2. analog
  3. 140184-113812

Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD

Long story short, i've just brought home a VPI classic 1 mounted with a Zu-Denon DL103 on JMW Memorial 10.5 with the appropriate heavier counterweight. Had everything dialed in..perfect azimuth, VTF, overhang, with only a slightly higher than perfect VTA. Levelling checked. All good. 

I did a comparison between the VPI and my Esoteric X03SE and it's not even close. The Esoteric completely crushes the VPI in all regards. The level of treble refinement, air, decay, soundstage depth and width, seperation, tonality, overall coherence is just a simply a league above from what I'm hearing from the VPI. The only area the VPI seems to be better at is bass weight, but not by much. 

I'm honestly quite dumbfounded here. I've always believed that analogue should be superior to digital. I know the Esoteric is a much pricier item but the VPI classic is supposed to be a very good turntable and shouldn't be a slouch either. At this point I feel like I should give up on analogue playback and invest further in digital. 

Has anyone had a similar experience comparing the best of digital to a very good analogue setup?

Equipment:
Esoteric X03SE 
VPI Classic, JMW Memorial 10.5, Zu-DL103
Accuphase C200L
Accuphase P600
AR 90 speakers

Test Record/CD:
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing (Redbook vs MOV 180g reissue)



chadsort
Ag insider logo xs@2x
cleeds
2,065 posts
 
whart
I really don’t want to feed the analog v digital which one is better debate ...  much comes down to the quality of the source material. And despite my life-long love affair with the vinyl LP, I enjoy digital playback immensely.
Well said, and +1. It's often confounded me how for some listeners the analog/digital discussion is either/or. I think they co-exist quite nicely.
roberjerman
2,086 posts
 
@john1 : Excellent post! There is more "there" in those microgrooves than many realize! After all, audio recording starts with a vibrating mike diaphragm moving a coil in a magnetic field. A completely analog process! And should be played back by an analog process! So, as Pearl Jam sang, "Spin the black circle"!
colin44ct357's avatar
colin44ct357
105 posts
 
To each his own! No disrespect to all the vinyl lovers.If one cant afford a solid granite slab with a floating table..20k stili and cartridge..cda is the choice.
cda, no static, no wear, can last for many years and good quality discs a life time.I have to say my rotel RDD 980 with the philips cdm9 floating laser mechanism and a pcb full of the best audio components sounds better than any turntable i have heard.the 980 is many years old and had one service in its life, solder the complete pcb...good for another 20..when i hit 80 it many need a touch up or a cap of 3...

colin44ct357's avatar
colin44ct357
105 posts
 
Lastly if your lp is not one the first 100 off the press it wont be as good as the first 10.LPs do wear out after many years, even if you running super light.I know a diamond engineer who cuts diamond styli...X debeers SA, my great grandfather was the diamond engineer for Cecil, Fuller Williams.He with the help of the workers mined the diamonds..wrote a book..some dreams come true which i have and treasure...
colin44ct357's avatar
colin44ct357
105 posts
 
Do you guys float your needle in fluid..i heard such..
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