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
glupson
7,842 posts
 
orpheus10,

That is what I meant. It must have been wonderful, the best sound ever. I still suspect that today, compared to current players and all these debates about wires, fuses, blacker blacks, wider soundstages, and what not, they would be considered imperfect. However, emotional impact must have been beyond belief. I have never heard one.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
orpheus10,

I just looked that 66 Electra 225 up. Wow, everything in there would be worth a movie. Just wow.
orpheus10
8,668 posts
 

Glupson, I felt like I was in a movie; I called it the "Glide Mobile", and we were constantly on the go while I DJ'd.

"Reverb" was popular then, and inside the car, it sounded like you were in a cave; a real out of this world sound; getting there was more than half the fun, because not long after reaching your destination, you were thinking about where to next.
Post removed 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Compare these releases of the same album:

The Doors "The Doors" monarch pressing (considered the best press?).

The Doors "The Doors" re-issued, digitally re-mastered (from digital master) on Rhino Records, 180g

The Doors "The Doors" re-issue from the original mastertape on Analogue Production (re-mastered in analog by Doug Sax), 200g, 2xLP 45rpm


More to discover