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
noromance's avatar
noromance
1,780 posts
 
When it comes to appreciating the apogee of audio reproduction with a fine recording upon the turntable, and the denigration of that moment by those who have never experienced it, this quote comes to mind:
 "Every man takes the limits of their own field of vision for the limits of the world." –Schopenhauer.

towertone's avatar
towertone
33 posts
 

"Turntable got absolutely crushed by CD"

ok that sounds like an unusually heavy CD.


Try storing it somewhere else.....



tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
1,368 posts
 
chadsort, you've really got the vinyl folks wound up here.  You're lucky we're no longer burning people at the stake for heresy, but I'd lock my doors anyway.

There have been at least two generations of Esoteric players since your X03SE came out and the sound quality of each new generation has improved over the last.
terry9
931 posts
 
Cakyol, that’s not the way science works. When you make an assertion, you have to back it up. "Common sense" doesn’t cut it.

When you try to change someone’s mind, you should be ready to change your own. To do otherwise is, to my mind, dishonest.
stevenswall's avatar
stevenswall
5 posts
 
Glad you've found what it took me years to. For some it can take a lifetime or more.
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