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Thompsonuxb

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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.
 

The_Lhc

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DomCheetham said:
I watched a video on YouTube, it explained that 16bits with dither has a 120db's s/n. A good cassette tape can get 6bits. It basicaly hiss, a CD at 44100hz can perfectly recreate the all the music.

There is no way vinyl can sound better than a CD. Its not physically possible.

I'd bet you've never actually bothered to listen to a decent turntable setup either though have you?
 

Dom

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I watched a video on YouTube, it explained that 16bits with dither has a 120db's s/n. A good cassette tape can get 6bits. It basicaly hiss, a CD at 44100hz can perfectly recreate the all the music.

A vinyl cannot sound better than a CD, Its not physically possible.
 
K

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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..
 

The_Lhc

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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?

Well make your mind up, do you want better or different? Different is easily proved, better is subjective. I'm reminded of one of the times I went to the Bristol hi-fi show, walking along one of the corridors it was surprisingly easy to determine which rooms were demoing turntables and which were using CD players without even looking through the door, never mind going into the rooms.

Incidentally, unless you're playing a disc that is badly damaged or absolutely filthy you can't hear any crackle or pop whilst the track is playing, unless it's a quiet passage.

I still believe CD trumps vinyl but have not compared a modern deck/vinyl pressing with a cdplayer.

Bit of a pointless discussion then isn't it?
 

The_Lhc

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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 other than his CD player your mate has exactly the same system as you? Your CD player doesn't give you the same effect as his and yet you're putting that down to the CD player and not the rest of the system?

Curious as to why someone who is not a fan of Chopin would own both a CD AND a vinyl copy of his music?
 

Dom

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You got me, sorry. However, there's a lot of disadvantages to the vinyl. I'm not willing to invest the time to find out.

Digital vinyl on the other hand. An enormous vinyl.
 
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The_Lhc said:
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 other than his CD player your mate has exactly the same system as you? Your CD player doesn't give you the same effect as his and yet you're putting that down to the CD player and not the rest of the system?

Curious as to why someone who is not a fan of Chopin would own both a CD AND a vinyl copy of his music?
its similar his set up..he has electrostatic speakers..mine are reference standmounts..i have a huge collection of records and the same with cds..if a record or cd catchrs my eye in a charity shop? For 50p? I buy it...ill give it a punt! Why not! I have bought cds which i thought this will probably be rubbish and it was great and vice versa...i didnt really get chopin until i heard it on my mates cd player..i have good kit..but my cdp did not reveal that inner sanctum of chopins music...
 
K

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I may take my speakers to his place and see what it sounds like? But as i said elsewhere reference speakers just raise their game on better kit! His amp is naim..mine quad..we both have the same giant slaying pre amplifier! Lol...its his bloody cdp with its seperate dac and now seperate power supply! Happy i now big fan of fred chopin..miserable that my cdp just isnt good enough!
 

Thompsonuxb

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The_Lhc 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?

Well make your mind up, do you want better or different? Different is easily proved, better is subjective. I'm reminded of one of the times I went to the Bristol hi-fi show, walking along one of the corridors it was surprisingly easy to determine which rooms were demoing turntables and which were using CD players without even looking through the door, never mind going into the rooms.

Incidentally, unless you're playing a disc that is badly damaged or absolutely filthy you can't hear any crackle or pop whilst the track is playing, unless it's a quiet passage.

I still believe CD trumps vinyl but have not compared a modern deck/vinyl pressing with a cdplayer.

Bit of a pointless discussion then isn't it?

Many artist deliberately add 'crackle and pop' to give that 'authentic' vinyl sound. They've been doing it for some time now.

The differences you claim you heard at the Bristol show is surprising - that said alot depends on how good the demonstrators were at setting up the sets.

Not sure about your last point - I have not used Vinyl has a medium of choice since way back. But with this resurgence of the medium and Plastic Penguinst recent post ref a Arcam thought I'd ask is all..... :)
 

lindsayt

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I have Jethro Tull's Broadsword and the Beast on vinyl and CD. It's a digital era recording.

On my system the CD sounds as if you're listening to the vinyl, except that someone has been given a scouring pad, been zapped with an incredible shrinking ray and then jumped into the vinyl groove and scrubbed the whole lot with the scouring pad.

Gone is the occaisional bit of dirt noise and gone is the low level detail.

I prefer listening to the vinyl version on my system.

This is a pattern that's been repeated with every recording I have on both CD and vinyl - which admittedly is a small sample size.
 

busb

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lindsayt said:
I have Jethro Tull's Broadsword and the Beast on vinyl and CD. It's a digital era recording.

