Anyone here ever gotten OUT of vinyl?

Psychicanimal · « **Reply #20 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 04:16 am »

Quote from: Oxia

Quite a lot, actually. The mastering engineer has to compensate for the limitations of the medium. I recall a quote from Alan Parsons in a Stereophile interview a while back where he said something like "how can you take seriously any hi-fi medium that gradually loses treble response as you get closer to its inner tracks". I'm sure I haven't got his wording down precisely, but that was the gist of it as I recall, and it's a nice anecdote that illustrates one facet of vinyl that must be compensated by EQ dur ...

That's interesting--I did not know EQ was changed as a function of radius. In any case, that should not be hard to convert back, unless the original was EQ'd by hand.

The reason early CD's sounded bad was because the technology was adopted (or pushed) too soon. That's why we have this multi format mess: Redbook, SACD, DVD-A, Enhanced CD...

Early CDs developed pinholes and I've never heard of getting a refund (lots of piracy complaints, nonetheless). Still, most of my CDs leave much to say...

Psychicanimal · « **Reply #21 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 04:29 am »

Quote from: meilankev

Oxia,

On my system, there is absolutely no connection between "lushness" and "vinyl". Nothing could be farther from reality. Vinyl gives:

> Better attack / more realistic decay
> Unparalleled dynamics
> Wider/deeper soundstage
> More proper sense of "air" between instruments
> Woodwinds/strings that sound more "right"

I don't consider CDs to be bright or sterile. On my system, they are simply "blah" compared to vinyl. They're relatively flat, compressed, and uninspiring. To ...

I agree with the above description of vinyl sound. However, I recently got a belt driven CD transport and am waiting to have my TT rewired before doing a proper comparison. For those of you who have not lived with a belt driven CD transport, you have no idea of how much smoother and musical it is.

The question here is flawed because vinyl is a medium. There is music that is not available in CD and vice versa. I do not own a TT because I want "vinyl sound". Additionally, I can usually get cheaper music by buying vinyl. More music for my money, that is...

Some people achieve "vinyl sound" by using (spatially enhancing) moving coils, vibration prone wooden bases which result in "warm" sound and tube preamps. These same people are ones who complain that direct drive TTs "sound like CDs". I have news for you--my goal is to make my analog and digital rigs sound as close to each other a s possible!

Psychicanimal · « **Reply #22 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 04:35 am »

Quote from: Marbles

Your right though...to get close to a first class vinyl rig, you have to spend around $2K on a digital rig.

That takes a lot more than 2K. A Camelot, Dodson or similar DAC will retail close to 4K. A good belt driven transport plus mods will retail starting the $4k, plus cabling, power cords and noise control rig. Mucho dinero. It can get much pricier, too. Ask Mr. Burmester...

audiojerry · « **Reply #23 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 12:32 pm »

Quote from: meilankev

On my system, there is absolutely no connection between "lushness" and "vinyl". Nothing could be farther from reality. Vinyl gives:

> Better attack / more realistic decay
> Unparalleled dynamics
> Wider/deeper soundstage
> More proper sense of "air" between instruments
> Woodwinds/strings that sound more "right"

I don't consider CDs to be bright or sterile. On my system, they are simply "blah" compared to vinyl. They're relatively flat, compressed, and uninspiring.

He's lying!
Don't listen to meilankev!
Don't believe this!
Please don't.
CD's have perfect sound - forever!
Please believe this!

(ps: Kevin, you are so right!)

meilankev · « **Reply #24 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 03:25 pm »

Jerry,

You know I don't mind when folks say they prefer CDs/DVD-A/SACDs to vinyl. It's an argument no one can win. I've learned to just accept the disagreement. After all, my preference on my system will not neccesarily equate to another's preference on their system.

However, when someone says they prefer CDs because vinyl sounds too "lush", well I couldn't help myself. That's like saying I prefer a minivan to a Corvette because the Corvette is just too big and cumbersome. It just doesn't compute.

As Marbles pointed out, I guess I need to audition a nice CD player/system in my rig. A friend of mine here has a Rega Jupiter - I think that's about the same price as my Basis deck. Maybe this would help put my "vinyl bias" to bed.

Kevin

Hantra · « **Reply #25 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 03:33 pm »

Quote

Maybe this would help put my "vinyl bias" to bed.

I doubt it. . . Jupiter is a nice player, but not THAT nice. . .

I'm not sure I have heard a digital front-end that sounds as good as vinyl, but there are some that get close enough to not make you want to do the vinyl work. . That's where I'm at. .

B

Carlman · « **Reply #26 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 05:10 pm »

Maybe ... just maybe... you dove into vinyl too hard and fast... and you just burned out on the avalanche of 'necessities'. It took me 3 years to buy a record weight. I've never replaced my cartridge. I paid $100 for my table on ebay. I wasn't serious about it... but, I ended up with a very good sounding rig for very little money. It's just been recently that I started considering a new cartridge. I don't know what to expect from the new cart so, I don't really know what to look for...

