Wadia 381 vs. dcs Puccini vs. EmmLabs CDSA SE

Frank,

considering the price range of the digital players you have mentioned; i might recommend that you add the Playback Designs MPS-5 to the list. it is able to perform in an analog rich environment (my system has 3 tt's and 2 RTR decks) and never sound 'digital'.

Jon2020,

The vinyl guys may continue with their hobby not just for nostalgia or sound quality but as a hobby for hobby's sake - placing an LP on the table, tweaking with the VTA, static-gunning their collection, and so on and so forth....

you don't listen to good analog much, do you? (i apologize for my off topic response, i could not help myself from responding.)

Mike,

I used to but gave it up because of the hassle. When I come back from work to unwind, I just want to settle down and listen, not fiddle with a lot of stuff before things sound right. I know good analog when I hear it but I just can't take the occasional pops and clicks in the middle of an emotional piece of music. It just breaks things up for me. I guess to each his own.

I just can't take the occasional pops and clicks in the middle of an emotional piece of music. It just breaks things up for me. I guess to each his own.

your previous comment inferred analog/vinyl listeners chose vinyl for the ritual and not the music/sonics......where did you come up with that?

as far as hassel factor; most times i listen to vinyl don't adjust vta, i never use a static gun, and and do minimal stylus maintenance during listening. i can switch an Lp nearly as fast as a digital disc. yes; on my music server i can switch instantly; but the silver discs sound slightly better.

not all vinyl listeners are like me.

as far as clicks and pops; yes, there are some on some Lps, but many have none. and my tapes have none. if you did a vinyl session with me i doubt you would even remember a click or pop. of course; i have a very good record cleaner.

again; it sounds like you really have not heard top level analog.

don't get me wrong, i love digital and listen to it often. you don't need to criticize analog to love digital. but if you have not really enjoyed current state of the art analog it would be hard to speak to the comparison with accuracy.

Mike, if analog and digital were comparable, would you ever choose analog? Now I don't think digital is there, but I suspect it is going to get mighty close, with zero ticks, zero wow and flutter, now tweaking, alingnment, and the rest of the "rituals". When that happens, I think the reasons to go digital will overweigh the reasons for sticking to vinyl, even the very best of it. Bit, and an important but, we are not there yet.

first; i apologize for the thread detour my reaction (to the 'shot' at vinyl) has caused.

if analog and digital were comparable, would you ever choose analog?

that is a very very big 'if'.....and not one i rekon i'll need to consider in my lifetime. but sure; if my music server could deliver 'master tape' quality sonics on music 'I CARED ABOUT'......that would be enough to switch.

but......almost all the music i do care about has been recorded to analog tape (thank the Lord!). and i know what master tape sounds like. i know what good vinyl sounds like......and digital does not sound like that.

the very best digital i have heard, which is 5.6mhz single bit (2xDSD), is not a consumer format, there are no plans for it to be a consumer format, and it still falls short of analog tape. it is quite good; but i prefer my vinyl to it and certainly my master tapes.

there is no 'push' commercially for 5.6 mhz single bit to be a consumer product or anything else like it. but no matter; most current music is mastered in PCM, which at any resolution is a pale comparison to analog. and as long as PCM is the digital mastering media of choice there is zero chance for digital to even come close to analog.

basically follow the money; there is no 'demand' for a better digital format. so a format that would equal analog is as remote as a real life Holodeck.