What is your preference, Records or CDs?

Most important things:

1) good speed control - should not be an issue with most good tables but worth confirming

2) isolation from tt motor vibrations, various designs to accomplish this,

3) isolation from vibration casued by music playing, a solid/rigid foundation UNDER the table is the key

4) good match between cart compliance and tonearm. There is a lot of information available on teh internet from knowledgeable sources about how to achieve this to avoid problematic resonance frequencies.

Interesting Read related to the topic.

5) would be to make sure phono amp section is well isolated from any nearby external EM fields, such as those created by motors or transformers in nearby appliances, electrical cables, etc. Low level analog phono signals, devices, ICs are especially sensitive to hum/noise caused by EM fields

6) Of course, a good electrical ground is also critical to avoid/eliminate any hum

Get these ingredients right and hi fi phono sound can be a really special treat.

7) use an appropriate template or similar device suited to the table for setup and alignment of cart on tonearm. How did I forget this one? For example, Linn provides a printable paper template that can be used to properly align a cart on their tables.

Psag,

Is that the dynamic range limit of analog tape used to master the best lps with the best dynamic range out there?

Sounds surprisingly low to me for that but dunno the details.

If so, then the tape used to master is always the bottleneck regardless of what one might be able to squeeze out of a turntable and records otherwise.

Wouldn't surprise me if production of many records out there over the years, especially those produced in the more mass production later years of the "golden age of vinyl" which extended into the 1980s fall into this category, but it would surprise me if the case with all.

Records are definitely more hands on than CD.

In terms of features that make it easier to find and discover music to listen to however, music servers and services and various computer devices to play them are where its at, not CDs.

I have a sizable record and CD library. However, I spend most of my time listening by far with my various Logitech Squeeze devices, mostly from my music server (on which all my CDs reside) or other sources like Pandora or Internet radio to help discover more new music.

I listen to records when I get the urge to listen to something that i own only there usually, once in a while for an alternate version of what I might have on CD/server.

I have not listened to a CD directly for years. All new CDs get ripped to music server and I listen from there.

Sometimes I use the Denon CD player/recorder I have on my main rig to record vinyl or tape to CD and then similarly rip the CD to music server to listen. I have even done this with old 78s that I own or come across on occasion.

If I had the time, I would transfer more of my records to music server, but that takes a lot of time that I do not have available mostly.

Although I put everything to music server, I keep all original source material, records, CDs, tapes as a backup if ever needed and for general reference. Record albums are still the best physical package readily available out there for album art, liner notes, etc.

I do play CDs on occasion in the car still when radio otherwise won't cut it.

Neither CD or vinyl has all the benefits always in regards to sound quality, both formats sound very good on my system and quality of individual recordings case by case makes the biggest difference, so I really have no preference either way when it comes to just sound quality alone. Either format can win on any given day.

In general, I will pay more for a new CD than a new record. Occasionally, I find something only available on record that I must have and pay a premium for. I always look for good values whenever I can in both vinyl and CD format. That helps me build out my music library faster and more cost effectively. if only I could just snap my fingers and get it all magically tagged correctly on the music server for easy access and playback when wanted, especially the records! That would be the ultimate!

DIgital music and music servers are very hands on also by the way, for the most part. But in a different way than records. ALso its more rip once/play many. Records have to be handled every time you want to listen. I grew up with records so I do find enjoyment in that aspect of records alone still from time to time.

"Mapman, you mentioned good speed control as one of the important factors for good vinyl reproduction. Do you think that direct drive as opposed to belt drive can maintain platter speed better?"

From my experience years ago selling many brands and models of both, I would have to say probably, by a very small margin. The biggest issue I found with belt drives was state of the belt itself. Worn belts are a problem, like in a car, and dirty belts are not uncommon and will affect speed stability if not kept clean.

I would also probably say that most people will not hear a difference between belt and direct drive when things are working well as they should. I think I am pretty sensitive to these things and personally I have no preference between the two in regards to sound quality. I have heard many cases of each sounding perfectly spectacular! There are many other factors as mentioned above that can vary widely and play a much bigger role in determining end results in practice.

"I listened to a recent jazz CD on the ECM label last night, and the resolution and expansive lifelike soundstage could not be bettered by vinyl."

Well, I'm not so sure that the BEST vinyl might not still trump the best redbook CDs in this regard if measured, under ideal circumstances, but in practice, I would agree that it is a toss up case by case, recording by recording, these days.

The main reason I say this is that CD redbook format does have a defined limit for dynamic range whereas records do not, so it is possible for a record to trump any CD in regards to dynamic range and many better vinyl recordings may well do it. OF course, newer and higher resolution digital formats are a different case than CD, so results there might close the potential gap even more to the point where it does not matter at all in practice.

The events related in that article and their effects on sound quality of most CDs produced since the early to mid 90's compared to before as related is consistent with what I have observed in practice, FWIW.

Most CDs since the early to mid 90's sound pretty good, though few if any are perfect still, as is typically the case. The exception is newer "loudness war" type CDs where waveforms are clipped in the interest of a "louder" sound, usually for pop/rock type CDs. But there are many others that are done quite well and are quite competitive with better vinyl done well also IMHO.