2. digital
  3. 182474-1418

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
jerryg123's avatar
jerryg123
3,429 posts
 

Well, I call my turntable a rig, so there. 

My digital and analog FEU are both wonderful and I enjoy them equally.

As @baylinor said...nit picking. what is a nit anyway?

 

 

tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,834 posts
 

Enjoy the music…… OP ;-) 

kingdeezie
92 posts
 

You’re comparing two vastly different levels of components. 
 

I would hope that a 20K Turntable, an 11K phonostage, and a 5K cartridge would sound better than a 6.5K DAC and 4.5K streamer. 
 

Your vinyl rig is 3.5 times more costly than your digital. If you changed your vinyl rig to a VPI Prime, XP-17, and a $2K cart; would it sound as good?

mahler123
3,056 posts
 

I couldn’t wait for CDs to replace analog.  My lps were destroyed in a flood t the dawn of the CD era and I was exclusively digital for about 20 years.  Then I got into analog before concluding that my original preference for CDs (and now streaming) was correct and sold off my analog rig about 5 years ago.

  I purchased a Technics Direct Drive a few months ago because I had always wanted one and I am very impressed.  I won’t be purchasing many lps as I am in the downsizing mode but this is the first turntable I have ever had that competes with Digital.

  Ymmv but I think that it’s easier to get Digital right, but analog takes some work and probably more money.  Entry level analog doesn’t give the same satisfaction that entry level streamers or CDs afford.  High Resolution downloads or SACD/Blu Ray are also an experience that vinyl can’t begin to approximate imo.

elliottbnewcombjr
5,192 posts
 

 

skinzy

I bought my first pair of AR-2ax with wedding money (Sam Goody’s, NYC) in 1967.

Got ransacked one year, gone. Miserable, I looked for them in garage sales around town, nope.

Recently a discussion was started, the essence: ’ What single audio item do you miss the most’ That cost me some money.

It was my AR-2ax’s. Got a pair for my basement. Restored them: new tweeters, updated crossover, replaced the level controls. Re-stuffed with polyester.

They sounded so good, and luckily just fit the shelves in my office, so here they are, ear level, dead centered, adjusted for the space with the level controls.

I bought a second pair for the basement, and the parts to restore them, but sidelined by foot surgeries, next and hopefully last one 2-9-23. After recovery, 1st order of business, get those AR-2ax’s going.

..............................

Vinyl RIG, yeah I took a dumb shortcut with that, took me a re-read to realize it was me. Regrettable, but, should be my biggest mistake!

More to discover