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What is your preference, Records or CDs?

I'm no expert on turntables but I believe my Quadraflex reference direct drive turntable is doing a fine job delivering an excellent sound. I have had some friends come over and they thought I was playing a CD. I'm not sure if this is a compliment. I love playing records and constantly seek them out. I know that some upcoming artists have even chosen to record their music on records and obvious it is not a dying media. I have seen some pretty exotic turntable designs on audiogon and my question is what to look for or what is important about it's design.
phd

Showing 5 responses by psag

psag
518 posts
 
In terms of sound quality, I don't think there is a clear winner. However, I think digital is a more accurate way of reproducing music. Analogue introduces some distortions and omits some information, and therefore may ultimately sound more musical to the human ear.
One variable to consider is the recording process: was it recorded and mastered for vinyl or digital? Another variable to consider is the type of music. Amplified/digital musics may be bettered served by digital. Unamplified jazz, vocals, chamber music lend themselves to vinyl.
psag
518 posts
 
Mapman, I agree with you- its a toss up case by case. But at this point there's nothing residing in the vinyl that can't also be conveyed in the digital. Having said that, I continue to enjoy vinyl.

Some science: The dynamic range of analogue tape: 60-72 dB, versus HD-PCM at 96khz: 130 dB. Which would you choose?
psag
518 posts
 
Zd542, There's no doubt that CD in the 80's and some of the 90's couldn't compete with the best vinyl, but those days are over. 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.
Its been shown that analogue mastertapes are lower in resolution than the highest resolution digital recordings. But I would agree that well-mastered analogue can sound better than poorly-mastered digital.
psag
518 posts
 
Mapman, interesting reading!

I was referring to playback rather than mastering. The average analogue tape deck playback system has a dynamic range of about 60 dB. I'm not sure about mastertape and mastering equipment, but probably comparable.

Given the disparity in dynamic range between high resolution digital and analogue, it becomes difficult to argue that a high resolution digital remaster could ever be had from an analogue master.
psag
518 posts
 
I think the technology on both sides is now so good that other factors assume greater importance.
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