DACs vs Turntables
- Thread starter hermit
- Start date
fegs
pfm Member
That's exactly how it is for me (and I'm guessing anyone else into vinyl)
I also like the actual mechanics of the thing, i.e how the turntable actually works and extracts the music from the grooves of a rotating plastic disc!
Then there's the collecting side of it all which you don't get with other formats
Whaleblue
Southbound
And the test showed that digital can encode and reconstruct an analogue signal indistinguishably from the original signal.
Warts and all.
Whaleblue
Southbound
I still collect the silver discs, and enjoy owning a large collection of them. Interestingly the vinyl resurgence seems to have prompted more interesting CD packaging, with many in fold out cardboard jackets, which I particularly like.
In the cult of Linn you are supposed to feel that way.
In other words no evidence is going to convince you ever. When deeply held beliefs are tested blind you - instead of accepting the results - judge the validity of the blind tests by your deeply held beliefs. That is circular logic.
Not necessarily. I grew up with vinyl, it was the only real option at the time. I loved it when CD reached usable sound quality! Remote control, don't need to flip the disk over and you can chuck the things about without worry. No faffing around with tracking weights, alignment or suspension set up. What has any of that got to do with the music?
Some people recorded music. I want to hear it. That's kinda it for me.
Dogmatism is not the only reason to mistrust blind test results. Have you considered the evidence against them? If not, go and do it somewhere else as that's not what this thread is about. Or don't, if you'd rather not challenge your deeply held beliefs.
sonddek
Trade: SUPATRAC
"Can" being the important word there.
My vinyl and digital sources are very close to indistinguishable now, but it is certainly cheaper and less trouble to start with digital. And yet, records are just more fun. You have a stake in the performance.
Whaleblue
Southbound
Without doubt.
What evidence are you talking about?
Heard of Goggle?
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Perhaps they are not the right words but there is a difference, sometimes subtle. A bit like when you compare FM to Dab I
conjecture. I am only speaking for myself and my set up.When I play vinyl or FM there is a warmth and fluidity to the sound alongside a vast soundstage, depth and width. It’s a comforting sound. It laps over you. It may be distortion, nostalgia, old technology etc. I don’t know really. I thought ‘organic’ was a pretty good descriptor in the absence of other words. Digital can offer that kind of sound but it’s not quite alike.
I prefer Panasonic TVs to Sony. I feel the Panasonic has the more ‘organic’ picture. Smoother and more rounded. I find the Sony’s more brash, louder. The images look like cut outs sometimes. It’s a style.
I know it’s down to a range of variables. Your speakers, amp etc.
It’s hard to put into words really, but I thought I’d give it a go.
conjecture. I am only speaking for myself and my set up.When I play vinyl or FM there is a warmth and fluidity to the sound alongside a vast soundstage, depth and width. It’s a comforting sound. It laps over you. It may be distortion, nostalgia, old technology etc. I don’t know really. I thought ‘organic’ was a pretty good descriptor in the absence of other words. Digital can offer that kind of sound but it’s not quite alike.
I prefer Panasonic TVs to Sony. I feel the Panasonic has the more ‘organic’ picture. Smoother and more rounded. I find the Sony’s more brash, louder. The images look like cut outs sometimes. It’s a style.
I know it’s down to a range of variables. Your speakers, amp etc.
It’s hard to put into words really, but I thought I’d give it a go.
I actually have two pairs of ski goggles, both with darkish tint lenses. But surely you know that blind testing does not mean wearing dark goggles when listening?
uncl_nigel
pfm Member
I am listening to vinyl right now - Dougie Maclean's Caledonia LP.
As you say, apart from the very occasional pop it would be difficult to perceive any major decision-making/deal-breaking difference between my vinyl source and my digital source (both silly-priced for most of us {including me
}).Having a closely matched digital & analogue source has to be the ultimate end game.
I convinced myself that vinyl throws a bigger image but I am not sure it does. I get a bigger picture with my current set up, soundstage seems wider & taller but still focused. I think speakers are the biggest contributors to this & I am coming round to the POV that they are the most important factor above a certain level of competence.
