is no reason, other than a dislike of losing advertising dollars, why a magazine should not conduct a shootout between these three. I am fairly sure I would not be alone in wanting to read that!
(Yes, it would be better for me to conduct my own comparison, but I'm not made of money and there is no way I could go and hear all three, sadly.)
There is affirmation from both types of Medium Users, that there is something to be contested, an analysis of the commonly seen exchanges on the CD Source vs Vinyl LP Source, there is the assertion to be seen stated that something exists.
There is a resistance seen to show conflation and merge ideas, there is seemingly refute presented and this serves as an ongoing fuel to maintain division.
The properties to be compared from each Source are intangible, the methods used for embedding recorded information, and the method required to replay the recorded material are not similar, and limitations of one vs the other are known.
Reconciling with the differences to be discovered in each and allowing oneself to adjust to the idea that both are viable as a means to produce a satisfying replay, will be key to accepting that either are quite capable, and worthwhile embracing if the choice of the Medium is wanted to be used.
In a Thread as this one, with the Specific Topic inquiring about 'What is the World's Best Cartridge' the not too commonly discussed, requirements to create optimised interfaces for a TT > Tonearm > Cartridge and the Materials and Designs that would be seen to be selected as Good > Better > Best to enable a Styli / Cantilever to be used to their optimum, would be a much more valuable area of additional discussion and information to be aired, in place of where Digital as an alternative Source Material fits in to the discussion.
Dear @thekong : Te digital/analog issue is not about measuremenst, in this thread and other threads where I posted about I never mentioned " measurements " because it’s not the issue. I posted in this thread:
" for many years we were accustom to listen it and what does it means this fact: simple we are accustomed to the LP developed high distortions it’s what we like even if its wrong and this is not the issue. The deep main reason is that: we are accustomed to those LP sound along its developed distortions. "
and :
""
all of us are missing through digital medium ALL THE ADDED DISTORTIONS DEVELOPED THROUGH THE LP RECORDING AND PLAYBACK PROCCESS .
Our brain knows something is " different " down there.
You know if we have a " routine " of any self behavior that we do it day by day for several years and if one day we haven’t the time to do that " routine " the brain works in automatic and many times we could be a little confused about due that we have to go but the brain told something was not do it. This is not about measurements it’s how the human brain works that in that case works by " instinct ".
Live MUSIC seated at nearfield position just does not sounds, not even near, as what you or any one of us listen at our places. Far away from there.
Look the main issue is what puts us nearer and truer to the recording. No matters what is digital medium compared not with analog but to LIVE MUSIC SEATED AT NEAR FIELD POSITION where normally are the recording microphones. It’s not rocket science is only : common sense with no biased attitude.
Do you think that live MUSIC seated at that position will permits you to listen it , say , 60 minutes?. No way, you will feel not what you experienced in that friend system listening digital but even more tortuose.
Live MUSIC has a dynamic power that we have to " live " at that position: is unveliable, but live MUSIC is brigthness and sometimes even hardness as could be the Dizzy horn at 2 m. that you can’t " support " it for more than 10-15 minutes with out damaging your ears for ever.( well microphones can pick-up en excess of 140db SPL. ). That sweetness or warmness that many talk with analog/LP just does not exist at that live position.
Live MUSIC is like poetry or painting all of them a true ART and always wake up some kind of emotions no matters what.
MUSIC brougth to us, many times, very nice or not so nice " memories " even if we listen in a radio device.
So what are you talking about? Jitter?: you mentioned for the first time in this thread and that kind of " characteristic " exist playing LPs.
I am also very sensitive to high frequency distortion and sound floor. I have practically gone running from some systems with my hands clapped over my ears while a couple other folks next to me were overwhelmed with how great the system was (detail at all costs… ? And damaged hearing?.
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