2. digital
  3. 1130142834

Cary 303, ModWright Sony 999ES, 33 & 45 Vinyl

In a several hour session I listened to CDs and SACDs on a fully ModWright Sony 999ES and CDs on an older Cary 303; a pair of large Cary amps; Innerspace speakers. The room had been preped by an audio specialist. Most of the comparisons were with jazz and one or two orchesteral pieces.

The sound of the ModWrght Sony was preferable to the Cary, with a deeper soundstage. The differences between the Sony and 33 RPM vinyl were subtle, sometines in favor of vinyl, othertimes in favor of CD or SACD. Perhaps the vinyl sound could be generalized as a bit softer, digital more detailed. I thought the capture of the timber of certain horns, sax espcially, was a bit better on vinyl; bass was definitely better delineated on CD and SACD.

The big hit was 45 RPM single sided vinyl. These recordings were distinctly spectacular, with great rendition of timber and imaging. Unfortunately, this seems an impractical medium, because little was recorded on each disk, only two or three songs on each Crosby, Stills, and Nash disk, a remastering of Fritz Reiner conducting a very short forgetable Ravel piece, a 10 minute jam by Cannonball Adderley. But what was there was a striking. I have been and remain a vinyl skeptic, but those 45 RPM recordings cannot be dismissed.

db
donbellphd
clio09
3,372 posts
 
I have the Miles Davis Kind of Blue 45rpm recordings from Classic Records and agree the sound is excellent, especially compared to the 33rpm version. I will have to look into more of these recordings in the future.

As for vinyl versus CD/SACD. I recently upgraded my digital front end with TRL modifications (Transport/DAC). I will say that some of the digital recordings now sound very close to analog and have a tendency to exhibit more detail. However, I still prefer vinyl overall, or for that matter 2-track reel-to-reel or DAT masters. There is an ambience that digital just does not quite capture.
robm321
932 posts
 
Donbellphd,

I also prefer my modded Sony over my Cary CD player, but I like vinyl over both. It just sounds "real" - and that's compared to regular speed - for 45rpm even more so.

The comparison is not something that can be measured. Just different strokes for different folks.

Good listening!
schipo
1,268 posts
 
Maybe it's me, but you never mentioned once in your comparison what TT you were using.I think that is important info when comparing and evaluating three different mediums? You state what sacd player and Cd player the Cary and Sony than you stop never telling use what TT....? Just thought that was odd.
clio09
3,372 posts
 
Good point Schipo, I'd be interested in knowing the phono stage, tonearm, and cartridge as well, since all of those are integral to the analog set-up's performance
donbellphd OP
205 posts
 
Well, I'm sure what I'm about to write will invalidate my observations for some of you. The answer to Schipo and Clio09 is I don't know the model of the turntable, tonearm, cartridge, stylus, or phono stage. I believe my cousin said he bought the turntable used for about $3500, and I was with him when he bought what I thought was a replacement sylus in a high-end shop in Studio City for a bit less that $1000. He's a Cary tube freek, so if they make a phono stage, that's likely what he has. I know the selection and setup of components was done by an audio specialist. He lives off Mulholland not far from Universal City, so he has access to high-end shops and specialists.

I'm a vinyl skeptic. The last turntable I owned was an AR with a Shure V15-II cartridge, and that was during a period when people tried to track at a gram or less, a practice no longer fashionable. I eagerly adopted the trouble free, low noise floor CDs. I've avoided the lure of vinyl even though I think the accouterments make attractive toys, because it seems one of the blackest holes in audio, filled with mysticism and demanding deep spending. The idea of cutting grooves into vinyl and the mechano-electrical transduction process of reading those grooves seem to me archaic -- yes, there are those who say that well written prose cannot be done on a computer, it must be written on paper in longhand. My cousin and a local friend are trying to convince me of the error of my ways. As I wrote in the earlier post, the imaging and timbre capture of the 45 RPM vinyl was an eye-opener. With all that said, I was trying to be an honest observer. I have been listening to high-end audio since the early 50's. I am open to conversion, but have yet to be. The 45s come close, but I wonder about the selection of music available if the duration is so limited. Also, these were new recordings; wonder what they'll sound like after many playings. I hope to hear a Bach or Corelli trio or quartet on 45s. I would like to justify a turntable and arm, because they are such attractive toys.

db
More to discover