Why didn't I sell my vinyl rig?


I've recently moved heavily into streaming and digital playback.  That system's core is the Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC with an Innuos Zenith Mk 3 / Phoenix USB.  Just added a LHY Audio SW-8 ethernet switch. Great cables all the way around. By most standards this is a reasonable mix of gear.  I run the Innuos Sense App as it sounds better than Roon. Love the convenience of digital and infinite supply of tunes from Qobuz.  My problem is this.  My vinyl rig generally sounds better.  Sometimes by a wide margin. Do others with both rigs have the same problem?

128x128skinzy

Showing 2 responses by lalitk

“My vinyl rig generally sounds better.”

Both Vinyl and digital (streaming) are capable of rendering sound that is equally enjoyable. Is one better than the other, not in my experience. For me, it boiled down to provenance of the recording on Vinyl vs. Streaming and attention to detail in each setups. In my system, both digital streaming and local files stored on my SSD already transcended Vinyl playback.

At the end of the day, one doesn’t need to pick between the two; just enjoy the tactile experience of Vinyl and convenience of digital streaming; not to mention access to millions of songs for a small monthly fee.

“Just in search of the best SQ”

That is purely subjective but given your current system, you do have a potential to further enhance your digital playback. I highly recommend inserting a simple yet very effective passive filter like Network Acoustics’s Muon Pro Filter between your LHY switch and Innuos MK3. It comes with a no questions asked 30 days return policy.