2. pc-audio
  3. 138653-1129

I am a "Moron"




And I will tell you why I am a moron. First I have gone through a great deal of effort and expense, to get playback of my vinyl collection utilizing my PC to sound identical to just playing a record.

There was much discussion and debate about this on the PC forum, in regard as to how to accomplish this feat. Essential, was the "computer analog interface", plus you had to change some of the cards in your PC; which kind of PC didn't matter. Many people knowledgeable of various interfaces submitted their solutions; while mine is not the most expensive, it gets the same results as those which are more expensive because it's heavily modified with the most expensive "Nichicon capacitors".

Everyone testified that there was not one iota of difference between playing a record, and listening to playback through the PC.

I also read of an account of an audiophile who could afford almost anything. He belonged to an audio club that met once a month; it was the kind that discussed the merits of Koetsu Coral stone, over other equally fine cartridges, while sipping vintage wine. They were devoted to the best tone arms and turntables as well.

This audiophile had everything except time. He read where he could down load his vinyl to PC, and enjoy the same playback without handling his precious records. Naturally he was skeptical, but no less than "Stereophile" assured him this was possible. After accomplishing this feat, he no longer played his records, but enjoyed them the new way.

When it was his turn to host the meeting, he did not divulge this, but continued to engage in the conversation as though he was still experimenting with tone arms, cartridges and etc. I believe if he had revealed his secret, he would have been banned from the club.

The reason I say I am a moron is because I have tried more than once to share my knowledge on the "Analog forum", to be completely and emphatically rejected.

Anyone who does the same thing numerous times expecting different results, is a moron; especially when they get the same results each time.


orpheus10
n80
2,117 posts
 
boxer12 said:

"I like handling vinyl. I'm kind of sick that way..."

I thought that was the whole point of vinyl, the ritual, the participation, fussing over stuff, measuring, balancing and aligning, up and down between sides, paying 4 times as much for content......SQ is only part of the fetish....

When I inherited my system (the TT is lower end and old) I went right out and bought a vinyl album. Some heavy weight clear 'vinyl' version of Astral Weeks. Sounds okay. Played it twice. Handled it with utmost care. The third time I played it the was a 'pop' right in the middle of Madam George (ugh! $25 down the tube.) I knew right then that I was either too heavy handed for vinyl or vinyl magically develops pops and scratches.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

I spent years of reading, listening to frequency responses on test records, discovering which was the best cartridge for me before I settled down to music; now I can listen to music on the best set up of my life.

If I wanted to diddle around and play with something, I would have gone into model trains.
boxer12
8,656 posts
 
Sounds like you just kind of got sick of it. It happens, some day I may as well.  
wqgq_641
59 posts
 
@orpheus10 you say "I have never met a computer expert who owned a single record, or a record player." I guess you don't know many computer experts. I work in a computer group predominantly full of MIT and CMU post-grads. I am frequently overjoyed to see young 20-something computer engineers buying record players because of they find the music is more enjoyable. I hate to break it to you but Silicon Valley, home of big six figure salaries, is a hotbed of vinyl revival. Perhaps you would like to re-qualify your sweeping generalization?
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

wqq, you got the age and educational level right, but I just flat out do not believe you in regard to all those computer experts being into records.

I rely heavily on people I consult who have degrees in computer science, and none of them or their friends own one single solitary record; records are stupid, unless you already owned a ton of the things before CD. That's the only reason I got into high end analog, and I don't regret it because a whole new world has opened up; however, I think I read where Michael Fremer said this was possible with a Dual Turntable, and there is no way under the Sun this could be accomplished with the "mid fi" crap we were using that was considered to be good. If it had, we would not have gone to CD's.

Other geezer friends of mine, sold their records and never looked back. The high end analog equipment required for records to exceed CD is very expensive, plus the fact that some CD's are better than some records.

Initially, the CD versus records thing was valid, but the quality of new digital hardware has altered this; especially from an economic point of view.

Considering the exorbitant cost of cartridges, turntables, tone arms, and phono amps; I should hope that records sound better; not to mention the exorbitant cost of the records themselves.

My posts have been directed at any one who wishes to enjoy the benefits of everything they paid for, without handling those precious very expensive records but one time; twice if you include washing them; but apparently there are those who would rather play with records than listen to music.

Without a doubt, you will need a computer expert to accomplish this feat of down loading perfectly to your external hard drive ( the computer speaks French, and "Ana log" is English; therefore, you will need a very good "interface" or interpreter to talk to your PC, which also means the services of someone who knows how to accomplish this feat; that goes for in and out to a high quality DAC)

I became accustomed to reel before PC, which required a lot of blank tape that is no longer available, but the PC does not require blank tape, which makes it much better than a reel to reel.

Many "audiophiles" on this very same forum have verified and validated what I have stated in regard to getting out of the PC precisely what you put in.




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