Dac/streamer - not as involving as vinyl
- Thread starter The Bish
- Start date
Hazelberry
sister
A "vinyl app" - I like this idea. Customizable, with presets as well. I'd love one that could emulate my Rega 3 lash up. I like that it concentrates on musical values and don't miss the ultimate detail retrieval of my digital source. Often it actually makes for an easier and more enjoyable listen.If you want the "involving" sound of vinyl it can be captured very effectively using digital recording techniques (16/48 is plenty). WIth a bit of de-popping, it can be better than the original, and you can skip the crap bits of music easily.
I'm surprised there is not a "vinyl app" to make CD etc sound like LP. Roll off and mono the bass, add a peak at hf to emulate cartridge resonance, add some modest random resonances, add some end of side distortion etc.
clivem2
pfm Member
Try the Puffin phono stage with digital out and dsp to allow you to tailor the sound.
http://parksaudiollc.com/
Gervais Cote
Predator
Thanks for that comment, I thought I was the only one seeing this.
Hazelberry
sister
No, I want to process the output from my digital source. I'm plenty happy with my vinyl sound. I guess I'm after a DAC that can be set to emulate my vinyl rig, more or less.
I've bought only a handful of new LPs over the last 20 years. Pressing and sound qualities are just too variable with the band funded short run indie type albums I'm mostly into. Plus they're insano-expensive. A real shame as these days vinyl is frequently the only format available.
clivem2
pfm Member
Ah yes, my mistake..I got it the wrong way around. It sounds like you have a coloured TT. I’m my case my digital and analogue front ends are very similar sounding. There are all sorts of options to tweak your digital music, depending on the player you’re using.
Hazelberry
sister
The great thing about the deck is that it isn't coloured! Tonally, it closely matches the digital source, just a little warmer. It just seems to have more dynamics and verve, and I think the omission of the veriest detail is a bonus in that the focus is on music values. The forest instead of the trees.
Detail can sometimes be a tiring distraction. Too much data input for my neurons.
clivem2
pfm Member
In which case I don’t see an app being able to shape your digital music to mimic the vinyl attributes you enjoy. I’m sure some will have tried already...
Hazelberry
sister
Hmmm, bugger!
adamdea
You are not a sound quality evaluation device
I posted the suggestion on the squeeze box forum years ago, and was laughed at. I seem to remember that a vst plugin for Winamp exists. Also Weiss have made one for their dacs, but the entry price is steep.
I do wonder if ‘received wisdom’ influences people’s perception of different formats.
I’ve just listened to Steely Dan - ‘Pretzel Logic’ on an old CDX/XPS2 set up at quite modest volume through ATC speakers. It sounded great, really involving & I never once thought ‘I bet this would sound even better on vinyl’.
I’ve just listened to Steely Dan - ‘Pretzel Logic’ on an old CDX/XPS2 set up at quite modest volume through ATC speakers. It sounded great, really involving & I never once thought ‘I bet this would sound even better on vinyl’.
As always lots of variables that will make the difference, just to name the main ones,
Quality of vinyl and streamed track.
Quality of turntable, cartridge, phono stage, quality of dac and streamer.
But as i have found in my system, streaming-audio from qobuz can match and beat my rega P10, apheta 3 and aura phono stage, you just need a very good quality dac and streamer to achieve this.
But also sometimes when you are in the right mood, only vinyl can do, dark night, good quality drink, nice and warm and snug, you know what i mean, it all just right.
Quality of vinyl and streamed track.
Quality of turntable, cartridge, phono stage, quality of dac and streamer.
But as i have found in my system, streaming-audio from qobuz can match and beat my rega P10, apheta 3 and aura phono stage, you just need a very good quality dac and streamer to achieve this.
But also sometimes when you are in the right mood, only vinyl can do, dark night, good quality drink, nice and warm and snug, you know what i mean, it all just right.
Gervais Cote
Predator
Same feeling here with my CD5XS/Flatcap listening to Spyro Gyra Falling walls.
There is an app out there to do just that! It's written by the same software house who has also written an app to prevent you from getting Covid-19...