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Difference in sound using different carts when digitizing vinyl record?

Hello A'goners .......

I hope I am posting it in the right forum!

Here is my question - this is a hypothetical situation - if I digitize my vinyl record  while the record is played using any cart (cart #1) and then again play and digitize the same record using a different cart (cart #2), am I going to hear any sound difference typically attributed to two different carts? Everything else remain same in both cases i.e. the turntable, phono stage, DAC, preamp, amp, speakers, and all cables. The software to digitize is the same with identical setting. 

Did anyone of you do this or similar experiment? I am curious to know.

I bought a Sweetvinyl Sugarcube SC-1. I am wondering because of the conversion to A to D and then again D to A, it there a possibility that the sound differences from different carts are not so significant anymore?  Right now I do not have two carts, so can not do the experiment myself and report the results here. That is why I am asking the question and hoping to get some reasonable answers.  Please pardon my lack of technical knowledge.  

I would appreciate if we stay focused on the topic while discussing this. I do not want a debate of why I or anyone wants to convert analog to digital or one format is better sounding than the other.

Thanks and have a good day :)
 


128x128confuse_upgraditis
inna
5,245 posts
 
Yes, table itself is the most important element, then arm, then cartridge. And the interaction between them all, of course.
I have $4k table/arm and $500 MM cartridge - sounds very good.
Why would you want to convert analog into digital ? In a sense, you would be doing digital mastering. I have a few records like that - none sounds like analog.
Michael Fremer has his own agenda, an excellent one, to keep vinyl alive no matter what. He is also a businessman.
So, to answer your question - yes and no. You will hear differences between cartridges but it won't matter - you will spoil the recordings in any case.
vegasears
922 posts
 
I ripped a few LP's years ago when I got back into vinyl, just to see how they would sound. Not bad, I still have them on my server.  After a cartridge up-grade, I re-ripping one and never did vinyl again. Yes, it sounded better but I am not going to do this every time I change cartridges.  I have ripped my small collection DVD-A and SACD.  Someday my Multi Format Digital Disc Players is going to die and pretty soon disc drives in home computers will the things of the past.  I'll have at least two TT's for the remainder of my life.
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 
There is absolutely no difference between playing a record, and hearing it played back from my hard drive to outboard DAC to Preamp to amp to speakers.

That's because cards in my PC have been upgraded.  That is the only way I listen; records are only handled when I record them to reel or hard drive.
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

I have no idea where people on the "analog" forum were when so much conversation in regard to computer analog interface was going on in the PC forum.

Now that so many "analogers" are in the stone age in regard to computer analog interface, they complain of bad results; no wonder.
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
@wcfeil

In fact an excellent table/arm and average cartridge will outperform an average table/arm and excellent cartridge all day long.

@inna

Yes, table itself is the most important element, then arm, then cartridge. And the interaction between them all, of course.



No way. Your arm or turntable has nothing to do with vinyl grooves. If you can not get the information from the vinyl groove (with a decent stylus profile and cartridge generator) then better tonearm or better turntable motor will not help you at all.

And if you already have a decent turntable and tonearm then change an average cartridge to a decent cartridge and the difference will be more than EVER before. Cartridge is the most important, but i’m not talking about some awful turntables here or plastic tonearms. Surely the arm and turntable is also important, but not as much as the cartridge. As an average turntable we can speak about old Technics SL1200mkII for example (with it’s average $150 tonearm), but put a decent cartridge on this turntable and it will be the biggest improvement.





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