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Classical music listening... what is a better source High Rez or Vinyl?

For many of us who really enjoy classical music, for me it is Baroque and opera, what is the better and more consistent for source high fidelity listening?

I am a mid hifi guy and have a Pro-ject Classic SB turntable with a high output MC Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 cartridge.. I am using a Jolida JD 9II Tube phone stage, with a vintage Telefunkin tube upgrade.

I have a Rogue Sphinx 3 integrated amplifier, with a vintage Mozada tube upgrade. My digital source DAC/SACD/CD is a Yamaha CD-2100 player.

I have refurbished Ohm H's loud speakers.

I have been picking up many vintage classical albums recently, mainly 1980’s releases in excellent condition too, at my local transfer station, and it has been mixed bag in comparison to my high resolution music files and SACD collection.

I was expecting much more when it came to vinyl and classical but I have not been as won over, as I have been with rock and jazz on vinyl.

My experience with SACD and high resolution, 96/24 or higher, has been very rewarding with a wide variety of classical music. Opera really shines in digital IMHO. Strong and full on classical piece are quite stunning on many a SACD releases I own. Rachel Podger’s Vivaldi: L’estro armonico - 12 concerti, Op. 3 on SACD is an excellent example of the audio quality I demand, as this recording is exceptional! Plus there are are very few new remastered vinyl releases for classical, particularly for opera, these days. A perfect example of this is Shubert’s Winterreise featuring Joyce DiDanato and pianist Yannick Nezet-Sequin, which I saw performed at Carnegie Hall for this recording and which sounds phenomenal in 96/24, and was release recently.

That would seem counter intuitive but that is clearly what the market is showing.

On one of these threads I recall someone posting how strings of violins, and the intensity that they are played at, can lead to degraded sound quality depending on the type of cartridge used.

I want to hear back from the classical music posse here to help me get to that higher level of listening with classical vinyl.

Is it the cartridge?

Or should I just stay with my digital sources?


idigmusic64
frogman
7,442 posts
 
I agree re Decca/London and EMI recordings.  They are my favorites for the most realistic orchestral sound.  Kenneth Wilkinson was a wonderful engineer.  It is the recording that ultimately counts.  Having said that, for me, that same recording will almost always sound best on LP.  Btw, many of those London operas box sets are some of the greatest bargains out there.  They can still be found sometimes in bargain bins.  
petg60
1,486 posts
 
@idigmusic64,
forgive my late reply. A more revealing and refined cartridge would give you more in classical and jazz listenings also. Your phono stage can equaly accept both MM & MC, so you have plenty to choose from. At nearly the same pricing as the Sumiko you can check Dynavector 10X5, Hana EL, and Goldring 1042. All three would be a worthwile upgrade to the Blue Point.
bkeske's avatar
bkeske
5,597 posts
 
@melm

Cowboy Junkies ‎– The Trinity Session is a digital recording.

Who cares. The fact remains that it sounds better playing back on vinyl than any other digital source. My digital files/CD cannot compare. Not even close to my ears.

As I stated, I have a few classical vinyl albums from the 80’s that were proud of being digitally recorded (and they made sure to tell you on the cover). Does not mean I want the CD.

Enjoy what you will, as will I. And I continue to buy vinyl because of my preference regardless of whether it was recorded digital or analog. But, I have both, and listen to both.

Enjoy.




rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano
2,656 posts
 
I listen to classical 90%-95% of the time.
I own about 3000 records and 5000 CDs.
‘But lately, I’m listening almost exclusively to streaming. Why? Because of the limitless variety of titles available. I always had the SQ priority of sound sources: LP, followed by SACD, followed by CD, followed by streaming.
‘However, I’ve tweaked my system to the point that there is now not a lot of difference. It requires a lot of time and effort to do this.
It may be true that the best records sound better than anything else, but I don’t believe anymore that digital is inherently inferior to analog. Until recently I firmly believed that to be the truth.

In any case, the music comes through to me very acceptably now in all formats.
edcyn
1,876 posts
 
What rvpiano sez... Putting it another way, when it comes to music, streaming is the proverbial Aladdin’s Cave. Admittedly, the classical selection will never be quite as luxurious as the one I had access to when I worked at Tower Classical Records in Hollywood, so many decades ago. But I must also say the sound quality from the streaming sites is more than good enough for me to stop worrying and love the bomb.
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