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
frogman
7,437 posts
 
I think it is fantastic that the OP has found a way to make his music listening easier, more practical and more enjoyable; hard to argue with that and I commend his effort to share the experience with others. I don’t think he should consider himself a moron for that reason.

I would like to also agree with wqgq_641 re the record buying habits of computer techs; my 28 yr old being one of them. A secondary career for him is managing an up and coming young pop artist and they just released this artist’s second recording on vinyl (!!!) due to demand for the format. There is no question that there is a vinyl revival going on. Additionally, based on general rules of thumb arrived at over many years in this hobby and direct experience with my son’s and others’ experiments with the digitizing of analog recordings for storage and playback, I don’t believe that the sonic results are identical to the direct playback of lp’s. Excellent and very close? Yes, they can be. Identical? Anytime that additional processing of the music takes place there will inevitable losses in fidelity. Whether those losses are acceptable, or audible, to any one listener is a personal call.
2channel8
758 posts
 
@frogman , Who's the artist?
frogman
7,437 posts
 
2channel8,

http://read.tidal.com/article/rosehardt-on-his-debut-album-male-body-positivity-and-gaining-confiden...


wqgq_641
59 posts
 
@frogman thanks, I'll look out for it!
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Let me try this one Mo time; there is absolutely no audio internally in the computer; it's all digits. In this case, the digits are stored on an external hard drive; no matter how many times you retrieve these digits, you will get precisely the same thing every time, it will be precisely what you put in. Not until it goes through the DAC will it become "ana log" again

When you have used the very best "interface" available (that I know of) to transfer very high end audio into computer digits, and stored this information on an external hard drive in the "WAV" format, which is the largest (best according to me); and you want to listen to this "very high end audio" you will simply request it, and you will hear it through your very high end DAC, that feeds your very high end preamp; you get the picture; this will get you the precise duplication of no computer in the mix at all. (I like to listen without getting up to turnover records, plus I have had fits of clumsiness)

If you change cartridge, phono, or even tone arm wire, you will distinctly be able to hear that upgrade, but if you want to enjoy the upgrade, you will have to repeat this process of down loading to external hard drive. That is no bigger deal than playing the record, which you will do anyway.

This is the best computer interface I know of, it was given 5 stars; that's rare for any piece of equipment. It functions as an AD converter on the way in, and a DAC on the way out, plus it has other desirable features.

 
    https://www.amazon.com/RME-ADI-2-Pro-4-out-Converter/dp/B01MTWM896/ref=pd_sbs_267_2?_encoding=UTF8&a....


Recently I made some upgrades, and I'm presently enjoying them. I know this was a complete waste, but sometimes that's what I do.

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