Have you asked yourself this question?


Lately I have thought about selling my entire analog set-up:  Turntable, phono preamp, and vinyl collection.  It's a good system, but my digital system sounds good enough that I don't listen to the analog system any more.

For purposes of illustrating my dilemma, my system is as follows:

Analog system:  Linn Sondek LP12, upgraded with Lingo II power supply, Karousel bearing, and trampolin suspension.  Loci Psionic Tonearm with practically new Clearaudio Maestro cartridge.  PS Audio Stellar Phono Preamp.  Plus, about 450 records, mostly popular stuff from the late 60s, 70s and 80s.

Digital System:  Metrum Acoustics Streamer (Roon endpoint) plus Metrum Onyx DAC.

Just curious if any of you have thought about selling your entire analog rig, because you don't listen to it.  What did you finally decide? Interested in your experiences.

hifinut51

@jasonbourne71 Hi Jason, I don't often agree with some of your posts but agree totally with this one!  :-)

A new Pioneer PLX. 1000 TT ($700), Denon 103R ($340) and a Schiit Mani 2 phono stage ($160) is a reasonably affordable LP playback system not at all embarrassed by streaming. The idea that one must spend thousands more to equal streaming is ridiculous! 

I sold my analog setup about 20 years ago, after I found a DAC that I really liked. That’s not to discount the pleasure one can get from LP, but we had moved many times, and my remaining LP collection was < 200 by then, almost all available on CD; I needed the space my analog setup took up; and I’m interested in exploring newer music all the time. Finally, pitch instability of slightly warped or slightly eccentric LPs was kind of driving me nuts.

Since then, I’ve been digital only. Do I miss the LP system? No! I don’t miss the fiddling, the extra wires and adjustments and electronics. I do miss an album or three that are not available digitally, and I did find that some older material was transferred but the transfers didn’t sound so great. But for me that was far outweighed by the convenience, lack of noise, lack of wow and flutter, and huge repertoire of the digital catalog.

I agree with @mijostyn that digital is way more affordable to get started with: a $70 Wiim streamer,  $90 DAC and a Tidal/Qobuz subscription will sound fine!

I listen to vinyl 90% of the time. I listen to music twice as much since I went back to analogue. My system is a joke compared to @hifinut51 's but it's still pure joy, I can't wait to put on a record, from my again, way smaller (~100) collection. 

When vinyl sounds good, it's magical, when the quality is crap it's it's no fun just like any crap digital