How Much To Rival Good Digital Playback

I respectfully submit that the road to analog heaven must first be paved with money. Again, the two schools of thought hold views that are diametrically opposed: the analog-or-bust camp will indicate that a $500.00 vinyl front end will surpass even the best digital. From very recent experience I can tell you that it does not work that way. Analog is way more expensive than digital to implement correctly. Does not mean you can't get great enjoyment out of vinyl records played on moderately priced equipment, this simply means that if you start out with the showdown view of the audio world, you may be unhappy with the general results. Although they share the same general purpose, one does not necessarily eclipse the other in all aspects. Keep an open mind, but to answer your question: look to spend five times the amount on analog hardware than on digital. If you have no vinyl collection or are not in line to inherit one or to find someone to sell you theirs or that of a recently departed loved one (heuh...mortician speak, I guess...), I would not start out on that quest which may turn out to be a tangent. If you have the soul of a collector and are wanting for a hobby that takes you out of the house, maybe buying used in flea markets and the like is for you.

I will agree with you on one thing, Pbb. If you do not currently have LP's, or only a few, it will cost you quite a bit to build a record collection. If one already has a ton-o-CD's this is another concern. OTOH, the cost of MOST vinyl will run you less per recording than CD.

Properly implemented, I cannot agree with your 5-1 theory with respect to cost (if one can even equate quality to cost in the first place). If you assemble a set of equipment that does not mesh well together (Analog or digital) the outcome will be crap no matter how much you spend.

Back to the 5-1 theory. I did this awhile back. I had a preamp that contained an MC phono stage. I bought a demo Nottingham Spacedeck with Spacearm and then added a Shelter 501MkII cartridge. Cost? About $2700 all told, shipping included (about $3,600 retail). I also formerly owned a Sony SCD-1 deck. Cost? $2700 used all told (about $5K retail). In my experience, the vinyl front end bested the digital front, and not by a small margin. More dynamic, more involving, much more enjoyable. I compared recordings of the same material and not one person felt the digital sounded better.

Granted, this is but one example and there may be others out there with dissimilar experiences one way or the other. I am only saying that, having spent the exact same amount of money, the analog front end sounded wholly superior. As such, my experience would summarily dismiss the 5-1 cost notion.

I have gone on to establish a much stronger analog front end recently and would gladly compare it to any digital system of equal or reasonably greater value.

What is good digital playback and how much does it cost? TWL gave about as good a response as possible (as usual). Digital and analog sound different to me reguardless of price range so I guess it is a matter of taste (what sounds better to you) and how far you are willing to take either one. One thing I believe they do have in common is the importance of source material. A really good pressing will sound better on a $1k system than a crappy one on a $5k system. While I reccommend vinyl be warned that quailty software is probably going to cost more than digital. If you don't live in large metropolitan area good used vinyl is not that easy to find.

Bld63, I guess from living in the Bay Area, Ca (used vinyl mecca) and from being able to find what I can't find in my usual local haunts from about 50 on-line providers, I've become spoiled. I've seldom had trouble finding the vinyl I've sought at a relatively reasonable price, usually cheaper, and often much cheaper, than on CD (50's jazz and imports excepted!).

Not very much. $400-$500 if you know how to select a decent used and/or vintage deck/arm combo and you learn how to set it up yourself.

Without this effort (developing these skills) then figure 2X-4X the above.

Never experienced much of a surface noise problem, but I use a different cleaning method than most that involves thoroughly irrigating the grooves prior to a brush/pad ever touching the LP. Currently use a Water-Pik, but used a simple faucet with the addition of a pressure nozzle before (both work fine).

Additional:

-decent cartridge
-decent phono preamp that it synergistic to the cartridge
-decent shelf/rack on which to place the TT
-cleaning system

A good sound reason to get into vinyl is to listen to the music that never made it to CD. We have approx. 1500 CD's and 2000 LP's (not many duplicates between the two formats).

I have listened to but one CD player that reminded me of decent vinyl playback (an Oracle player a few years ago).
In the same audition we listened to BAT and AR players (both were nice, but neither reminded me of vinyl).

In a way the original Bel Canto DAC 1.0, other than lacking detail, sounded a bit like vinyl. This quality was lost with the 1.1 version which nonetheless sounded better overall.

Just to say that the two formats need not sound alike to be good. I grew up with vinyl/tape and this is the type of sound I am used to.