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Tried analog yet again after decades of digital

Ok Im posting this on the digital format because Id be handed my head if on the analog side.I like many over the years decided to try analog again.Ive hauled around records for years from place to place and never really wanted to part with them,more a memory thing I guess.To the point,I purchased a VPI scout recently,mounting a benz micro cartridge to it and various phone preamps I have inside such things as receivers and integrated amps along with a stand alone phono.Bought the record cleaner machine and all the stuff necessary to use the format properly,I think.Set the table up with time and patience and dialed it in as best I could without getting anal about it.What Im finding is a format that is really inferior to digital IMO.I say this forgetting the fact I wasn't expecting much as years ago I tried the same venture with disappointment of the out come.The constant snap ,crackle pop even on unplayed records,the hassle of having to get up every 15 minute to change the side,constant cleaning,setup of the table,all the bobbles needed to make it all go.I think to even come close to digital one must spend tons of money and tons of time.Im sure there are sytems that sound incredible,but at what expense and how much time devoted to it..Dont get me wrong its fun to play music that never made it to disc but anyone thinking alone these same lines as to recapturing what was once the only game in town,think long and hard.
missioncoonery
timrhu
2,778 posts
 
But I do agree that if you don't hear what vinyl has to offer, there's no sense fooling around with it. You either hear it or you don't.
Chayro

Another option is, either you prefer it or you don't.
bigkidz
1,784 posts
 
That depends on the DAC and phono preamp you are using. I build a DHT DAC that outperforms most high priced analog set-ups. I also build a DHT phono stage that makes analog just as good maybe even better. You cannot make a general statement like this. Since I make my own gear including DHT preamp and I am able to demonstrate it in many other systems, do I can hear what most of you are hearing from both sides. I personally use digital for convenience and the DHT DAC sounds amazing, too close to call and I don't have to clean records and set-up the arms, etc. I also use a CEC transport that makes a big difference in the sound of my digital set-up. It is a step down without it.

Happy Listening.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
I really respect Theo1124's answer. Like him, I believe it starts with a love of vinyl. I'm not talking about building a mega-dollar system, I sure don't have one, but it's more than entry level and listening is a pleasure.

I'm talking about the love of the medium, the collecting of LPs, their cover design and artwork. And as many of you know, there used to be a high level of craftsmanship that went into producing and cutting a record and it was tactile; you could feel it and see it, not to mention all the collectible vinyl.

I started playing records and collecting as a teenager and now I'm in my 50s. That's why I said earlier, I don't expect vinyl to sound the same as digital; there is some noise and coloration.

But like many, playing vinyl started to become too much work and mostly I listen to CDs now. But I'll still devote an afternoon to analogue.

IMO, vinyl isn't for everyone, and Missioncoonery, it sounds to me like you had a mismatch in your analogue chain or an other than optimal setup.
missioncoonery OP
732 posts
 
IMO, vinyl isn't for everyone, and Missioncoonery, it sounds to me like you had a mismatch in your analogue chain or an other than optimal setup

I dont think so,my guess is my TT setup sounds as good as most posting here except the fool that said VPI is low end table.It sound much better than what I had back in the day but for me and again this is just me..the expensive,the time,the cleaning,the setup,the tickering on and on doesn't justify what im hearing compoared to my digital side...and again its fun to hear music I haven't heard in years but that's about where it ends
dhl93449
438 posts
 
I am going through the same transition. Listened to vinyl back in the 70-80s. Then seduced by the convenience of CDs. Then the disappointment with CDs as the resolution of my system increased. Then the return of happiness with digital when I began ripping CDs for playback on the Bryston BDP-1. Now, after 35 -40 years, resurrected my LP collection which I never abandoned.

I can say I have some recordings where digital is superior, and others where LP blows the digital away. Strongly depends on program material, how old the LP is and when it was recorded, and compared to what digital source. I have some digital recordings where a significant amount of low level detail is just gone, and other vinyl sources that sound thin and lacking in bass. Remember that the most recent "remasters" of 80's vintage music are made from very old (and perhaps degraded) tapes, and any reproduction from these is never going to compare with a first pressing vinyl version of the same music pressed back in the 70s or 80s. Sprinkle that with an overuse of noise reduction by engineers producing digital music for the masses and you can have large differences. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon comes to mind.

I agree there is a ritual to using phono, and cleaning is a vital part. I use the simple immersion spin cleaners. They are cheap enough that I have two; one for detergent cleaning and one for rinsing. I use DI water in both, and find that many of the surface noise issues of the 80s are gone. Completely. Immersion in a fluid is the only reliable way to remove static charges, and a semi-dry vacuum brush system can put static back.
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