Pros and Cons of "Staying with" Analog and Vinyl


After having various turntables over the last 40 years, I am seriously considering getting out of analog. The "vinylists" argue that analog playback sounds more natural, musical, and provides more of an emotional response. I have experienced this feeling several times while listening to my modest vinyl collection, and tend to agree....until I begin hearing pops, clicks, surface noise. I keep my vinyl generally clean and protected

However, after listening to the 40th anniversay edition of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" I am more convinced that analog is just not worth the time, money and, maintenance. The dynamics on new Aqualung are superb and there seems to be much more detail to what I remember of the Mobile Fidelity remastered recording

I have a modest analog set-up Rega P3-24 with their upgraded PS and the Dynavector 10X5 MC. I was on the verge of upgrading to the new Rega RP-6 which includes a newly design PS, and a choice of color plinths. Even with a generous trade-in value offered by the dealer, I would still be putting in about $1300 + which would get me into the Dynavector DV 20MKII ( above their 10X5.)

I personally don't see the value regardless of the sonic qualitative edge of analog. Maybe, the money could be spent elsewhere or not at all. BTW, I am not getting into computer audio, and am STILL not convinced that a BASIC DAC will bring me closer to analog sound quality. Members have recommended Peachtree's DACIT, and even the supposedly new and improved Musical Fidelity V-DAC II. I have a Rega Apollo player. A great sounding player, but it has its flaws.

Therefore, I would like to hear the pros and cons of staying with analog....or just dumping it. Thanks
sunnyjim
I have gotten out of vinyl just to get right back into. I have done this several times over the last 25 years. I did it as a teenager. OOH look at this new digital thing oooh! it is so convenient and it sound better so I thought. Then one day I digging through my things and I find my old vinyl collection and I say lets listen to some of this old vinyl. I find my old turntable head over to my former employer a hifi store where I worked while in college and buy decent cartridge and a used phonoamp. Find the same music from the vinyl and on CD (same master recording) and go wow where did that come from the vinyl kills digital I am back into vinyl. Then I do this for a few years and then I get stupid and get into home theater sell the turntable but keep the records. Then get tired of every year your freaking receiver or pre-processor is already outdated by the time you drive home from the AV store. Do that AV thing with tons of speakers every where for a couple of years until my live in girlfriend calls me up says I want to watch a movie wile I am out of town and she cannot figure out how to turn the freaking thing on. Sell all the stupid av stuff and buy a extremely expensive Krell DVD player a Krell integrated and a pair of B&W 802 Nautilus and a cable box. Did not even miss the AV junk. Then one day I horse traded into a Nakamichi CR7A cassette deck and while testing it before I sold it here on audiogon. I find some cassette tapes that I recorded off of vinyl and others off of CD and wow what a difference the cassettes made off of vinyl sounded better than the ones made off of CD. Then I do an A-B comparison of a NAK CR7A against a $10,000 Krell DVD player. The cassette deck wins. Now I bought a used Sota Star Nova turntable with a SME V, Koetsu Rosewood Signature and a krell phonoamp from an older gentleman who was one of my previous customers from when I worked in the audio store. Got it home and wow I have never been happier. My system has changed so many times I cannot count but now I always keep vinyl as the focus and supplement it with a decent digital rig. I have have a modified Mac Mini music server with a decent DAC and a Oppo BDP 95. The digital is just sound and it is convenient but when I want to listen to something really special I put a record on my Sota Cosmos MK IV. Do not get out of vinyl just enjoy it and use the digital just as filler.
Since I have a large collection of vinyl (and also digital media) I have continued to own and use high-quality phonograph systems.

If I did not own a large vinyl collection already, I would probably not get into it now as back in the day, I bought most of my vinyl for $5 to $8 per lp, and that was the dominant format of the time. Now, new vinyl records are selling for $20 to $50 per record and I can't bring myself to buy them except in special cases.

That said, my vinyl still gives me something that my best digital has not matched, namely more air in the highs and faster sounding high frequency transients. The faster sounding transients add to the impact and realism I get from high frequency percussion instruments and that increases my you-are-there experience. Digital is not bad by any means, but it does not quite do the same thing that analog does, probably due to the types of digital filtering that are commonly used to roll off "unwanted" high frequency nasties.

I even get this extra air and impact from old cassette tapes I've made from my records years ago... it's definitely an analog thing. So I like having the best of both worlds.

Of course not every vinyl system will provide the kind of speed, air, and control that I get from my system, so many vinyl users will not hear this clear-cut difference in the highs (bass too, come to think of it) I'm speaking of. In fact, dare I say, that vinyl playback through digital amplification is a true blast if you get it right!
Digital is the best tweek for your turntable. Listen to digital for a couple of days then go listen to your turntable.
"until I begin hearing pops, clicks, surface noise"

Surely this is not 'breaking news' I got out of vinyl as soon as the first CD players appeared. What took you so long?
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