How Much To Rival Good Digital Playback

I do not want my vinyl rig to rival my digital. My goal is to make them sound as close to each other as possible. In order to do that w/in my budget, I have a KAB modded Technics SL1200 MK2 and a Parasound CBD-2000 belt driven transport (being modded in Dan Wright's shop at this time). The mods in the 1200 make it closer to digital's positive attributes and vice versa for the belt driven transport. I understand my mental framework is radical but it *does* make a lot of sense! The people that push for analog, even with cheap rigs, ALWAYS omit the fact that digital has PERFECT pitch. I can infer that they can't hear differences in pitch...

I recently bought a Nottingham Spacedeck and Spacearm, Audio Research PH2, and Acoustic Zen Matrix ref balanced cables - this $3500 investment totally recaptured musical reproduction in my system. Love it, rarely play the digital front end any more. Invest more than the minimum, you will be rewarded

tom

I tend to agree with Pbb in the sense that to get good digital playback is cheaper than to get good analogue playback. The 4-1 ratio is bit much, I tend to think its more like 2-1.

In order to have a fair comparison of costs, you have to start with a line stage, no phono built in. The phono stage is to analogue what a DAC is to digital.

Sure in terms of enjoyment, PRaT, musicality, cheaper analogue systems can get you that for less than digital, but digital advances in technology have made it far less expensive to get a fairly decent playback system. Where digital has an advantage, is in the quiet background and the detail retrieval.

For analogue to have both quiet and detail, requires : (a) stable, quiet TT/arm, (b) good cart AND (c) matching low-noise phono. While (a) and (b) are not a problem for most systems, (c) can be quite costly.

For digital, I've always held the belief that separates will inevitably trounce integrated CDPs, and good separates (those that get the PRaT right) are not cheap. The two areas that digital playback fails miserably are in (a) dynamics, and (b) noise - RFI/EMI(!). If you think digital is quiet, think again. The "quiet background" of digital actually has hidden noise which mask detail and hinders dynamics. The solution is in clean power. I've found that by using a particular powercord, you can get back the dynamics and natural, fluid presentation of analogue.

On the analogue front, I've recently acquired a new arm, which again makes analogue far superior to digital. Details to follow...

psychicanimal: What mods are you having them do? I have a Parasound CDP-2000 Ultra and I find it awesome...wondering if your mods apply to my unit?

Dan Wright promised to make the Parasound sound with the tighness, impact and slam of my McCormack SST-1 direct drive, top loading transport. It seems CEC uses very cheap parts in some of the critical paths of the unit--even in their top models. Power regulation/delivery is also critical to keep the belt drive transport and CD weight running dead on. I also bought a Furutech rhodium plated IEC from Chris VenHaus and had him ship it to Dan. I also told Dan I want a Bybee installed after the IEC. A new belt and a door sensor switch were also ordered and sent to Dan. You should get both and have them replaced. As to how much this is going to cost, I don't know yet. I let Dan do whatever he wants. We have mutual understanding--he knows how I like my music...

I would definitely contact Dan and ask him about this project. He did tell me over the phone that he has modded several CECs, including their top of the line. I think it will be worth it for you, as also getting a DD turnable :)