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For vinyl lovers it's the unmistakable vinyl *sound* that is the draw....more so than the cost

I understand that a higher cost rig potentially buys you better sound. But I have found that the unmistakable vinyl *sound* is far more important than the cost.

I know of those that own or have access to $100,000+ vinyl rigs and those that have vinyl rigs that cost under $1000. What do they have in common? Their descriptions of what they hear from their rigs are often indistinguishably similar. I remember quite well in one of the numerous "vinyl vs. SACD" threads where one of the posters indeed had a $150,000 rig and another poster had a $1000 rig. (Both posters were well known to this forum at the time). I was amazed how their very detailed (not generalizations) descriptions of what they were hearing from their respective playback system channeled each other like synchronized swimmers! You would have thought they owned each other systems.

But I have heard/known that for years. My brother uses an inexpensive Technics 5 (radial tone arm), that my Dad used at the office in the 70's, an over sized Pioneer receiver (built in phono stage) and Quadraflex speakers (an inexpensive local brand from the 80's) completes the system. He loves it better than "digital". And guess what? It does sound good! It's unmistakably and seductively vinyl, a sound that I am drawn to, too.

The common theme: their vinyl rigs betters any digital system they have heard. So cost is not *the* factor. There is "something" intrinsic to vinyl sound, perhaps the RIAA equalization, which can make vinyl seductive and a singular (although "tunable") standard.

And we won't even talk about the 1950s RIAA process that is probably the most severe equalization in audio.


Robert C. Lang



Edits: 06/25/12

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