Actually for a lot less though still not chicken feed, some very fine
systems can be put together that will clearly put all but the finest
digital playback systems to shame.
Having spent the past CES with Herron Audio using a modest mc
cartridge along with the VPI HRX turntable outfitted with the new
external rim drive and having on hand the new dCI Puccini for digital
playback it just wasn't a contest.
Oh, the Puccini is one fine piece & we had lots of good listening with
it, but no one who heard the analog rig wanted to hear much digital.
Listening to the reissue of the Diabalus in Musica, Accardo interpreta
Paganini, was just astonishing. None who heard this presentation,
from reviewer to equipment manufacturer to your regular listener,
could claim to have heard a digital performance to date to rival this
presentation.
As an added treat, on two afternoons, we were entertained by an
elderly gentleman bearing gifts. A large stash of preferred pressings
of Decca, RCA & other highly regarded recordings. The room stayed
packed for over an hour each time.
The only down side was the long drive back to St. Louis & the flu that
invaded the show. I hope I can repeat as roadie next year if only to
be there for the elder gent's return.
All major analog record suppliers are predicting substantial increases
in record sales for the coming year. Equipment sales have been strong
for years & growing numbers of younger people are turning to vinyl.
As the saying goes .... ANALOG RULES.
Cheers,
Duane Goldman
On Aug 27, 2008, at 9:37 PM, Ken Fritz wrote:
> Gentleman,
>
> If you play LP's on a Silvertone changer, handed down from your
> dad, listen on a system from Best Buy, You'll concur with this
> posting.
>
> With all due respect to those that posted to this topic, Vinyl
> cleaned properly, played on a top of the line TT - arm - cartridge
> set up will sound good enough to shiver your timbers. In some cases,
> the cost of a vinyl playback system to shiver your timbers may
> cost as much as a a fine German sports car.
>
> Until you hear vinyl on a GREAT system, you won't realize how good
> the medium of the past really is.
>
> Being an analog guy myself; CD's, digital and pro tools take
> second place to the sound my Ampex ATR , Koetsu, Dynavector and My
> Sonic Labs cartridges deliver. Being 66 years of age, I may be
> wrong but my ears are happy.
>
> Relax, and enjoy the music. Ken
> On Aug 27, 2008, at 9:14 PM, Charles Lawson wrote:
>
>> Tom Fine writes:
>>> The LP has just too many limitations -- fuzzy midrange on peaks,
>>> ticks
>>> and pops, rumble
>>> and surface noise, poor channel separation at certain frequencies.
>>> It's
>>> always amazing to me when
>>> the things sound great -- I tip my hat to the mastering folks and
>>> pressing folks who make that
>>> happen. I'm old enough to remember the era before CD's. NO THANKS!
>>
>> I’m right there with you, Tom. I’d never go back.
>>
>> I hope it was clear from my postings that I am not *advocating*
>> using disc
>> restorations as the preferred method of transferring older
>> recordings to
>> the digital realm. I am only noting that, in some cases when the
>> master
>> tapes have deteriorated far enough, disc restorations can yield a
>> more
>> listenable product than the bad masters. OF COURSE digital re-issues
>> should be made from original source materials if those materials are
>> well-cared-for and in good shape. However, I have heard (and own a
>> few)
>> major label CD re-issues that suffer from all sorts of problems
>> that the
>> same material originally issued on LP does not exhibit—and it’s not
>> just
>> poor quality-control at the digital remastering stage.
>>
>> The LP as a medium has all kinds of problems that bug me (as LPs
>> always
>> have!), but some of my old LPs when thoroughly cleaned and played
>> through
>> the LT with DSP EQ, etc. yield a more listenable product than some
>> of the
>> CD re-issues that supposedly use original masters. Properly
>> manufactured
>> vinyl will generally hold up better than audio tape. It’s just
>> physics.
>>
>> I am booked up pretty solidly for the next little while, but if I
>> can put
>> together a few A-Bs, I’ll be happy to share ’em.
>>
>> Chas.
>>
>> --
>> Charles Lawson <[log in to unmask]>
>> Professional Audio for CD, DVD, Broadcast & Internet
>
H D Goldman Lagniappe Chemicals Ltd.
PO Box 37066 St. Louis, MO 63141 USA
v/f 314 205 1388 [log in to unmask]
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