2. analog
  3. 140184-113812

Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

Long story short, i've just brought home a VPI classic 1 mounted with a Zu-Denon DL103 on JMW Memorial 10.5 with the appropriate heavier counterweight. Had everything dialed in..perfect azimuth, VTF, overhang, with only a slightly higher than perfect VTA. Levelling checked. All good. 

I did a comparison between the VPI and my Esoteric X03SE and it's not even close. The Esoteric completely crushes the VPI in all regards. The level of treble refinement, air, decay, soundstage depth and width, seperation, tonality, overall coherence is just a simply a league above from what I'm hearing from the VPI. The only area the VPI seems to be better at is bass weight, but not by much. 

I'm honestly quite dumbfounded here. I've always believed that analogue should be superior to digital. I know the Esoteric is a much pricier item but the VPI classic is supposed to be a very good turntable and shouldn't be a slouch either. At this point I feel like I should give up on analogue playback and invest further in digital. 

Has anyone had a similar experience comparing the best of digital to a very good analogue setup?

Equipment:
Esoteric X03SE 
VPI Classic, JMW Memorial 10.5, Zu-DL103
Accuphase C200L
Accuphase P600
AR 90 speakers

Test Record/CD:
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing (Redbook vs MOV 180g reissue)



chadsort
zerobias's avatar
zerobias
73 posts
 
Boy, was this predictable.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"Vinyl and analog gear is an investment, the real things that only rise up in price in time."

Not so fast...


https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis97c3b-technics-sl-7-linear-tracking-turntable-turntables


https://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/review-technics-sl-7-turntable.


http://www.in2013dollars.com/1981-GBP-in-2018?amount=200


"In other words, £200 in 1981 is equivalent in purchasing power to £744.59 in 2018, a difference of £544.59 over 37 years"

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I stream digital all the time in my car and I LOVE it

This is what digital is made for, i do stream news in digital format on iphone when i’m cooking.

But when i want to play an album LP or a single "12 from my favorite band, i want to play original vinyl in analog system not as background music, but as a serious listening session. Since my favorite music was recorded way before digital was born, i want to play the original source, not a bad digital copy.

Digital copy can not be better than the original source such as tape or vinyl. It’s a copy.

Only if the original source of modern music is digital then it make sense to use digital. Even vinyl pressed from a digital is just a "digital on vinyl", not the analog.

But i know a lot of bands who’s still recordings on master tape in 2018. An average age of the band members is 20-40 years. They want to record on mastertape and press vinyl, that’s what they do. I appreciate it, this is a cultural thing, vinyl never die!

Vinyl gives people more that just a music. 
If the music is just a background then you don't need a vinyl. 

Not everyone who's buyin records is a record collector. 


Kids loves records too, watch this 12 years old kid interview by M.Fremer on AnalogPlanet 


glupson
7,842 posts
 

"...when i want to play an album LP or a single "12 from my favorite band, i want to play original vinyl..."


"... i want to play the original source, not a bad digital copy."


"Digital copy can not be better than the original source such as tape or vinyl. It’s a copy."

Vinyl is a copy, too. It is not the original source.


In your case (rare records), digital copies may be limiting factor and it is understandable that you do not want a bad digital copy. Try copying into good digital copy. Maybe it has improved since the last time and I am not trying to poke. It may surprise you, if you have not tried in a while. Maybe 50% (or whatever the percentage of digital-preferring crowd)  people here are not completely clueless and do have some taste. Give it a chance.

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