On my system the CD sounds as if you're listening to the vinyl, except that someone has been given a scouring pad, been zapped with an incredible shrinking ray and then jumped into the vinyl groove and scrubbed the whole lot with the scouring pad.

Gone is the occaisional bit of dirt noise and gone is the low level detail.

I prefer listening to the vinyl version on my system.

This is a pattern that's been repeated with every recording I have on both CD and vinyl - which admittedly is a small sample size.

I'm going to buy a deck later in the summer so will find out if I agree or not as I have some duplication. I cannot 2nd guess which I'll prefer at this point but it's going to be an interesting experience returning to records after a 30yr break. Fortunately, many of them are in anti-static sleeves & a good few never made the transition to digital which is my main excuse.
 

BigH

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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.
 

BigH

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busb said:
I'm going to buy a deck later in the summer so will find out if I agree or not as I have some duplication. I cannot 2nd guess which I'll prefer at this point but it's going to be an interesting experience returning to records after a 30yr break. Fortunately, many of them are in anti-static sleeves & a good few never made the transition to digital which is my main excuse.

Wow 30 year break, so your music is early 70s rock?
 

BigH

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lindsayt said:
I have Jethro Tull's Broadsword and the Beast on vinyl and CD. It's a digital era recording.

On my system the CD sounds as if you're listening to the vinyl, except that someone has been given a scouring pad, been zapped with an incredible shrinking ray and then jumped into the vinyl groove and scrubbed the whole lot with the scouring pad.

Gone is the occaisional bit of dirt noise and gone is the low level detail.

I prefer listening to the vinyl version on my system.

This is a pattern that's been repeated with every recording I have on both CD and vinyl - which admittedly is a small sample size.

I don't think Tull is a good example, I used to be a Tull fan in my youth, great live band, I have heard Tull on cd and digital streamed and I don't think its been well done, someone at work gave a Tull album or 2, Minstrel in the Gallery and something else, I thought they sounded dreadful, the vinyl is much better. They are a lot of complaints from Tull fans as well but maybe the latest remasters are better, I don't know. I did play Yes Fragile the other day and I though the digital sounded better, had a lot more detail, the vinyl sounded muddled and a bit dull, so if you have that maybe you can compare?
 

MajorFubar

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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?

Different yes. Better is subjective; they have the potential to reproduce the sound from the master recording more accurately. Blind test? Yeah easily, unless the CD is a recording of the vinyl record.
 

Vladimir

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We've argued this one before. "Sounds Better" and "Is more accurate representation of the original" is not the same thing.
The first can provide higher immersion into musical enjoyment regardless being less accurate than current technological standards. Actually worse can sound better, as it often does in this hobby. Add the gear fetish and nostalgia and you get things that are very difficult to define.
One man's noise is another man's fidelity.
 
K

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BigH said:
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. 
I was making the comparison yes...before i played this chopin at home we played chopin through his linn..the top of range with sme arm and offboard linn powersupply..using his dl103 with a music first step up! Is this pedigree good enough? But the record didnt reveal the hidden sanctum of chopin...the cyrus cdp with stand alone dac and the two cyrus power supplies did..clearly with no murmur or fanfare..just made the piano piece beautiful..my love of vinyl hasnt changed..i now need to save up for cyrus cdp/dac and power supplies..ps im sure a few people couldnt careless about this other version of music within the the chopin cd..it makes a difference to me as i hear what the composer is trying to say and feel what he is feeling as he wrote the piece! Isnt that the holy grail of hifi?
 

luckylion100

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vinyl sounds like vinyl. I could easily tell the difference in a blind test. It's not a case of what's better but what's more enjoyable to the listener. For me I enjoy the sound of vinyl over cd any day.
 

BigH

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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?

They certainly sound different but even changing a stylus will sound different so its a rather silly question. You better go on youtube again and find out. For someones who been into hifi for a while I can't believe you are asking but then again maybe I can *biggrin*
 

BigH

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keeper of the quays said:
BigH said:
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.
I was making the comparison yes...before i played this chopin at home we played chopin through his linn..the top of range with sme arm and offboard linn powersupply..using his dl103 with a music first step up! Is this pedigree good enough? But the record didnt reveal the hidden sanctum of chopin...the cyrus cdp with stand alone dac and the two cyrus power supplies did..clearly with no murmur or fanfare..just made the piano piece beautiful..my love of vinyl hasnt changed..i now need to save up for cyrus cdp/dac and power supplies..ps im sure a few people couldnt careless about this other version of music within the the chopin cd..it makes a difference to me as i hear what the composer is trying to say and feel what he is feeling as he wrote the piece! Isnt that the holy grail of hifi?

