Thoughts About Turntable Upgrades
I hope everyone is having a good Saturday. I'm sitting here listening to CDs because at the moment my digital playback is simply better than my turntable. The Audio Mirror Tubadour DAC that I purchased a few months ago is simply outstanding when paired with my old Cary 308. This leads to my questions/musings about turntable upgrades.
I got back into vinyl a few years ago and purchased the Rega P3 with a Pro-Ject Tube Box DS2 preamp as a starter kit. I upgraded the cart to a Denon 301 II, which was big improvement for me. Looking forward, I'm leaning heavily towards a Sota Sapphire. I want a US made table only because I'm interested in having a US based system. The Sota seems like a good fit because I value sound that is more laid-back and I'm looking for a table that will emphasize warmth, soundstage, presence, solidity. That's the best I can offer in verbally describing my goal. I'm frankly looking for something that will top the Tubadour experience! The Rega is good, but after a few albums my ears are a bit exhausted.
Here are my questions:
Do y'all have any thoughts on my leaning towards Sota? Any other recommendations? Is there any reason to start with a new preamp rather than a new turntable? If so, what are your recommendations?
I'm interested in your responses to these questions, but also any other suggestions as well. Let me have it!
@rblondeau - exactly. As spending increases, the analog generally sounds noticeably better. After that, one must spend significantly more on the DAC to reach a sonically competitive level. Some reviewed turntables here |
I just opened a Qobuz account. I use it to check out new music, but I have compared high res (24/96) files to the same file stored on my hard drive and there is no question the hard drive sounds better. It shouldn't, it is just numbers, so there is something else going on here. Perhaps the Qobuz files are being intentionally corrupted? They do not sound bad, just not as good as they should. Both are going through the same DAC. As for vinyl, I record records to my hard drive all the time and they sound just like vinyl. Nobody can tell the difference. So, whatever is happening in the vinyl process can be captured digitally. You could even create algorithms to do it artificially. That said, a good high res file is superior to vinyl in every way. I do have some audiophile records that come close. The solution is easy. You electrocute the old turntable (break it) and go hat in hand to the wife and explain that the old girl is beyond repair and we will have to get a new one. |
I guess I was misunderstood. What I meant is that if you think that Red Book CDs or even most SACDs that are re-issues of conventional digital recordings can be equal to or superior to (high quality, low noise) vinyl copies of the same music, I don’t agree. (I think it’s because of the "brick wall" filtering, but that is another discussion entirely.) Yes, conventional measurements of "distortion" might support such a contention, but listening never does, in my opinion. On the other hand, I do agree that the best modern digital sources like hi-rez streaming or perhaps hard drive with high resolution can exceed or certainly equal vinyl in measurable or listenable distortion. It still doesn’t "float my boat", but fine for those who love it. And at least it doesn't offend me when I do hear such sources. |
