Vinyl vs. Digital: Time To VOTE!!!!

orthobiz · « **on:** 6 Jun 2009, 03:40 pm »

My Rega Saturn continues to gather dust. I just got into Pink Floyd Meddle, one of the albums I never owned until I picked up a nice copy for 50 cents. Atom Heart Mother to follow.

The Hazards of Love by the Decemberists is great, too. Man, I'm just having too much fun with vinyl!!!!

How about you? This may have been posted elsewhere, but I wanna see a high number so I put it in the Vinyl Circle.

Paul

WGH · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 04:07 pm »

I have been listening to more digital as equipment improves. I was 100% vinyl until recently. Two years ago I ripped all my cd's to the computer and got a $200 DAC, which sounded better than any $400 CD player I previously owned.

Fast forward 2 years and I am on my 3rd DAC, an Insight+ from AVA and it's a keeper. All my wav files are on a computer running Windows XP but recently discovered that foobar sounds better on my Toshiba laptop running Vista 64 bit so the two computers are networked together.

So now I am at 60% vinyl and 40% digital and everything sounds great.

Wayne

Wayner · « **Reply #2 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 05:18 pm »

I almost never listen to digital. It's not allowed in my studio and vinyl isn't allowed out in the great hall. I spend most of the time in the studio with the AVA equipment. It's lots of fun spinning vinyl, tho I'm sure some think it's a big pain in the ars.

Wayner

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 06:30 pm »

Quote from: WGH on 6 Jun 2009, 04:07 pm

I have been listening to more digital as equipment improves. I was 100% vinyl until recently. Two years ago I ripped all my cd's to the computer and got a $200 DAC, which sounded better than any $400 CD player I previously owned.

So now I am at 60% vinyl and 40% digital and everything sounds great.

Wayne

Pretty much same here, Wayne....tho as I have accumulated quite a few cartridges and decks now, I find myself spinning more vinyl just trying this out. I'm probably at about 70%, but I choose 80% in the pole.

I have not heard a truly bad sounding CD/DVD player in 5 years now.....I have the Cambridge DVD-99 with a pair of top-of-the-line Dakiom Feedback Stabilizers (the damn things work...the sound is more 'organic' and pleasant with them in)

Sometimes I play CD or DVD-A (never SACD...they sound weird to me and I cannot quite pinpoint why my brain rejects them) on the Cambridge and ask myself why I both listening to vinyl.

Then, I put some vinyl on and I once again abundantly realize why. The foot starts tapping, the head bobbles a bit, the space around instruments is realized, etc. It's just better - that's all.

But, my digital sounds pleasant now, all the same

John

low.pfile · « **Reply #4 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 07:01 pm »

Gotta feed the bell curve here....

I mainly listen to digital. Vinyl takes dedicated time and attention. That is not always available to me. It is great when I have time.

I am a multitasker. Getting home late from work then making dinner where hands are covered in breadcrumbs or beet juice is not a time to be dealing with flipping a record. Then there is running back and forth for things in the garage or other life/work things. I try to fit in a record when I am settled and stationary...it's usually very late so usually just one album. I voted 20% but I bet it is less than that given how much (digital) music I listen to throughout the day.

But I just bought 10 new albums this week. it will take me time to get to them but I will enjoy them. Vinyl does sound great. Last night the new Bat For Lashes was the first I played of the bunch.

cheers,
ed

launche · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 07:16 pm »

Just starting out here, I've got about 250 records. I'll let you know for sure in about 3 months when I finish cleaning them all

. At the moment I'd say I'm at about 60%, mainly due to the honeymoon period and that my digital server is not hooked up right now. Having fun with vinyl so far though.

lazydays · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 07:20 pm »

I probably will listen to digital about 60% of the time as back ground music. But if I'm setting down just to listen to music then it's 100% vinyl. Still if it's something new and not out on vinyl I have to listen to it on CD. Still even then I probably play SACD 60% of the time
gary

Dan Kolton · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Jun 2009, 07:35 pm »

I got back into vinyl this year to listen to my collection of the black platters accumulated from the 50s through the early 90s. I generally prefer the sound of CDs along with the convenience, but I want my vinyl to sound good the 20% of the time I choose to listen to that medium. Bought a Technics SL-1200mk2 with KAB damping trough, a Grado Statement Sonata and a dbSystems head amp. Still occasionally use older Grado Longhorn with Gold stylus, ADC-XLM lll, Denon 103 (currently loaned to Frank VanAlstine). Replaced a Rabco SL8/Grado Longhorn with bent Green stylus (as the result of Rabco transport motor not operating once too often). I'm presently trying to troubleshoot and repair the Rabco, which has been modified with a Connoiseuer arm and magnetic reed relay switches.

bunnyma357 · « **Reply #8 on:** 7 Jun 2009, 04:55 am »

I'm probably 40% vinyl, no CD players anymore, all digital is either ripped CD's or Rhapsody on the Squeezebox, or the iPod in the car. Been listening to a lot of vinyl lately, since I picked up about 100 old LP's recently. New music is pretty much all bought on CD after deciding what to buy on Rhapsody, I like CD's so I can rip them and enjoy it anywhere. I've probably got about 800 vinyl LP's and 1000 CD's.

