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CD's vs Vinyl - Finally hear the difference

About 2 years ago, I decided to get back into vinyl. I had some old albums I wanted to play, so I blew the dust off my 35 year old TT and fired that mutha up. It took me about 13 months to get my accousic vibration problem licked and to put together some decent analog euipment-some new, some used. Anyway, I started listening to ONLY vinyl. I was surprised how well my albums had been preserved and how well the new ones I purchased sounded. I had read the vinyl purist's comments about how much better records sounded than CD's, but I must admit-I was doubtful. I had put together a fairly good Digital system with a tubed Kora Hermes II DAC. Anyway, I had a friend over the other day and for the first time in almost a year, I put on a CD. I have to say-there is absolutely no comparison how much better vinyl sounds than CD's. CD's sound as though they were recorded in an anechoic chamber. There is no ambience, no warmth, no soul. The music is accurate, but it isn't alive. You simply have to hear it to understand. All the years I wasted listening to CD's! I guess they have their place if you're on the go in cars, boats etc, but if you are wanting to really listen to good quality recorded music, there is only one choice.
handymann
dev's avatar
dev
832 posts
 
Dgarretson wrote; "(You are still a bit mysterious on how those "few individuals" you met along your new journey "changed all that." Can you share specifics?)"

I gotta say with your writing skills I'm shocked you can't get it so here you go.

It's pretty simple; the other systems I heard just were not that good to my ears in general for what ever reasons, had nothing to do with associated costs.

When I referred to the "few individules" "changed all that" pretty simple; I visited these individules and liked what I was hearing and they also had vinyl so because of this I decided to dabble myself and see if what I could do and compare directly in my own set-up.

Cost wise, that's not how I personally make my comparisons, I just want to hear what ever the pce has to offer and go from there.

In general it's all subjective anyways, opinions will differ which is okay but when individules such as you write and dimiss others thought's and or opinion it's just wrong.

dgarretson
2,599 posts
 
Dev, I want to be democratic and give/take as much as possible, knowing that vinyl involves more of a learning curve than most aspects of audio and everyone is moving along on that continuum. Thus generalizations about vinyl are really only interesting to the extent that one reveals something about oneself in context(as did the OP.) However there are a few on the forum who one way or another have formed an opinion that they are at the end not just of their own road but of all roads. One such *expert* elsewhere posted to the effect that of the many hundreds of set-ups he has encountered over the years, only a handful were not badly set up. If this is so IOW then w/r to LP uber alles, one may conclude either that vinyl as commonly experienced is a flawed medium indeed, or that it is so good as to forgive the worst mishandling.
adam18
670 posts
 
As you can see, my system is fairly modest compared to the systems of the many posters on this thread. However, my system is incredibly capable of bringing my countless hours of musical enjoyment and I really love spending time in my listening room. I'm easy, and I enjoy both vinyl LP's and digital CD's equally. But, I must admit that I spend more "serious listening time" spinning albums on my turntable than I do listening to CD's. Not necessarily because of any winner in the "analog vs. digital" debate, but simply because there's just something "extra special" about music on vinyl.
ymh
4 posts
 
If you like vinyl, buy a good TT. If you like CD, buy a GOOD cd player. Remember only sky is the limit.
mmakshak
589 posts
 
I have heard a digital system that was so different from analog, that it was interesting on an intellectual level. I think it is possible to enjoy it just for that reason. I don't think it was as relaxing as vinyl. I would have to have this in my system(it's not commercially available, and I've tried twice to buy it.)long term to see if I could live with it. I have heard other digital systems sound good on certain songs.
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