[floresjc]

I didn't want this thread to be about gear, because I can find gear. I haven't really decided if I want to splash into vinyl or not, and I've done some basic researching and wanted to throw some stuff out and see if I'm on the wrong track. I also don't want this to be a Vinyl vs CD war.

It would seem to me, that most reasonable folks agree that a well mastered vinyl release, and a well mastered cd release will both sound great. Its become hard to find well mastered cd releases because of the loudness war. Folks on the other side, are quite particular about vinyl being all analog vs sourced from digital, or mastered separately vs just cutting the cd master to vinyl, that kind of thing. The true vinyl experience. And it seems that those types of releases are hard to find as well.

So I guess my basic question is, for those who love vinyl (or listen to vinyl and cd), what are considered some of the exemplar albums to own (or even bands) that would be worth investing in vinyl for? That sound very different from cd? Is the true Led Zeppelin experience on the Barry Diamente CD's? Is it on the original vinyl? Is it one of the remasters of either? I see tons of folks online, who buy vinyl, rip to flac as 24 bit 96khz files, and listen that way. I downloaded a couple test files that way, and for some songs it seems like vinyl makes a song better, and others, seems to make no difference. That was listening to a bit of Zeppelin and Coldplay.

I'm just curious what people might have to say. Vinyl is a very exacting medium, and it seems if nothing else, it forced guys to get the mastering right. I'm just kinda curious for like big name bands (Stones, Who, Zepp, or even modern guys) if vinyl is considered "the" version to own.

[roscoeiii]

Even if there isn't an all-analog chain, often the mastering of vinyl has a greater dynamic range.

[NIGHTFALL1970]

Whenever I do an A/B comparison with CD/Vinyl the bass is almost always better on vinyl.
What are the Led Zeppelin Barry Diamente CD's?  I think the best vinyl are the "Classic Records" versions on 200gr and the best CDs are the Definitive collection.

http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Collection-Led-Zeppelin/dp/B001FSDP08/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1396065402&sr=1-1&keywords=led+zeppelin+definitive+collection

[roscoeiii]

Some of those original LZ LPs are excellent. The famous RL LZ II, for example.

[orthobiz]

For me, besides the whole experience of vinyl spinning on a turntable, the vinyl vs. CD argument is always a one to win. The main things about the vinyl when a record was first released:

1. It was mastered by an engineer who may or may not be one of the legendary ones (Bob Ludwig, Len Hulko, etc.)
2. It was mastered from the original tapes
3. There had yet to be invented (inflicted) any Loudness War.

And it is so important to consider, although often impossible to know, when a recording is remastered for CD, was the ORIGINAL tape used in an analog chain? Or is it like the ABNORMAL brain used in Young Frankenstein? And what is the condition of that tape?

So, original can be best...

Paul

[Photon46]

It's difficult to give hard and fast rules, plus we all hear things differently. I've got the original three Led Zep albums in their original first releases and the long sold out Classic 200 gram re-releases. I also have the boxed 6 LP set Jimmy Page remastered and released as Atlantic  7 82144-1. All sound different but excellent, I wouldn't waste much time arguing about which is "best." I suppose that I might prefer the Classic releases if I had to make a choice.

As to what bands are worth seeking out on the basis of their LP sound, here are a few picks that come to mind. Roxy Music ("Avalon" in particular,) Crowded House, Aimee Mann/'til Tuesday's, Ricki Lee Jones, The Band's releases mastered by Robert Ludwig (not all releases were RL mastered,) Chris Isaak, White Stripes, Dead Can Dance (killer good sound,) Lyle Lovett, Cat Power ("Sun," "jukebox" and "The Greatest.")

I'm also not one of those who becomes apoplectic at the thought of digital sourcing in an LP release. I find it's more about the skill of the engineering and mastering than source IMO. I've got many, many classical lp's sourced from digital recordings that sound fabulous. 

[floresjc]

Barry Diamente I believe did the mastering on the original CD releases of Zeppelin, and folks seem to think its the definitive version available on CD despite all the remasters and so forth. I own these CD's and they do indeed sound good. How they compare to the original vinyl I don't know.

I figured since CD and vinyl are both a mine field of "conditions" to make them sound good, some artists definitively sound better on vinyl because they took the time, or vice versa for CD.

[floresjc]

I have noticed that on some of the recordings the bass is a little fuller on vinyl, or in the case of Coldplay, some of the high hat work sounds more present and clear.

[roscoeiii]

I'm also not one of those who becomes apoplectic at the thought of digital sourcing in an LP release. I find it's more about the skill of the engineering and mastering than source IMO.

+1. Though it often becomes an advantage that vinyl is being mastered to be more dynamic than digital copies (whether they be CDs, mp3s or hi-rez downloads).

See for example this discussion of the best sounding digital version of the new Beck album:

http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/569-and-winner-%85/

You can also see the difference in vinyl and digital mastering comparing versions of the most recent National album (the CD of which Steve Guttenberg has criticized for its mastering and lack of dynamic range):

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=The+national&album=trouble