2. analog
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When does analog compete with digital?

With vinyl becoming all the rage, many believe (perhaps mistakenly) that a budget of $1K will allow them to bring their analog front end up to par with their digital. I would like a reasoned assessment of this issue.

How much time, money, and expertise do you think is necessary before one can seriously claim that their analog front end can compete with their digital? What characteristics, if any, are simply incommensurable between these two mediums? Let's use my system as an example.

Personally, I tried to build an analog front-end that focused on texture/warmth (as opposed to dynamics), but I still feel as though something is missing. Trouble is, I can't quite put my finger on it. I'd be grateful for comments/suggestions (system in sig)
jferreir

Showing 6 responses by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
Bad idea trying to equate one with the other. They are inherently different Better to shoot for a single particular sound you like and tune each t that separately over time until achieved. For most, if done right, it does not have to cost a fortune.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
Rumor has it Nasa developed a gimble mounted turntable for the Apollo astronauts back in the day when vinyl ruled that could also operate in zero gravity.

Your taxpayer dollars at work....

Then again, other rumors have it that the whole Apollo deal was staged.

Oh well....
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
My Dual 1264 with vintage Goldring cart playing through a vintage Yamaha receiver in my second system is worth way less than $1000 but darn if it does not put out some most enjoyable sounds these days! I've had the Dual and Goldring for a good 20+ years or so now but it sounds the best ever on the Yamaha that I picked up only a couple years back for only $65 used on ebay.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
I was listening to some very electric CD tracks by The Cars yesterday.

Did not hear a trace of soul there but it was most intense and musically gratifying nonetheless.

Had some remastered James Brown playing also the other day. Lots of soul there fer sure! Same true for Mahalia Jackson (Ellington's Black Brown and Beige) as well!
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
Petrayer,

I wonder how many vendors were out there with both vinyl and digital where teh message they communicate is that the digital is as good as or better than the vinyl?

I find high end vendors that demo both are usually biased towards the vinyl and the systems are configured to demonstrate the superiority of vinyl becasue that is where they stand to make more money selling to audiophiles. There is just not much market for expensive CD players these days but there will always be a niche for high priced legacy vinyl.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,772 posts
 
PEt,

I can't argue with your assessment. A vendor's goal is usually to make the best impression possible with the things that they want to sell you. Nothing wrong with that. Except that the comparison can sometimes be to other things that they are not selling and it is hard to know sometimes when an apples/apples comparison occurs.
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