Vinyl vs digital

[Symples]

One last thing the test has revealed for me.

I was considering the purchase of a Cambridge CXN streamer.
I think I'll plug the digital output from my Pioneer N50A streamer into the back of the Yamaha CD and use its DAC instead

 

[davidf]

I'm confused by your post. You seem to say you prefer vinyl but then say (I think) that some albums can sound better on digital, but you don't mention any examples you prefer in this format.

I prefer Foo Fighters, Queens Of The Stone Age, and The Beatles on vinyl, and as mentioned previously, Tears For Fears and Boards Of Canada. There’s probably a bunch of others, but I don’t get to play vinyl that often. Most of what I’ve bought over the last 10 years or so is still sealed.

 

[robdmarsh]

So everything else you prefer digital!

 

[davidf]

So everything else you prefer digital!

Just a few examples off the top of my head. There’s more. I’ll likely be selling the majority of my vinyl collection in 2023, and just keeping key bands/albums. I’ll also be selling off some duplicates from when I was buying two of every album.

 

[WayneKerr]

Just a few examples off the top of my head. There’s more. I’ll likely be selling the majority of my vinyl collection in 2023, and just keeping key bands/albums. I’ll also be selling off some duplicates from when I was buying two of every album.

I'll take the Tears for Fears LP off your hands, David

 

[davidf]

I'll take the Tears for Fears LP off your hands, David

Those won’t be going - the originals or the MoFis

 

[Al ears]

Those won’t be going - the originals or the MoFis

Strange. I thought the only reason people bought two albums from the likes of limited edition MOFIs was they were hoping to sell on one at super inflated prices at a later date.....

 

[James105]

Earlier this year I purchased my lasest (and hopefully last) turntable.

I am back to purchasing LPs. Usually ones from my early hifi days.

My latest acquisition is Street Life by The Crusaders.

Whilst waiting for it to turn up. I happen to be glancing at Tidal. So why not purchase a digital version at the same time?

So it's a 24bit 192KHz version vs vinyl.

It's early days, and the vinyl sounds better (though it's coming through at a higher volume, so I have to keep adjusting the levels during an A-B comparison.)

The equipment to be compared will be:

Michell Gyrodec, Rega RB303, Ortofon 2M Blue, through a Cambridge Alva Duo phono pre-amp

Pioneer N50A streamer: Playing files from a NAS and a laptop connected directly (USB)
Yamaha CD S2100: CD player which has a PC USB input.

Amp is a Cambridge Azur 851A with Tannoy Revolution XT8F

Full report later, but so far, it's the streamer vs vinyl and it's very close.

But this will not be a five minute test.

Which will come out top?

Stay tuned.

and.... why not add your own findings

Play "Blue" by Joni Mitchell

 

[record_spot]

I stopped comparing vinyl and digital years ago. Determined that it's better my sources give me the sound that I like so I tailor the gear to that.

Any comparisons, for those busy comparing still, need to ensure that the mastering is the same. Hearing differences from LP to CD or other file can be down to hearing a different mastering of the album bring played.

 

[davidf]

Strange. I thought the only reason people bought two albums from the likes of limited edition MOFIs was they were hoping to sell on one at super inflated prices at a later date.....

I only ever bought one copy of MoFis, my duplicates were always the more ‘affordable’ releases! The only high priced albums I ever bought two of was Roger Waters’ Amused To Death - one being the U.K. release, the other the American release (Analogue Productions and Sonly releases). I’ll likely sell both of those as I prefer the original release.

 

[Emark600]

never a competition, vinyl on a decent turntable/cartridge/psu combo will outdoo digital unless you spend 20k or so on a steamer etc….. plus those records are yours…..

 

[DiggyGun]

I’ll also be selling off some duplicates from when I was buying two of every album.

The only time I bought two of the same album was when I forgot that I’d already got it.

Unfortunately, did this a number of times.

Eventually having a sought out and then part exchanged 15 duplicate LPs at my local record shop for some second hand Jazz albums.

DG…

 

[Friesiansam]

The only time I bought two of the same album was when I forgot that I’d already got it.

Who hasn't done that?

 

[nads]

Who hasn't done that?

That’s why I like Discogs. Even then I have still bought ones that I was convinced I had not got so did not check. But the shop was quite happy for me to swap.

 

[davidf]

The only time I bought two of the same album was when I forgot that I’d already got it.

Unfortunately, did this a number of times.

Eventually having a sought out and then part exchanged 15 duplicate LPs at my local record shop for some second hand Jazz albums.

DG…

Done that a few times!