I've started digitizing my LP's as well, since only my office/listening room has a TT, and I like to be able to listen to stuff in the car, or while cooking or working in the garage.

I kind of just look at analog and digital as tools, and I'll use whichever makes the most sense for what I want to do. Sort of like I have many bicycles that all are good at the specific task I use them for, and not so good at other things

Jim C

orthobiz · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Jun 2009, 01:53 pm »

Quote from: bunnyma357 on 7 Jun 2009, 04:55 am

I kind of just look at analog and digital as tools, and I'll use whichever makes the most sense for what I want to do. Sort of like I have many bicycles that all are good at the specific task I use them for, and not so good at other things

Jim C

I have a road bike, mtn bike, recumbent, regular tandem and recumbent tandem, so I know what you mean about tasks.

That's why I asked about listening "in the main system." I listen to CD's in the car, especially since lots of new stuff isn't available (obviously) on vinyl.

So far I'm the only one at 100 percent vinyl in the sound room!

Paul

Kirk57 · « **Reply #10 on:** 13 Jun 2009, 01:22 pm »

The problem with vinyl is not the sound quality, it's the availablity of new music. Only a small fraction of music that came out after ~1990 was ever issued on vinyl, so listening to lps = listening to older music.

I have ~2500 lps but end up using my Squeezebox Duet into a NOS DAC most of the time for that reason.

pardales · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Jun 2009, 02:10 pm »

Back in the late 80's I was a lot younger and just getting into this hobby. At the time I got caught up into the emergence of this new digital revolution and CD's....which, of course, just started to sound really good in the last 10 years. If I had it to do all over again, knowing what I know now, I would have gone with vinyl instead. As it stands though, I am 100% digital, and thank goodness digital really has come a long way.

twitch54 · « **Reply #12 on:** 13 Jun 2009, 06:30 pm »

Quote from: pardales on 13 Jun 2009, 02:10 pm

which, of course, just started to sound really good in the last 10 years.

Not at all true......you just needed to know what labels to look for........ Sheffield Labs, GRP, DMP, some Telarc and American Gramaphone to name a few.

BobRex · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Jun 2009, 07:58 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 7 Jun 2009, 01:53 pm

I have a road bike, mtn bike, recumbent, regular tandem and recumbent tandem, so I know what you mean about tasks.

That's why I asked about listening "in the main system." I listen to CD's in the car, especially since lots of new stuff isn't available (obviously) on vinyl.

So far I'm the only one at 100 percent vinyl in the sound room!

Paul

I'm 100% vinyl, cds only in the car too. Oh, and I only have a road bike - I never got into the idea of driving somewhere to go riding.

Bob

Mariusz · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 02:30 am »

fifty, fifty.
It depends on a day of the week, mood and time.

BobM · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 11:30 am »

There's good things to be heard on both mediums. The % changes depending on mood and what I feel like listening to, and often swings way one way over the other because of that .

Bob

Syrah · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 01:28 pm »

I find it depends on the medium and the player.

My Dan Wright modded Sony 9100 definitely competes with my Teres table.

I have several artists both on digital and vinyl, and my conclusion has always been - it depends. Some of the newer stuff cut on cheap vinyl from digital masters (as a marketing afterthought) doesn't compete with the digital versions, bad 80s CDs are usually trounced by the original vinyl versions.

The (expensive) audiophile vinyl, 45 rpm all that stuff, sounds really fantastic.

bosound · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 03:49 pm »

80% vinyl
20% digital, all either ripped-to-FLAC CD's or Rhapsody/Pandora on Logitech Squeezeboxes/Transporter

I listen to digital when I need my hands free in the workshop, to workout, to shave, or as
background music. Dedicated listening sessions call for vinyl. There is plenty of high quality vinyl
available with both modern music and older music. I am currently listening to the M.Ward LP
Post-War.

bosound

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 03:55 pm »

I have seven or eight albums in both formats. Vinyl is simply more satisfying to me soundwise and soulwise on these. In fairness to digital, I don't have any of these in K2, SACD, or any of the higher resolution formats. I have more albums than discs but I listen to digital more often for the convenience. And, in my case, my dig system is doing me some solids.

thebearded1 · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 Jun 2009, 05:51 pm »

Vinyl wins. I certainly have some cds or sacds that sound better than some of my vinyl...so great sounding digital can sound more life-like than poor sounding vinyl....but, comparing apples to apples or a great sounding record v a great sounding cd/sacd, vinyl has more depth, roundness, weight, smoothness and is more live sounding than the best digital to my ears and taste. For kicks I will put on vinyl and sacd versions of Aja and while they are both spinning, I will flip back and forth between between the sources on the preamp. I do the same test with Kind of Blue. There are definetly some details on the sacd versions that are more etched and detailed; but, it still sounds digital to me while the vinyl versions possesses the attributes I cited above which is much more satisfying and involving...my sacd/cd player is an esoteric x03 compared with a vpi scout/dynavector 10x tt set-up...so, even with a much, much more expensive digital unit, my vinyl still wins.

Poll

In your home system, what percentage of your listening is VINYL????

Vinyl vs. Digital: Time To VOTE!!!!