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Vinyl...should I stay, or should I go?

I've sort of hit a crossroads and have decided to part with my turntable, all accessories which go with the turntable, and my record collection. However, before parting ways with my analog gear I wanted to gather some feedback and make sure I've given vinyl a fair shake.

My setup is a VPI HW-19: a Zorin tonearm and a Dynavector 17dx cartridge, with a Manly Chinook phono-stage, It plays through Primaluna dialogue Pre amp and amps. The speakers are Goldenear Reference. 

Confession, despite this setup, I've mostly streamed Roon music through an ultraRendu into a ModWright oppo 205. It's just recently I decided to give listening to vinyl a try. I'm pretty much a novice to the finer points and nuances of getting the best out of vinyl.

Experience: I'm finding the streaming music seems to be more centered with a deeper and more textured soundstage. When I stream, no matter what era the music is from, the singer/music is front, center, deep and wide. On the other hand, the last couple of records I've tried. A very old and somewhat used Alan Parsons Project lp and Jim Croce, Don't Mess around with Jim 180 gram lp, have not presented the same quality soundstage. In fact, in both cases while much of the music is centered, the singer's voice is coming mostly from the left side (speaker). Also, I'm finding the bass to be lacking. Last night in a side by side comparison, I was taken aback by how much better sounding was the streaming music.

Question: Is this typical of vinyl or is there something in my setup (again I'm a novice) I'm overlooking? With all this said, any advice on what to check or look for would be much appreciated. I'm not trying to start a debate about the merits of vinyl vs. streaming. I'm really just trying to find out if what I'm experiencing is typical of the vinyl experience or if there's something I should be correcting before pulling the plug and selling off the analog gear. Thanks
liv2teach
lalitk's avatar
lalitk
5,637 posts
 
“A truly great turntable like TW Acoustic AC3 with TW10.5 arm and Transfiguration Proteus cartridge and TW RPS 100 phono stage will blow away digital.”

@ebm, 

What is the retail of your analog setup being compared to $15K Esoteric player? 
geof3
1,129 posts
 
Oh boy... tough situation. As you purchased the cart “used” it could be used to death, could have some other issues as well. Here is where things get tough... you need an even playing field. If you don’t know the exact history of the cart, start there. New cart. Maybe a Sumiko or others. Don’t spend a ton (yet). Then, get your cart and arm dialed in. If you don’t know how, and don’t want to learn then have someone do it for you. I agree with the others, your issues are most likely setup/settings related. 
The thing with digital is it’s easy, brainless, and effortless. Absolutely subjective which is “better” simply because there are too many variables. I will say, vinyl, when done right, is sublime. Period.
au_lait
356 posts
 
Of you have over 500 records I’d say sort it out. If you’re not too invested in your collection then maybe move on. One thing to realize though is that streaming doesn’t pay artists.
axpert's avatar
axpert
125 posts
 
One given, pertaining to vinyl; - - -  getting the most, or should I say best out of vinyl, is not an easy task. That's why many people give it up before they actually reach nirvana ! With vinyl, essentially all elements in the reproduction path need to be perfect, as conditions and budget will allow.. Something that can't be achieved by merely buying one piece of equipment and be done with it. 

You really need to talk vinyl to an expert if you can find one, so that he can walk you through the process to achieve the type of reproduction that vinyl is capable of. Every aspect is important, and especially the records themselves. I'm not saying that you should go this direction, but I do suggest that you look up and read everything you can about the KIRMUSS system of "record restoration". Then you will at least have a good understanding of the importance of achieving pristine restored records. Then and only then will you truly appreciate the vinyl medium and how close it "can come" to master tape. And of course, with the right playback setup. Again, if you are not highly skilled in working with all the elements in producing a perfect, or at least "near perfect" turntable and cartridge setup, I suggest you seek out an expert, that doesn't have an agenda. It will be worth the investment. Choice of tables, arms and especially pickups can make or break the final result. There is so much to choose from on todays audio market that it can be quite disarming. Talk to a lot of people before you make the next move. At some point you should start to detect a "common thread" that will hopefully send you down the right path of selecting components.  GOOD LUCK, and don't be too quick to give up on vinyl. Unless all you want is the "easy way out"
Patience is a virtue!
audioguy85's avatar
audioguy85
2,032 posts
 
Not familiar with any vpi TT, nor that cartridge, however it may be a mismatch...take the weight of cartridge w/ hardware and the mass of your arm and plug the figures into vinyl engine resonance calculator for a start. Like others have mentioned, check your alignment, tracking force, vta, anti skating, TT level, its proximity to speakers, what it is sitting on, the cleanliness of your stylus, etc....lastly, NO two lp’s sound the same! Try another copy of troublesome lp’s. One expensive option, but often worth it, is to purchase an lp from better records. He has done all the hard work for you in finding the best sounding copy. I’ve bought countless records from BR and they sound great. Also, some lp’s were recorded and engineered to have the vocals in mainly one channel, they are not all front and center, it will vary from lp to lp. To me, even with my so called modest TT (music hall mmf-7.3/ 2m bronze), my lp’s sound terrific. Of course, there are a few that don’t, like anything else. You might also want to revisit your phono stage....I think you can do better there. The phono preamp Is a very important piece to get you better sound. The only way I’d get rid of my analog lp gear and records is when I’m dead! To me, collecting and playing lp’s is the most exciting and fascinating part of this hobby or endeavor. Heck, I have some cassettes that sound better than anything digital! 
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