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

@drmuso 

I have made the comparison on several occasions and playing a file from your hard drive sounds better than streaming. It is counterintuitive. It is only numbers and should sound identical, but it does not. I stream tio check out new music.

@daveyf 

Not at all Dave. You get a Qobuz subscription and stream with your computer through a USB input on your DAC. Getting a dedicated streamer is IMHO not at all necessary and a waste of money. We all have computers now and many of us have DACs. It is very convenient but not the very best sound. It is a great way to check out new music.  

Analogue requires more careful set up and if you have high end gear you would probably do as I do and avoid spinning vinyl in combination with drinking, as one slip can tank a possibly very expensive cartridge.

I have more than 4,000 LPs and I have a similar number of albums in digital form on my server, and I often go back and forth. I have three main systems and I recently added a modest turntable to the third system  so I had the option of spinning vinyl in that system too (Roksan Radius 5/Nima/Goldring Eroica LX).  I owned an LP12 some years ago, and would say that its is a decent sounding table (when, as with all tables, it is properly set up) and needs no apologies.

It is entirely up to the individual whether or not to continue in analogue - personally I'd be out there acquiring more LPs to play.   If he decides not to go that way he will likely find willing buyers for his gear and vinyl.

Three turntables, five tonearms, two streamers. Streaming accounts for around 1% of my listening time, and it is mainly to see whether I want to buy the LP. My streamers sound good enough. I just loose interest and go do something else. Vinyl glues me to the couch.

The other night, I sampled one half of a gummy bear that someone gave me, just to see if it would do anything.  Then I settled in to listen to LPs. Although the music was utterly sublime, I soon realized that I was in no condition to perform the mechanical tasks needed to play records, without risk of damaging LPs, the stylus, the entire audio system.  So I shut down the system.  Took me that whole evening until the next morning until I felt normal. Booze never does that.