I found a happy medium in my setup...
I use a solid state integrated amplifier to power a turntable and solid state phono stage combination and a CD player and tube buffer stage combination. The warmth of the analog is maintained without the need for tubes and the exactness of the digital is warmed by the coloration of the tube buffer. Plus, the tube buffer stage allows me to attentuate the CD output so that the signals from both analog and digital are right in the sweet spot of the power band of the integrated. And, I can switch between analog and digital without having to make big adjustments for volume on the integrated amp.
I have commercial CD versions of some of my LPs that are well mastered (comparable sonic qualities between LP and CD) and switching between the CD and the LP while playing both (VERY closely syncronized and volume matched) you'd be hard pressed during casual listening to tell which is which.
Bottom line: If you select components that are carefully matched to create the sound you prefer, you should be happy listening to either LPs or CDs without the need for separate systems. Getting a good quality phono stage is a great start.
Regards,
Tom
I use a solid state integrated amplifier to power a turntable and solid state phono stage combination and a CD player and tube buffer stage combination. The warmth of the analog is maintained without the need for tubes and the exactness of the digital is warmed by the coloration of the tube buffer. Plus, the tube buffer stage allows me to attentuate the CD output so that the signals from both analog and digital are right in the sweet spot of the power band of the integrated. And, I can switch between analog and digital without having to make big adjustments for volume on the integrated amp.
I have commercial CD versions of some of my LPs that are well mastered (comparable sonic qualities between LP and CD) and switching between the CD and the LP while playing both (VERY closely syncronized and volume matched) you'd be hard pressed during casual listening to tell which is which.
Bottom line: If you select components that are carefully matched to create the sound you prefer, you should be happy listening to either LPs or CDs without the need for separate systems. Getting a good quality phono stage is a great start.
Regards,
Tom