2. analog
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High End Hi-Fi like Drugs

I am getting back into vinyl after many years of digital (cough, choke, puke). Sorry for that visual. I enjoyed my days in digital until "I saw the light" or in this case, heard the sound. I really didn't realize the potential of vinyl back in the "80's" partly because I didn't have the $$ to invest (I'm still on a budget) and back then, I wasn't exposed to good equipment. One thing I have realized is, with any Hi-Fi system , whether it be digital or vinyl, it's like doing drugs. Yes there was a day many years ago I was in to that kind of thing. No matter what you have, you are ALWAYS looking for the better "high", or in this instance, better sounding equipment. I'm amazed at some of the equipment I see on this site. One thing I can say to all the na-sayers concerning analog-you have to spend some bucks, before you hear analog's real potential. I'm not talking about a second mortgage on your home (that's not a bad idea), just better quality equipment I am on the bottom rung, if you will, as far as my "front end" goes, but with each improvement, there is an astounding difference. One thing I questioned, was the pops and clicks I used to hear when playing an album. Digital was so quiet compared to my memory of LP's. I have to say with better cartridges and tonearms, it's amazing what difference good equipment can make. So, before you digital people, who think it's the only way to go, if possible, try to listen to a good quality analog system. You will never go back. And yes-i'm still looking for my next "fix." Guess I should have posted this on the Digital site. I have an excuse-too many drugs back in the day.
handymann
15 responses Add your response
les_creative_edge
174 posts
 
High end is always cool to any audio buff or audiophile. But the coolness of this hobby is getting best value for the buck. One can achieve good hi-fi even on a modest budget. Sure we can drool at high end but boy it's a great smile to get great fidelity when you are on a budget.

Analogue is a great part of this endeavour. My reemergence into vinyl began in 2003 after jumping ship to CD only in 1987. I'm not anti-digital even CD. I like having good CD playback. But having a decent vinyl rig is just so much fun and collecting not only good used vinyl but buying some cool new LP's is a journey of joy in all measure especially in fidelity. Once you go down that high quality vinyl side it's too much fun and audio nirvana to stop.

I will always have my CD side of audio but I love my vinyl side most and I also enjoy recording vinyl as an archive onto good analogue tape cassettes too.
Post removed 
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Yea sometimes I think how much pot or hash I could spend for
the money spent for audio, but very often I use it as my
personal tweak during listening and video sessions.
moonglum
619 posts
 
Ah.....another of those D vs A threads... :)

One of the interesting things I discovered about LP records – particularly by comparison to CD - was how seductive LPs could be….
If I attempted to listen to a few unfamiliar new CDs in one session, within the first 2 minutes I’d be off….making coffee….reading the paper…. taking a leak etc.
In other words they failed to arrest my attention given my unfamiliarity with the music.

By contrast, running several unfamiliar newly acquired pre-owned LPs, I’d suddenly find that many hours had passed because I had been so transfixed by the music that I’d forgotten to….eat… drink…go to the bog etc.
This was true of my last suspended turntable and is also true of my current unsuspended turntable.

It could be argued that in this respect Digital is very good for your health because you won’t have to sit still for very long and will never overload your bladder or starve. :D
newbee
4,767 posts
 
Handyhman, FWIW I grew up with vinyl using some fairly decent stuff but not SOTA. In the mid 80's I added a CDP to my ARC amp/pre-amp, Oracle/Grace or Accuphase, & Thiels/Quads. It was horrible. I probably owned no more than 6 CDs for the next ten years. Even with the poor quality of vinyl available OTC in the 70's and 80's (not collector stuff) it was vastly superior and I was seriously disappointed.

Then in the early 90's I heard a CDP with tubes in it. Hummm. Not so bad. I added one to my system. CDP's and recording practices improved. Loved all of the new music available. Didn't listen to my vinyl so much, besides the music was getting boring and the records were wearing out from overuse. In the late 90's and early 2000's I discovered some really fine CD's and CDP's and invested some time in setting up a digital system.

Unlike your observation to the 'person' who has never heard vinyl that they will 'never go back to digital' I really found myself listening to so little vinyl in the late 2000's I finally gave my vinyl system and records to my granddaughter's boyfriend. And BTW he really loves it! :-)

Elizabeth is right, its not the format it's the equipment that is the problem, or more simply just your perceptions.
jaxwired
232 posts
 
Another vote for the equipment making the difference either way.

And if you are going to spend time and money trying to get great sound, it makes a lot more sense to focus on digital. Assuming both formats are capable of great sound (which they are), digital has every advantage over vinyl.
foster_9
1,638 posts
 
Sometimes I think it is like drugs. I look at the forums every day, change my wallpaper on my desktop to pics of high end systems, fortunately I no longer look at the classifieds like I did in the past- thanks to the new Audiogon.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
Foster,
For me either way... My income dropped almost half so my all-Mac system dream's over.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
Hey, look on the bright side. You could be a model train enthusiast.
snofun3
601 posts
 
Maybe you could invest in a paragraph of two so your post would be readable.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
If you listen to rock it is just drugs, if Classical a noble striving towards truth and beauty.
Jazz, get high on weekends only.
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 
To my mind this is an category error in the question.
Drugs means addiction while our hobby is a (serious)
disease.
michael02467
64 posts
 
I get that high when I use 8-tracks.

Seriously, lots of nostalgia for the days when pot was illegal.
chazro's avatar
chazro
635 posts
 
It's always a blast from the past when I open an old double album cover and find 40yr old weed residue from the ol' days of 'straining'!!;)
tubed1
161 posts
 
The old school psychologist train of thought:

ORGAN - This is your brain, this is your brain on your rig
DISEASE - Audiphilus Adictus
SYMPTOMS - Severe drooling over new hardware, upgrades, tweaks etc, maximized plastic, multiple mortgages, Multiple wives. Endless supply of recorded music in various formats.

No amount of correcting the symptoms ever cures the disease or the organ.
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