Vinyl vs Digital -- 40 Years On

Posted by bcherry (M) on March 15, 2010 at 03:37:32

This is a completely subjective notion prompted by recent experiences with 24/192 computer music playback.

We've recently gone back and forth between CD transport, computer transport and vinyl.
The scales have tipped.
Even the best CD playback has always had a certain imperceptible grain, so that when we switched to vinyl there was an ever-not-so-subtle sense of relief, and a sensation of the aural apparatus relaxing.
However many of the HD recordings now have such fine textures that that is no longer the case.

Today I was impressed listening to Eiji Oue - Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Reference Recordings seems to strike just the right balance of edge and silk, bass and presence. Dynamics surpass vinyl and of course bandwidth is linear, goes deep and is unconstrained.

It's easy to drop 10K USD into a vinyl playback system when one adds up the cost of turntable, support, arm, cartridge, cabling and and good enough phono-pre to do it all justice.
A 2K USD computer based system setup correctly, playing HD, will beat it.

A lot of the 10K+ vinyl playback systems I've heard here and in USA/Canada are not set up to give the best performance. It seems resellers know how to sell them, but not how to set them up. Even if set up correctly, vinyl playback is comparatively maintenance intensive, and the skills needed are uncommon these days.

Now that the good sounds have arrived, the convenience of computer playback becomes compelling: remote control, small footprint, easily distributed sound, archiving and on-line music purchase where you can try before you buy.

However all that has nothing to do with quality of performance and recording. Vinyl still has a vast repertoire of music performed and recorded during the golden age.
Yesterday I was listening to recent award winning HD jazz recording. It sounds like the performers have a gun to their head! What's with all these cautious tidy sounds? Let the music out! Nothing covers the odd wrinkle better than passionate expression. I hope there are still some Paganinis and Joplins (the Janis) out there and soon to come on stage.

So, Computer Music has a permanent place in our system.
So does vinyl, for the music... for now.
DIY - Done Right!

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Topic - Vinyl vs Digital -- 40 Years On - bcherry 03:37:32 03/15/10 (1)

RE: Vinyl vs Digital -- 40 Years On - coolhand 17:47:41 03/29/10 (0)

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