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Maggies Never sounded so Good Added new source

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I took the plunge and purchased a used VPI Turntable. I havnt had vinyl for at least 10 years and forgot how good it sounded. I made a MDF table and the isolation is great. Now for the sound. It tamed my IIIa's, took that edge right off, has a warmth and depth I did not hear with CD's or my other digital sources. Bass tightened up and most important - I can listen at low levels......I cant understand that. It goes to show that magnepans are very source dependant.
Well I'm off to today to purchase more vinyl

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Maggies are radio antennas. - Al Sekela 10:57:59 11/26/06 (4)
If your digital sources are generating radio-frequency noise that is picked up by the Magnepan wiring, it can get in to your power amp(s) through the output terminals and cause the flat, harsh, bright, vague sound you experience. I've demonstrated this by putting RF chokes (JW Miller 5522) in series with my MG-20 ribbon tweeters.
A more common pathway for RF noise is through the AC wiring. Power filters on the digital sources' AC supply may improve the digital sound.
Your vinyl setup is less likely to generate such noise, so it reveals more of what your power amp and speakers are capable of delivering. If your analog sound is degraded by playing a CD while listening to the analog input, then one or both of these RF noise pathways is active in your system. If not, then you simply need better digital sources.
If your digital sources generate radio noise, there are things you can do to control it and get performance from your digital media similar to or better than your vinyl. You may also have non-audio sources of noise, and controlling them will improve the performance of your whole audio setup.
- Re: Maggies are radio antennas. - Ozzy 02:28:33 11/27/06 (3)
  > there are things you can do to control it and get performance from your digital media similar to or better than your vinyl <
  
  Not likely.......
  
  Oz
  - Funny story - fin1bxn@msn.com 10:04:54 11/27/06 (2)
    My older son (14) never seems to notice anything I do when adjusting or adding to the system. Well i sat him down to listen to a record and right away he that sounds good.
    - Re: Funny story - Ozzy 11:10:59 11/27/06 (1)
      I wouldn't consider myself a digiphobe. I do like listening to seedees sometimes and I love the way my TRL modified Sony does digital. But alas, vinyl it ain't......
      I used to have almost your exact vinyl rig. VPI Jr./AQ arm/Grado Reference Platinum. Although I consider that rig to be an entry level setup, I would still prefer to listen to it over any cd spinner any day.
      
      Oz
      - Upgrades soon - fin1bxn@msn.com 15:15:32 11/27/06 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: Funny story posted by Ozzy on November 27, 2006 at 11:10:59:
        
        For now I'm bidding on a VPI MKIII upgrade kit. If I dont get it I will still look for the platter and spring set up. Then in the future another arm....maybe a sama
Re: Maggies Never sounded so Good Added new source - Rod H. 09:25:22 11/26/06 (2)
I put an LP on Thanksgiving morning, then we ended up leaving the CD player off and just listening to LPs all day. I can't say that my LPs blow away CDs, but they definitely hold their own.
Each format has it's strengths and weaknesses IMO. I'm keeping both, mainly for the larger music selection since there is very little duplication in my collection.
Rod
- Re: Maggies Never sounded so Good Added new source - gymwear5@hotmail.com 07:39:17 11/29/06 (1)
  I'm waiting for the LP synthesizer. Has four knob - Non-linear low frequency behaviour to synthesized the irregularity in the magnetic field of the cartridge. Knob 2: high frequency compression, adds that airy feeling to the 3-5K band (can you say persence dip?) Knob 3: Surface noise level... we could call it a "dither" control as it serves the same function - but the plastic tacks wouldn't allow it. And finally, the required tick and pop creator knob.
  OK guy's I'm pulling your chain... I like my vinyl too.
  - LOL* - Rod H. 13:36:55 11/29/06 (0)
    NT
Re: Source - gentlegiantfan 07:09:44 11/26/06 (2)
Hi,
I never got away from Lps, and good quality vinyl flat blows away any CD I have in my collection. Especially since I upgraded to the AT-OC9ML/II LOMC cart. Call it what you will, there's just a sense of "realness" that my Maggies throw with vinyl that I don't get from CDs.
IMHO if you don't have a decent Lp rig you don't know what your Maggies aren't giving you. 'Course, I run all SS, and I imagine the guys & gals that run tubes somewhere in the audio chain would say the same thing.
Scott A.
- Haha, Scott .... - andyr 12:41:57 11/27/06 (0)
  you can juzz say to them "come round and listen to MY Maggies and you'll understand how tube bass sucks"!! :-))
  Although I do like a tube in the preamp!!
  Regards,
  Andy
- Re: Source - Mando 08:12:19 11/26/06 (0)
  " I imagine the guys & gals that run tubes somewhere in the audio chain would say the same thing."
  Yup, we would. I feel the same way about tube vs. solid state, but I'm dependent upon a tubed (Cary 303-300) CD player for source material, and have tubes all the way down the line, and that combo works extremely well.
  I think Maggies can have an extremely bright top end that can either be beautiful or annoying, and a lot depends on having a good bass and a nice warm midrange to round them out. When you get it right, either with vinyl, or digital with tubes, it's pretty hard to beat!
  Enjoy!!!
  Jerry

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