Blue Note Tone Poet Series

tablejockey,

'I play a big ol' Jazz box like Joe Pass. Being a LP devotee, I will always default to the record. BUT, having heard high level of both LP/digital I say BOTH can be breathtaking"

We are in agreement.  That does not address my wonder, however, at the fact that a digital source that is used to make a vinyl record can sound better than the digital source itself does. The original conversation was based on European records such as WaxTime that may have been sourced from digital masters, but now we also have the example of the MoFi controversy to back up this conversation.  I just don't understand it.  I know it to be true, but it doesn't make sense to me. To be clear I am not wondering about digital sound vs. analog sound per se. 

@alexberger730 

Thank you for taking the time to post the videos. I haven't bought many of the Tone Poets but I think you've made a compelling case for the Joe Pass.

As I understand MOFI uses digital DSD recorders. They use them instead of tape recorders but they don’t do digital conversion from DSD to PCM and any kind of digital remastering that can be done only in PCM.

It is not purely "analogue". But the analogue to DSD and DSD to analogue conversion stages don’t change the sound signature similar to digital editing of sound.

I just finished recording the Classic Records 45rpm Led Zeppelin set in 24/192 ALAC with an 18 Hz 48dB/oct digital rumble filter. On my system using 8 foot 645 Sound Labs electrostatic loudspeakers nobody can tell the difference between the actual record and the digital file. I must have run that comparison 10 times by now.

I also got the MoFi Rolling Stones set and much more to come. This is way superior than recording to any analog R2R machine and once you own the program and electronics, free of charge. I am thrilled to death with this capability and highly recommend it to anyone with access to large record collections. That LZ box is now on the market for $12,000!