ELP claims no digitization in the process.
A challenge to all turntable manufacturers
As I sit here, listening to Miles, Live at the Blackhawk, Vol II, a thought occurred to me. I'm strictly a CD source, all tube component audiophile. While I acknowledge the sonic benefits of a quality analogue source, I cant get past the convenience of 70+ minute CDs, shuffle playback, remote pause and skip, minimal care and feeding, and low cost compared to new quality pressings that CDs offer over vinyl.
However the thought occurred to me that a laser pickup is a technical marvel. If it can read the nano sized pits on a CD, surely the technology exists for someone to make laser pickup to read the hills and valleys of an LP pressing without converting it to one's and zeros. Think of the benefits of no complicated stylus alignment or wear, platter cleaning, etc., The pickup could also be made to read both sides of the LP allowing for continuous play, random, play, skip function, etc. Am I just dreaming? Technology today has given us things never thought possible before. Come on TT manufacturers, get to work. Thoughts?
J.Chip
However the thought occurred to me that a laser pickup is a technical marvel. If it can read the nano sized pits on a CD, surely the technology exists for someone to make laser pickup to read the hills and valleys of an LP pressing without converting it to one's and zeros. Think of the benefits of no complicated stylus alignment or wear, platter cleaning, etc., The pickup could also be made to read both sides of the LP allowing for continuous play, random, play, skip function, etc. Am I just dreaming? Technology today has given us things never thought possible before. Come on TT manufacturers, get to work. Thoughts?
J.Chip
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- 20 posts total
that challenge has been fully satisfied. better and more real world than the ELP is the optical cartridge from DS Audio. this product is ’ready for prime time’ and resides in a number of high performance systems. and it can be used on any turntable or tone arm. it’s a ’system’......cartridge + phono stage. https://www.ds-audio-w.biz/optical-cartridge-basicprinciple/ there are a few ’gotcha’s’......but nothing that cannot be dealt with. |
The DS system offers no significant benefit that I can see. You still have a stylus tracing the groove. Tracing the groove is the hardest part not the conversion to an electrical signal. The DS uses modulation of LED lighting and a standard pickup uses magnetic induction of one sort or another. The DS system has less effective mass but the magnetic systems are so small and light that the influence of that mass is in the ultrasonic region. I have not listened to the DS system so I can not comment on the sound but I am not about to spend that kind of money on one without there being an obvious advantage especially when high resolution files leap frog right over it at a major cost savings. |
- 20 posts total