I have a friend that is very helpful with this kind of thing so, if you ever decided to get back into a mid-fi level of TT's... let me know.

-Carl

Hantra · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 06:13 pm »

Thing is. . . I KNEW ahead of time when I was going in that I would get tired of it. I just thought it would take me longer. I also knew that if I didn't get into it because I knew that I wouldn't do it for long, I would regret it. I had to see what it was all about. .

It's just like hitting your secretary at the office. . .

OMG did I say that?

L8r,

B

Carlman · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 06:32 pm »

Quote from: Hantra

OMG did I say that?

I'm actually glad that your dabbling in vinyl was equatable to another type of 'encounter'. Sounds like you had a great experience!

lcrim · « **Reply #29 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 11:31 pm »

Hantra:
I'm really sorry that I didn"t see this thread sooner but I'm in the same boat or state of mind. I just bought a vinyl front end about 10 days ago and ended up paying about double my rough ballpark budget. I've posted elsewhere, (the AC Vinyl Forum) about the cracklies and how much cleaner can I get the damn things. My digital front end cost roughly the same as I spent on a TT, arm, cart. and phono section, two pairs of interconnects and Jesus now a record cleaning machine.
I keep reading how superior the sound of vinyl is but the illusion is shattered by surface noise.
CD's gave me more time for just listening.
Larry Crimmins

DTH · « **Reply #30 on:** 23 Jul 2003, 11:53 pm »

Vinyl is definitely difficult. It is hard to store a large collection, very hard to move it and occasionally a pain to listen to it. But I really like finding and listening to old records, stuff you can't get on CD. For me, listening to a crackly record is not so bad if that is the only way I am going to get to hear the recording.

JoshK · « **Reply #31 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 06:51 pm »

Shouldn't this thread be in the vinyl circle?

Hantra · « **Reply #32 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 07:25 pm »

Quote

Shouldn't this thread be in the vinyl circle?

Josh:

It should not be in the Vinyl Circle. My target audience for this thread were people who "have gotten out of vinyl". Those people would not be surfing the Vinyl Circle, and I would get nothing but opinions from vinyl users there.

B

byteme · « **Reply #33 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 07:49 pm »

Brad,

I feel for you man! This whole hobby is tweaky, but it seems to me by the stuff I've read and being there for a short time (gasp) BEFORE cd's were out, that this is one of the tweakiest areas. All the extra ancillary crap that goes along with getting the most out of a record. I've seen custom made tables with separate motors driving the belt, arms suspended and riding on a column of forced air (like an air hockey table) with one end on the record and the other riding through a vat of oil to dissipate vibration!! The air compressor was in another room. Did it sound good? You bet. Even my VERY modest rig in the 80's played Paul Simon's graceland like I've never heard it before or since. However, like a tryst with the secretary, a dip into vinyl would be the end of my marriage!! My vote was to RUN AWAY!

Psychicanimal · « **Reply #34 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 08:00 pm »

Quote from: byteme

Brad,

I feel for you man! This whole hobby is tweaky, but it seems to me by the stuff I've read and being there for a short time (gasp) BEFORE cd's were out, that this is one of the tweakiest areas. All the extra ancillary crap that goes along with getting the most out of a record. I've seen custom made tables with separate motors driving the belt, arms suspended and riding on a column of forced air (like an air hockey table) with one end on the record and the other riding through a vat of oil to diss ...

A few months ago a dentist was run over by an SUV driven by his wife. He was porking his secretary...

jackman · « **Reply #35 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 08:12 pm »

Psychicanimal,

You are correct about the dentist who was run over by his wife for "hittin'" his secretary. Worst part is the secretary was into vinyl...panties!

Jman

byteme · « **Reply #36 on:** 24 Jul 2003, 08:35 pm »

Quote from: Psychicanimal

A few months ago a dentist was run over by an SUV driven by his wife. He was porking his secretary...

Ya, run over, and then she backed over him AGAIN. If I remember right the best part is one of the kids was in the car!

Holy shit, I just looked it up, gotta read this...

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/15/1044927854202.html

Here's a tease quote -

As the investigator's video camera rolled, an enraged Harris allegedly killed her husband in a Texas hotel parking lot by running him over three times with her silver Mercedes-Benz and leaving the car parked on top of him.

According to testimony in the three-week-long trial, the Harrises were happily married and running their lucrative dental practices until early last year. That is when David Harris began an affair with Ms Bridges, his office receptionist.

He agreed to stop seeing her after eliciting promises that his wife would lose weight and get breast implants.

I'd have gotten a dental drill in the nuts right then and there!

Poll

Would you get out of vinyl, or stick it out?