But that is one cd. You can't judge all music on one cd? Its classical which is only about 2% of the music market. On your cd player it did noting for you? Why not try Adele or Coldplay or Red Hot Chilli Peppers or Oasis, maybe the vinyl is carp as well. Not all vinyl is better I grant you, lots of bad vinyl around also.

Anyway I've suggested before he looks at a better phono stage.
 

busb

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BigH said:
busb said:
I'm going to buy a deck later in the summer so will find out if I agree or not as I have some duplication. I cannot 2nd guess which I'll prefer at this point but it's going to be an interesting experience returning to records after a 30yr break. Fortunately, many of them are in anti-static sleeves & a good few never made the transition to digital which is my main excuse.

Wow 30 year break, so your music is early 70s rock?

On vinyl yes with a quater being classical. I'll probably squirm a little when playing some of it! Includes Tull, Pink Floyd, Kevin Ayers, early Simple Minds, Wire, Magazine, Led Zepplin, Joni Mitchell, loads of punk singles. The later Geneis LPs will definitely only be revisited when I'm alone! I'm sure I'll have the musical equivalent of platform shoes that I've forgotten about as well. I don't think I have any as embarrassing as Yes though.
 
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BigH said:
keeper of the quays said:
BigH said:
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. 
I was making the comparison yes...before i played this chopin at home we played chopin through his linn..the top of range with sme arm and offboard linn powersupply..using his dl103 with a music first step up! Is this pedigree good enough? But the record didnt reveal the hidden sanctum of chopin...the cyrus cdp with stand alone dac and the two cyrus power supplies did..clearly with no murmur or fanfare..just made the piano piece beautiful..my love of vinyl hasnt changed..i now need to save up for cyrus cdp/dac and power supplies..ps im sure a few people couldnt careless about this other version of music within the the chopin cd..it makes a difference to me as i hear what the composer is trying to say and feel what he is feeling as he wrote the piece! Isnt that the holy grail of hifi?

But that is one cd. You can't judge all music on one cd? Its classical which is only about 4% of the music market. On your cd player it did noting for you? Why not Adele or Coldplay or Red Hot Chilli Peppers or Oasis, maybe the vinyl is carp as well. Not all vinyl is better I grant you, lots of bad vinyl around also.
reason i mentioned chopin as it seems on the face of it..simple plinky plonky piano music..of course on good kit its not like that at all..but on really good cdp it becomes sublime..all the textures, nuances..etc..so on a complicated piece such as tchaikovsky 5 symphony..it reveals a different sonic landscape.those artists you mention above i wouldnt critically listen to? Pop or rock music which i like very much..you can keep adele..isnt very testing on good equipment...
 

lindsayt

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BigH said:
lindsayt said:
I have Jethro Tull's Broadsword and the Beast on vinyl and CD. It's a digital era recording.

On my system the CD sounds as if you're listening to the vinyl, except that someone has been given a scouring pad, been zapped with an incredible shrinking ray and then jumped into the vinyl groove and scrubbed the whole lot with the scouring pad.

Gone is the occaisional bit of dirt noise and gone is the low level detail.

I prefer listening to the vinyl version on my system.

This is a pattern that's been repeated with every recording I have on both CD and vinyl - which admittedly is a small sample size.

I don't think Tull is a good example, I used to be a Tull fan in my youth, great live band, I have heard Tull on cd and digital streamed and I don't think its been well done, someone at work gave a Tull album or 2, Minstrel in the Gallery and something else, I thought they sounded dreadful, the vinyl is much better. They are a lot of complaints from Tull fans as well but maybe the latest remasters are better, I don't know. I did play Yes Fragile the other day and I though the digital sounded better, had a lot more detail, the vinyl sounded muddled and a bit dull, so if you have that maybe you can compare?
Broadsword and the Beast is a relatively good recording - even though it's easy to tell it's an early digital effort. It has a dark green DR rating. Unlike any of the best selling CD's from each of the last 20 years.

Kate Bush's The Dreaming is the same.

I have She's Not There by Santana on 12" single and CD. That's the same too. Low level detail scrubbed out with the scouring pad on the CD version.

I do use world class turntbles. If I were listening on a crude sounding record player (especially a poorly placed one) such as a Rega RP1 I may well prefer the CD versions.
 

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