Damn I am tired of being on probation.
Am I in or out?
TOM -
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I have a decent LP collection and a decent turntable.
I have a couple thousand CDs I like, not just junk. Well, they might be junk to you, but not to me.
At one point I assembled equipment to put my LPs in the computer as some of them are not yet on CD. (I am a geezer). Then it hit me the beter route was to enjoy my LPs as LPs and my digital as digital. I was going to try to give away the all the equipment I bought to convert as door prizes at CarverFest, but the party was cancelled.
I play with all forms of tunes (still have some 8 track), but to be honest, play my computer based music most of the time. Digital rocks my world.
I have all my CDs (and some borrowed) ripped to flac. I rip them with less compression because they rip faster that way, not because they will sound better. Storage is cheap these days. All my home computers have access to my music, but I made a tiny computer just for the best music playback possible on my deck where 75% of my tune playing goes on. I continue to learn and improve on it. A dedicated music computer is essential. I have a good amp and a good preamp out here to make the tunes entertain. Retail, my digital deck system is high end. I am open to improvement, but am at dead end. I might have the best sounding deck system in America.
I can play an LP in the bar, run up here and play the same tune from the computer. Do they sound different? Yes. The difference is the difference in the speakers/equipment playing the tune there and the equipment on the deck. Both sound great, but environment counts.
If I play a CD on the deck and then the Flac - I can't hear a difference.
If I play an LP in the bar and then the CD, I can.
All sound good, and I guess which sounds best is up to the listener.
I upgraded my old CD players with the
http://shop.grantfidelity.com/Grant-Fidelity-TubeDAC-11-D-A-Converter.html mainly because it had tubes to swap out and did toslink and coaxial. That was money well spent. I believe that the biggest improvement in digital tunes is the advancement of the DAC. Do not not buy the old ones on ebay. One that costs a few thousand years back takes a dive to a much cheaper one today. That is especially true for older high end CD players. Look at the specs and Google until you have a grip on it all. I love vintage as that is where the music is, but don't buy old DACs. On the other hand, a new DAC hooked to a vintage CD player can be an incredible upgrade.
My conclusion is:
- that I enjoy music both digital and analog.
- On the same system, I can not tell the difference in ripped Flac and the original CD. Maybe you can. Maybe in a blind test you might pick one from the other over 50% of the time. If I did, it would be luck, and in the real world, not a factor in my tune enjoyment.
If we put CDs or Flac against LPs, then yes I can tell one from the other. LPs have more things to go wrong for ears pick up on. It does not spoil the music, and I prefer LPs over CDs mainly because most of mine are old and not fu*ked up by the engineers as much as later CDs.
LPs were replaced by tapes and the tapes are gone -> LP lives on. LP was replaced by CDs but LP lives on. The reason is LPs have a different sound. You might like it, you might not. I grew up with it, and I like it.
I did not grow up with how many deal with LPs today. Lets face it, we were just 'Rocking out' back then and had no clue as to fidelity. It was sorta like a kid with an ipod today. Put an LP on a decent system and WOW !! Put an ipod on a decent system and the 192 bit crap will clog it up. I am not knocking ipod. I am just saying that on a decent audio system --> it sounds like crap.
LPs were fun in the trailer back in the 60's when the Gardener-Webb cheerleaders were on top doing their thing on top - until the cops came. Trying to get that level of excitement is not possible today.
Today CDs rule. I agree as most don't have equipment to play LPs. For LPs to compete with CDs, most think we need incredible LP equipment. That is not true. If you spend on analog as you do on digital, no big deal. Due to compression on CDs as to less on old LPs, the difference is -> a noticeable difference.
I prefer LP with all the flaws. Still, I play more CDs due to the great sound and to be honest, I am lazy and digital rocks. No matter how much I like LPs, they are a pain compared to digital.
Put in a CD or crank up a Flac file and the tunes are great!!!
To get comparable sound from LPs takes more steps. Back in the day we had record players and they were great.
A million dollar turntable is good, but many good vintage ones can be found on ebay for a couple hundred bucks. Put in a decent cart like
http://www.amazon.com/Shure-M97xE-High-Performance-Magnetic-Cartridge/dp/B00006I5SB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321920213&sr=8-1 , and only an audiophile with a great system and great ears could improve on the sound. I have a an old Pioneer set up like this. I have a higher end Rega and just the cartridge cost much more than the Pioneer system. Funny, just the external power supply or the added isolation things cost more. The difference in sound is a difference, but not to most. It is more on the hobby level. Hell, my mat cost a hundred - was it worth it - yes, but not in sound. It is a hobby thing and yes I am an audio idiot.
To get good sound from LPs, buy a record cleaner. Then put what $$ you have left on the turntable. The record cleaner will make more difference than the turntable. Digital is flawless and records, especially used records are prone to flaws. If you want to play records and you are picky about sound, you will need a record cleaner. The price on them varies as to how much work you are willing to do. At the end of the day, they clean records. The vacuum thing is a must, really, you need this option. There is an entire world you can Google and find just on cleaning fluids. LP guys must be at the top of the list of audio idiots. The extremes people go to is amazing to me. I use a two step method. I have a mixture of Jet Dry and Nitty Gritty cleaning fluid, then a rinse with distilled water. My records are mostly in excellent shape. The odd/scratched ones I acquire, I play on the Pioneer system. I understand I just crossed into the "audio geek" level, but believe me, you will need a record cleaner to enjoy LPs on a decent system. Do that and LPs will blow your CDs off the play list.
Digital is very good - just excellent.
This post is just for the few who might want to experience new/old things.
Downstairs I have good junk. Visit, we will play a CD using a modern DAC and then the same LP (minus the DAC of course) over the same system.
It will be fun.