I convinced myself that vinyl throws a bigger image but I am not sure it does. I get a bigger picture with my current set up, soundstage seems wider & taller but still focused. I think speakers are the biggest contributors to this & I am coming round to the POV that they are the most important factor above a certain level of competence.
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
Comparing is fruitless, just try and get the best from both.
Keith
Keith
Sondek said
I like that
I manually clean records using 2 Knosti baths. If the Mrs. is out I can do 2 batches of 14 in the day and love the results. Nothing annoys me more than Jo Wiley playing something in her 'vinyl revival' spot with dreadful surface noise, why Jo why?!!!
On the other hand between lockdowns last year a pal with very firm opinions about popular music brought a few CDs round for a listening session, chosen for what he perceived to be high quality mastering etc.
They sounded fantastic on my digital setup, to both of us.
I resolved then that any new full priced disks added to my shelves would be digital and I would stick to carefully chosen s/h vinyl to fill gaps from the past.
Jim
I like that
I manually clean records using 2 Knosti baths. If the Mrs. is out I can do 2 batches of 14 in the day and love the results. Nothing annoys me more than Jo Wiley playing something in her 'vinyl revival' spot with dreadful surface noise, why Jo why?!!!
On the other hand between lockdowns last year a pal with very firm opinions about popular music brought a few CDs round for a listening session, chosen for what he perceived to be high quality mastering etc.
They sounded fantastic on my digital setup, to both of us.
I resolved then that any new full priced disks added to my shelves would be digital and I would stick to carefully chosen s/h vinyl to fill gaps from the past.
Jim
JoeJoe
pfm Member
I chased my tail for years trying to reproduce that vinyl warmth from a dac. CD transport was the carrier into
Chord Dac64 and then Benchmark ( a surprising favourite )
Both were excellent pieces of kit but I was finding my hearing fatigued after a couple of hours of listening to CD’s. Loving extended listening sessions, I eventually threw in the towel and bought a turntable.
I’d accepted that the 2 formats were just different and both had pros and cons. But I wasn’t enjoying digital while I just had it as the one source....I can listen to vinyl now for hours without any ear strain.
However, this isn’t a ‘bash-digital’ reply; I enjoy digital much more so, now I have both formats. And although my primary source is vinyl, the ease of digital, the wealth of choice, via streaming, and the subsequent sound quality is astounding and to my ears does now sound much warmer and less fatiguing than it used to? I’m not sure why, is it higher bit-rates, I dunno?
In the past, I would have scored digital sound quality at 70% of that of vinyl and now I’d put it nearer 90%. I’m not sure whether that’s down to streaming primarily, or technological advances but I think my Chromecast into Chord mojo is stunning with Tidal and BBC Sounds and I couldn’t be without digital in my system.
Last thing I will say though, I still find CD a harsh listen compared to streaming....
Chord Dac64 and then Benchmark ( a surprising favourite )
Both were excellent pieces of kit but I was finding my hearing fatigued after a couple of hours of listening to CD’s. Loving extended listening sessions, I eventually threw in the towel and bought a turntable.
I’d accepted that the 2 formats were just different and both had pros and cons. But I wasn’t enjoying digital while I just had it as the one source....I can listen to vinyl now for hours without any ear strain.
However, this isn’t a ‘bash-digital’ reply; I enjoy digital much more so, now I have both formats. And although my primary source is vinyl, the ease of digital, the wealth of choice, via streaming, and the subsequent sound quality is astounding and to my ears does now sound much warmer and less fatiguing than it used to? I’m not sure why, is it higher bit-rates, I dunno?
In the past, I would have scored digital sound quality at 70% of that of vinyl and now I’d put it nearer 90%. I’m not sure whether that’s down to streaming primarily, or technological advances but I think my Chromecast into Chord mojo is stunning with Tidal and BBC Sounds and I couldn’t be without digital in my system.
Last thing I will say though, I still find CD a harsh listen compared to streaming....
That's the most sensible comment you have made on this forum.
It really is just down to the kit. My CD player is my primary source and I can listen to it all day long. It is not fatiguing at all and is very musically satisfying. Such kit exists.
I will reiterate though that getting a smooth, engaging and satisfying sound out of vinyl is much easier. This is the first CD player I have owned that I'm totally happy with.