When is digital going to get the soul of music?

Here is a total full-range computer-driven tube system for under $35K that was one of the best of show, voted by JA:

http://www.stereophile.com/content/empirical-audio-vapor-audio

The best sound I have heard at ANY show in 15 years of exhibiting at shows, including Stereophile, RMAF CES and Newport. Killer speakers too. I want some....

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

I listened through headphones to master tapes on a pro machine at RMAF 2013. Not impressed frankly. I like my digital better.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Vinyl can be excellent, but it has its limitations, including dynamic range and frequency response. These are not limiters for digital. Digital of course has its issues, including jitter, format, sample-rate, digital filtering and I/V conversion. The fortunate thing is that these digital issues can be continuously improved, whereas we have hit the wall on the vinyl limitations. Vinyl is going nowhere and digital continues to improve.

There area few digital systems that now challenge vinyl and even reel-to-reel tape. There will be more in the future. This is only the beginning of better things to come.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

You will hear tape hiss or the effects of Dolby equalization even in a R2R. Not in digital.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Transfers are done direct to digital now, so no analog tape is involved and older ones were done with Dolby equalization.

Rsf507 - have you heard Empirical Audio Overdrive DAC?

Steve N.
Empirical Audio

Ptss - I have some old R2R transfers to digital including Sinatra, Take 5, and Ella F. and these have tape hiss. On my system, the brain masks it out pretty fast because it is centered in the image and unmoving.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio