Vinyl vs digital

[Emark600]

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.

each to their own, but wholly disagree.

 

[abacus]

Here are the facts.

Bill

 

[Friesiansam]

The truth about vinyl vs digital?

Use whichever you prefer and, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. No need to seek approval, no need to try and push your opinion of which is the best way.

Do whats makes you happy.

 

[Edbostan]

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

After years of playing records I ditched vinyl when I bought my first cd player back in the 80s. Up until then I was always fettling my turntable, checking tracking, alignment, bias and tracking weight values. Then there was stylus and cartridge replacement and the common enemy dust and static. I stored my cd collection on a NAS, but I don't bother adding to that now as I stream Amazon Music via my Sonos Connect into hi-fi amp with a world library of music available.

 

[SteveR750]

Assuming same master then a 24 bit lossless file will always be more faithful than vinyl, there are orders of magnitude higher distortion with the latter. Harmonic distortion is nice and cuddly and warm so it's appealing sonically. Technically vinyl is massively inferior at orders of cost magnitude higher, but that doesn't mean its not enjoyable. A bit like bit perfect vs DSP, depends on your mood and what you're listening to perhaps.

 

[SteveR750]

Yamaha CD S2100 CD player with a USB computer input vs Gyrodec.

Once again it's a 24bit 192KHz file vs a 40 plus year old record on a Gyrodec, Rega RB303, Ortofon 2M Blue conbination.

CD on one input and the turntable on another.
Starting both and the same time and switching between inputs.

It's a draw!
I could not tell the difference.

Now it makes me wonder if I should simply stick to high quality digital files...
Weill it did for a nano second, but I love my Gyrodec and I love records.
Probably because there are so many good memories going out and buying records.

West End, Greek Street and Oxford Street. Then on to Tottenham Court Road to see hifi I could not afford.
Ending up at the KFC or Wimpy on Tottenham Court Road. A walk up to Warren Street tube station, then home


For me, a digital file can never match the tactile feel of a record.

There is a ritual, a process that us older folk are reminded of from years ago when our lives lay out before us, the page blank and yet to coloured in. Music is so much more than vibrations in a groove, packets of streamed data, even the sound emanating from a speaker; it's a journey that takes you outside of the moment. That's one of the appeals of vinyl, I'm transported back to my youth when this ritual was the norm. The SQ of the music is only a part of the experience which digital streaming is missing. Its all too instant, a world full of playlists where the B sides never get played. I wonder how many great tracks are gathering dust on the shelves of Spotify because no one listens to albums anymore.

 

[Al ears]

There is a ritual, a process that us older folk are reminded of from years ago when our lives lay out before us, the page blank and yet to coloured in. Music is so much more than vibrations in a groove, packets of streamed data, even the sound emanating from a speaker; it's a journey that takes you outside of the moment. That's one of the appeals of vinyl, I'm transported back to my youth when this ritual was the norm. The SQ of the music is only a part of the experience which digital streaming is missing. Its all too instant, a world full of playlists where the B sides never get played. I wonder how many great tracks are gathering dust on the shelves of Spotify because no one listens to albums anymore.

Well said sir, my sentiments entirely.
So many of the yoof of today want to grab a track here and a track there or maybe build a playlist.... Very few have probably heard a concept album all the way through or a classical rendition from start to finish.

 

[camcroft]

Can you blame them with the likes of BGT and the likes. Lets try to sound like some old group or singer to appeal to the older crowd.The winners have got song writers lining up with songs and they are Lennon and Mcartney wannabes themselves.

 

[robdmarsh]

I am a total digital fan now but loved vinyl for years. As for which is better, neither one is better than the other. I've heard some things over streaming which just sound stunning and I think would take a very good turntable to match. On the other hand, some other music which I loved so much on vinyl just sounds lackluster over digital. Dark Side of the Moon is a case in point: I just tried streaming it on Amazon HD and was pretty underwhelmed. This could very well be a mastering thing. I was listening to a 2011 remaster and it left me pretty cold.