My Analog Journey - Opinions Sought


When I first started out in this hobby 10 years ago, my first source was a Bluesound Node 2. Eventually I upgraded to a Lumin T2 which was a nice step up in sound quality and I’ve been happy with it ever since.

Around 2021 or so I decided I want to explore the analog side of things. With the guidance of this forum, I settled on a Technics SL1210GR, AudioTechnica VM760SLC cart, and a Herron VTPH1 phono stage.

Somewhere along the line I decided that I preferred the convenience of streaming and there my turntable sat. Collecting dust as they say.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I decided that maybe it was time to start letting some of this gear go that I’m not using. The Herron was first up on the chopping block, but something told me I better turn this thing on and make sure it still works.

So, I hooked everything up. Dropped on Everybody Digs Bill Evans, a recording with which I’m well familiar. Well, I almost cried at how good it sounded. <Insert all the flowery audiophile language here>. The background was blacker. The tone richer, more air and separation around the instruments within the soundstage, and the imaging is more precise.

The difference between my digital and analog rig could not be more apparent. I heard someone say on this forum that you need to spend much more on digital to obtain the same results as analog; or maybe it was the other way around?

I am absolutely hooked on vinyl right now and don’t see myself turning back. Although I do see myself looking into MC carts in the not so distance future.

Thanks to everyone on this forum that shares their knowledge so freely.
Comments welcome on future upgrades or anything else.....

Cheers,
Joe

128x128audionoobie

I have an excellent digital front end (Naim NDX2/XPSDR) for streaming Qobuz over Roon (running on an Intel NUC with ROCK). I just never play it. I play records, old and new. They're awesome. They make me tap my toes. 

+3 for Hana ML.

Congratulations on keeping the Herron Phono, I've always been on the lookout for a used one since it's no longer in production. Never had the luck. Also if you decide to go the route of LOMC, using a SUT into the MM stage of your Herron should be the bees knees.

 

Demo a Lumin X1. I’ve got all my vinyl in a Qobuz Favorites list now and the very nice vinyl rig (Well Tempered Verselex, Shelter 501mk3 cart, Line Magnetic tube phono stage... etc. a pretty quiet setup) sits there looking pretty. The X1 is simply a better "analog" source...

As someone, like many here, who have gone through the various ways of listening to music from my first Sears 3-in-1 stereo system I got from Santa at age 8 to a rack system in college to a striped back system of a receiver and CD player to purely streaming for years (starting with low-quality MP3s ripped and traded with friends) while DJing in grad school, until now. As a middle-aged gGen Xer, I never really got rid of my vinyl and CDs through all my listening stages of life,

I would recommend not going with the either/or approach. Keep the vinyl rig and the streaming rig. I still buy music in digital, CD and vinyl format. And enjoy listening to all 3 formats all the time. Sometimes to compare sources, sometimes for critical/purposeful listening and as wallpaper for around-the-house activities.

Enjoy both for what they offer. I've made the decision that for some artists I want to collect, I choose a format. For example, I'm a big New Pornographers fan and have albums in all 3 formats but the digital copies were never great. So I choose to reinvest in getting their catalog all in vinyl. Every album came w/ a digital download so I have copies for streaming convenience. For other artists, they may only be in the digital or CD format domain so I go that route. 

I won't make recommendations on gear because my price range and needs are very different from yours and others on here. Some with deeper knowledge and experience in niche/boutique brands I'm only now hearing about. But I will say, don't paint yourself into one corner or the other. Be a music-first audiophile! And enjoy your collection on the vinyl and streaming set up you have. Don't limit your experiences. Variety is the spice of life!