 

[record_spot]

never a competition, vinyl on a decent turntable/cartridge/psu combo will outdoo digital unless you spend 20k or so on a steamer etc….. plus those records are yours…..

Not quite convinced by that rationale I have to say. Certainly the sound quality aspect.

 

[WayneKerr]

Not quite convinced by that rationale I have to say. Certainly the sound quality aspect.

Agreed. Vinyl replay done well can be mega-expensive.

 

[Emark600]

Agreed. Vinyl replay done well can be mega-expensive.

Yes, but not in comparison to streaming, iMO.

I would suggest that a £2-3 K turntable will extract equal performance from vinyl as a £10-15k streamer……using the same amps, speakers etc

 

[Al ears]

Yes, but not in comparison to streaming, iMO.

I would suggest that a £2-3 K turntable will extract equal performance from vinyl as a £10-15k streamer……using the same amps, speakers etc

Unfortunately that's probably not the case, depends on the quality of the streamed music whatever the cost of the streaming device.
The turntable will extract whatever it can from the vinyl but frequency response will obviously be limited.

 

[Emark600]

Unfortunately that's probably not the case, depends on the quality of the streamed music whatever the cost of the streaming device.
The turntable will extract whatever it can from the vinyl but frequency response will obviously be limited.

Like I said, IMO, and its shared by others too, but guess we all have differing hearing etc….streamed music at so called ”master” grade is no way as detailed as an original vinyl copy, obviously in good condition, very noticeably to my ears.. I use Tidal btw.

 

[Al ears]

Like I said, IMO, and its shared by others too, but guess we all have differing hearing etc….streamed music at so called ”master” grade is no way as detailed as an original vinyl copy, obviously in good condition, very noticeably to my ears.. I use Tidal btw.

That explains it.....

 

[record_spot]

Agreed. Vinyl replay done well can be mega-expensive.

It can be, but it needn't be either. High quality replay is readily available for a low outlay. Audiophiles over think this stuff sometimes.

 

[record_spot]

Yes, but not in comparison to streaming, iMO.

I would suggest that a £2-3 K turntable will extract equal performance from vinyl as a £10-15k streamer……using the same amps, speakers etc

With respect, again, I'd disagree wholesale here too. In terms of the numbers, feel free to spend as much as you like, but there's really no need when high quality replay is available for significantly less.

As for the spend on vinyl viz a streamer, I'm not sure what you've been listening to that made your experience so bad?

The variables that count for me are: what sound do I like (which I obviously know because that's how I like to hear the music replayed) and the gear I choose that meets that aim.

My streamer is a £60 simple bit of kit from Arylic, the S10. There's no DSD, or MQA, but 24/192, and a sound that's better than you'd give credit for given the notes you're handing over. It also lets you stream your own stuff, and it has a brilliant vTuner service that opens up internet radio to you, which I love. The sound quality is excellent.

My CD player is around 34 years old now. I picked it up a couple of years ago and was blown away by how good it is. It was £600 back in 1989, so that's maybe around £1200 today? It's one of those good fortune things you land on by pure chance and I think it's maybe my favourite CD player - and I've owned plenty - of the last thirty years.

My turntable is a modded (not by me) Thorens TD160, with an RB200 tonearm and a Benz Micro Gold MC cartridge. That combo gives me the sound I like - clear, open, detailed and very musical. Just like the others.

The streamer is £60, the CD player was £125, the turntable was - all in - maybe £700 (plus £90 for the phono stage).

The notion that you need to spend multiples on a streamer over a turntable is - to my experience at least - fanciful and doesn't stack up in practice. Not, I think, if you know the sound you like and what you need to deliver that.

 

[MrReaper182]

Vinyl is hugely overrated in my view. Digital music sounds better than vinyl to me. I don't need over sized album covers as most album covers are not very good to start with. If I want to find the words to a song I'll just go online and find them. Cd's are cheaper than vinyl so for less money I can own the same music on cd than on vinyl and saying money always a win in my book.

 

[Al ears]

Vinyl is hugely overrated in my view. Digital music sounds better than vinyl to me. I don't need over sized album covers as most album covers are not very good to start with. If I want to find the words to a song I'll just go online and find them. Cd's are cheaper than vinyl so for less money I can own the same music on cd than on vinyl and saying money always a win in my book.

I would tend to agree to a point.
Most people these days do not own a system optimised for vinyl replay and the source material is indeed expensive.
And yet there are people spending thousands on digital players that simply throw music at them that they don't actually own.
I don't think one versus the other works these days it's all a matter of convenience.
I prefer vinyl for some genres of music because I have an excellent playback system but will readily admit SACD leaves some albums way behind.
Horses for courses I say.