keeper of the quays said:
Thompsonuxb said:
Do turntables really sound any different or better compared to CDplayers?
In a 'blind test' do you honestly believe a TT/vinyl would sound better or different than the same track on CD if the crackle and pop was included?
Forget the DR table as it is rubbish and tells you nothing as to what a track sounds like under real world conditions.
I still believe CD trumps vinyl but have not compared a modern deck/vinyl pressing with a cdplayer.
i think a good cdp is better than vinyl...a example yesterday springs to mind..my mate played some chopin on his very good cdp and i was riveted by it..i heard all subtleties in the music.but more i heard a inner world to chopin..this weaving texture that fred was feeling when he wrote this! Im not a fan of chopin and after five mins my mate said lets put on santana..i said no way..im in the chopin zone..spent next hour just listrning to this genius..never had this before..im now a huge fan..went home..ttird same recording on my cdp..yes very good..but not all enveloping..so played record of chopin..again very good but didnt tranport me to the beautiful world of chopin..my mates cdp took to that world instantly and there i remained..they say piano music is a very good test of cdp...hadnt realised how satisfying a piano can sound like..a good cdp trounces everything except for uber high end turntables and kit...which i have heard but its not for us mere mortals..a amp costing same as a house! So the uber high end doesnt count..in the normal world a good cdp is the best! In my humble opinion..
So your excellent cd player could not reveal it but your mates high end one can? Then you compare it with a mid range Turntable, budget phono stage and budget MC cartridge? For classical I would probably agree than cd is better than vinyl because classical digital is well mastered. But for other music such as pop and rock I disagree I think vinyl is better on many albums mostly due to the mastering, most cds this century are over compressed, average is about 6, vinyl average about 11. But if you hear comparisons digital sounds thinner, more sterile, especially the bass and cymbals on digital are often tissy, just look on youtube there are plenty of examples, even high end cd players. Or find some with a decent turntable like Nottingham and compare with your cd or whats on Spotify. A lot of 70s albums I think sound better on vinyl, check out Led Zepp. Who's Next et al. Also try album by Adele and Coldplay, see which sounds best on different formats. The problem I have with vinyl is all the scratches, surface noise, defects like off centre, warped, get good quality records and the cost of it all. Now I don't live near any records shops so buying vinyl for me is not easy.