CD vs vinyl playback

[Amormusic]

For the time being, I will probably settle for the Achromat, KAB damper and a cartridge upgrade

These are some great mods on a Techie.

I've got a 1210GR, to which I've put a 5mm Achromat to very good effect, a KAB damper which just adds a little bit more of everything and is definitely worth doing, plus it's rocking a Hana ML cartridge, which is really good, imo. This all connects to a BigBottle 3 valve phono stage (which are very highly regarded but not well heard of) and Telefunken valves.

Your Techie will show your planned mods up very easily, so are great moves to improve it.

 

[Entrigo]

Agreed. I've lost count how many times this subject has come up over the years. This is only 2nd, the most subjective subject being cables.

Well pitting one against the other was never my intention - and I think I did say that a couple of times. My intent was to figure out if it was normal /accepted that to achieve similar end SQ one would have to spend considerably more in analogue vinyl reproduction equipment - hence the thread title clearly stating "playback" - or indeed if there was a trick I was missing...

But yes - at the same time, I was conscious and wary of the risk that the thread might be turned into A is better than B - no B is better than A.

 

[Entrigo]

O

I owned a Rega p8 with apheta 2 and aria phono stage which I sold as I found streaming to sound better to me. I've now bought a Teac vrds -701 cd transport connected to a Auralic Vega S1 dac streamer to my Hegel H390 and some CDs now sound better than hi Res streaming it has really made a impression I didn't think CDs could sound this good. Another downside to vinyl is getting good pressings unless you have a good collection already new vinyl is like russian roulette loads of crappy pressings.

Oh I am not in any way thinking about ditching vinyl. I love it - my ache was "how can I get it to sound as good as CD without spending £5k?" 😂 Especially as my CD player only cost me £400...

But I am happy to listen to ALL formats. I stream a lot for convenience, love the crisp detail of CDs and LOVE everything about vinyl. Well almost. I hate mounting and aligning carts etc haha

 

[Entrigo]

These are some great mods on a Techie.

I've got a 1210GR, to which I've put a 5mm Achromat to very good effect, a KAB damper which just adds a little bit more of everything and is definitely worth doing, plus it's rocking a Hana ML cartridge, which is really good, imo. This all connects to a BigBottle 3 valve phono stage (which are very highly regarded but not well heard of) and Telefunken valves.

Your Techie will show your planned mods up very easily, so are great moves to improve it

I have been thinking about the KAB for a while. But as a budget conscious person, I hate the idea of paying £170 for a bit of plastic, a small screwdriver and a bit of silicon. Yes you pay for the whole research etc but still it's a preposterous amount of money for something that will probably cost KAB £10 - at a stretch.

 

[Amormusic]

I have been thinking about the KAB for a while. But as a budget conscious person, I hate the idea of paying £170 for a bit of plastic, a small screwdriver and a bit of silicon. Yes you pay for the whole research etc but still it's a preposterous amount of money for something that will probably cost KAB £10 - at a stretch.

It's made of a solid press of metal with a cutout. But I get what you are saying.

It's a great upgrade. If your system can justify the cost, then worth it all day long, imo.

I don't know what the rest of your system is.

The cartridge will have the biggest effect of what you've suggested you are interested in.

Anyway, just my two pence.

 

[Entrigo]

It's made of a solid press of metal with a cutout. But I get what you are saying.

It's a great upgrade. If your system can justify the cost, then worth it all day long, imo.

I don't know what the rest of your system is.

The cartridge will have the biggest effect of what you've suggested you are interested in.

Anyway, just my two pence.

I think I will go for it eventually. Grates me a bit (I paid £150 for my AT-VM540ML cart, nearly new 😆) but everyone seems to agree it's a good addition..

And I think it will definitely be worth it in my set-up (which should be visible in my signature) though not high end.

I also read the damper could help with cueing - not enamoured of the cueing on the SL1500

 

[good_enough]

For those interested in understanding the real differences between analog and digital, and not the subjective anecdotes, Jim Lesurf's Information and Measurement is an excellent guide.!

Thanks for posting that fascinating. The idea that the amorphous constitution of vinyl is analogous to dither was a revelation. I was aware of the benefits of upsampling but other aspects of CD replay architecture also really interesting.

Occasionally roaming the deserts of the Internet one gets an education!

 

[Jasonovich]

Thanks for posting that fascinating. The idea that the amorphous constitution of vinyl is analogous to dither was a revelation. I was aware of the benefits of upsampling but other aspects of CD replay architecture also really interesting.

Occasionally roaming the deserts of the Internet one gets an education!

I started reading through it, I started to sleep wake up sleep wake up sleep wake, switch on switch off....010101010. 😂

 

[good_enough]

I started reading through it, I started to sleep wake up sleep wake up sleep wake, switch on switch off....010101010. 😂

Ah you had a DAC moment (dozy-awake conjunction).

 

[plastic penguin]

Well pitting one against the other was never my intention - and I think I did say that a couple of times. My intent was to figure out if it was normal /accepted that to achieve similar end SQ one would have to spend considerably more in analogue vinyl reproduction equipment - hence the thread title clearly stating "playback" - or indeed if there was a trick I was missing...

But yes - at the same time, I was conscious and wary of the risk that the thread might be turned into A is better than B - no B is better than A.

My personal view is, and I've mentioned this many times on here, all formats have their merits and therefore should be embraced as a different part of musical playback.

As with anything hi-fi, which format is preferred is incredibly subjective. Only you can decide which format is preferable to your ears and - no less - your system. Some systems are arguably better voiced to a certain format. This type of thread is a real can of worms. You need to open the can and see which way they wiggle. 😉

 

[Freddy58]

My personal view is, and I've mentioned this many times on here, all formats have their merits and therefore should be embraced as a different part of musical playback.

As with anything hi-fi, which format is preferred is incredibly subjective. Only you can decide which format is preferable to your ears and - no less - your system. Some systems are arguably better voiced to a certain format. This type of thread is a real can of worms. You need to open the can and see which way they wiggle. 😉

Good post. To me, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy the music, as long as it is enjoyed. I think threads like this turn it into a contest, when really, there isn’t one, or shouldn’t be. I speak as one that listens to all formats, each of one has its merits. That said, there’s something wonderful about vinyl 🙂

 

[Entrigo]

Good post. To me, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy the music, as long as it is enjoyed. I think threads like this turn it into a contest, when really, there isn’t one, or shouldn’t be. I speak as one that listens to all formats, each of one has its merits. That said, there’s something wonderful about vinyl 🙂

Agree and agree!

 

[plastic penguin]

Good post. To me, there’s no right or wrong way to enjoy the music, as long as it is enjoyed. I think threads like this turn it into a contest, when really, there isn’t one, or shouldn’t be. I speak as one that listens to all formats, each of one has its merits. That said, there’s something wonderful about vinyl 🙂

Absolutely.

No contest in my opinion, just a preferred choice(s). My choice of whether I listen to vinyl or CD or Freeview radio depends on my mood (and how lazy I feel after a days work).