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Vinyl / High qual analog tape / High-res digital -- One of these is not like the other

One common theme I read on forums here and elsewhere is the view by many that there is a pecking order in quality:

Top - High Quality Analog TapeNext - VinylBottom - Digital

I will go out on a limb and say that most, probably approaching almost all those making the claim have never heard a really good analog tape machine and high resolution digital side by side, and have certainly never heard what comes out the other end when it goes to vinyl, i.e. heard the tape/file that went to the cutter, then compared that to the resultant record?

High quality analog tape and high quality digital sound very similar. Add a bit of hiss (noise) to digital, and it would be very difficult to tell which is which. It is not digital, especially high resolution digital that is the outlier, it is vinyl. It is different from the other two.  Perhaps if more people actually experienced this, they would have a different approach to analog/vinyl?

This post has nothing to do with personal taste. If you prefer vinyl, then stick with it and enjoy it. There are reasons why the analog processing that occurs in the vinyl "process" can result in a sound that pleases someone. However, knowledge is good, and if you are set in your ways, you may be preventing the next leap.
roberttdid
mikelavigne
2,163 posts
 
It was pretty brave having him over given his reputation and you can’t win all hearts.

the time he came for the meeting related in his comments, i never invited him or knew he was coming. we had already locked horns by that time and so his viewpoints were expected. he came with an agenda. big surprise.

some years prior to that, i had invited him over. but at that time he was not a listener, he was a techie who liked writing about hifi. trying to fix what he saw was wrong with audiophiles. so he arrived to listen, stayed 15 minutes, and left. he cared nothing about listening. he cared about being the smartest guy in the room.

some things never change. and i fully admit he is a smart guy.
cd318
2,636 posts
 
mikelavigne,

"what did you learn from those moments?"

Ha! I don't really know to be honest, other than its fascinating to read about such scenarios. 

I mean I'd love to try something like the Harman blind speaker test, but yeah, there would be a considerable amount of trepidation beforehand. 

Putting yourself and your preconceptions to a public test must be daunting for anyone. It's hardly surprising that reviewers persistently shy away from such tests. 

However in their case, it's not really an excuse as it's their job. Something they signed up for and something they get paid for.

So yeah, it was good of you to do it, and share the results.
psag
518 posts
 
Hi G, Regarding Rumours in one month, I might pull out the SACD if I wanted to relax and not have to hassle with the vinyl.  But I would probably reach for the vinyl, thinking there would be more musical engagement.

Hi M, Regarding my vinly pressing: its the 33 rpm version, and its analog sourced, and sounds amazing. Sorry you got stuck with a digital record.
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b_limo's avatar
b_limo
2,273 posts
 
Looscannon, I’m speechless
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