Quit vinyl?

Ok, start laughing and pointing at me, I deserve it.

After I decided to keep the analogue gear, I decided to listen to it. So I put on a record, and started listening. And although it didn't sound bad, I just couldn't care. Especially the image was.... well, it wasn't actually. So I cleaned the needle gently, cleaned the record again, but alas, nothing. Then I checked the connections, on the side of the TT, the input on the pre-pre, the output of the pre-pre, and the input on my integrated. Everything was fine. Untill I looked closer. The wire to ground my TT, which should have been connected to the pre-pre, was loose. So I connected it, started listening, and....... Jummy!! I wonder how long the wire was loose, and if that has something to do with my faded interest. Anyway..... gotta stop writing now, there are some 100+ records waiting to be heard.

Satch: That's great news and i hope you enjoy the benefits of doing some simple yet necessary "investigative work" : )

As a side note, our musical tastes do change somewhat with age, but great music is great music. While some rock / pop is very simple in nature, that doesn't mean that you still can't enjoy it when you are "older & wiser" ( or is that "older & wider" ??? : )

My experience is that we build our systems in a certain "hi-fi" fashion and that fashion tends to reduce the versatility of what sounds good on it. You might find that some discs that you really enjoyed in the past simply don't sound as good to you as you used to remember. Not only has your hearing and musical tastes changed, so has your system. This is why striving for a neutral system that retains proper dynamics with good extension on both ends of the audible spectrum is important. This type of system can do justice to whatever type of music that you want to listen to equally well. A system with a lack of "prat" will never sound good on rock / pop music because that music is based strictly on "pace, rhythm and tempo". Obviously, your system still has "prat" as you're back to enjoying your "long hair" recordings of yesteryear : ) Sean
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This is why striving for a neutral system that retains proper dynamics with good extension on both ends of the audible spectrum is important.

Bottom line.

I wouldn't dare to disagree with you guys, but sound quality ain't everyting. I will never like boybands, how lifelike they may sound, but the first time I heard Jimi Hendrix playing Angel I was blown away. An that was on some gear I don't even dare name (yes, dr. Amar. B. was involved.....). So for me the bottomline is that emotional impact is more important than sound quality. Don't get me wrong: a good sounding system (e.g. neutral) may get you closer to the music, but you'll also know why *N'Sync sucks on a highly revealing system. That said: I did some 5 records yesterday, it's raining and it's weekend, I already bought all the food I need yesterday, so guess what I'm going to do?

Satch: I think that you're equating "neutrality" with "sterility". I like "musical accuracy", which means you get to hear the details without losing the emotion or impact. As far as recordings go, naturally, i would prefer "good recordings" over "bad recordings". If it came down to it though, i would always choose a good performance over a good recording. Most "audiophile grade recordings" fall under the category of Holt's law i.e. a performance or piece of music that is recorded extremely well but something that you would never really care to listen to ever again i.e. "demonstration discs". Sean
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