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
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

For me, it's 100% about the music, but without the high end turntable and cartridge, there is no music.

Once you've been to New York or Paris, you can never go back home; or once you've been to the high end, you can never go back to "mid fi".
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 
The owner of the biggest record store in St. Louis is still into "mid fi".

Each to his own.
chakster's avatar
chakster
2,482 posts
 
@orpheus10

Once you’ve been to New York or Paris, you can never go back home; or once you’ve been to the high end, you can never go back to "mid fi".

This is true, for me analog only getting better and better and it’s quite interesting process.

@elizabeth

Well it IS about the music right? not high end turntables and exotic cartridges.. OH sorry, for you it IS about the high end turntables and exotic carts...

Well, i don’t want to buy 5 different pressings of the same record, but i can buy 5 different cartridges to make all my LPs sound better. However, some of my rare 45s cost more that very expensive cartridges (but it’s not necessary that i paid that much for rare 45s which is now cost 5 times as much than 15 years ago).

Anyway most of the serious collectors that i know all over the world will never pay more than $150 for a cartridge and more than $500 for a turntable with toneam. Thye don’t even know how to set up a cartridge. Also for some reason those people don’t believe they can hear the difference (i think they never tried to compare) and most of them considering audiophilia as some sort of illness. At the same time i am considering their hobby to pay $500-1000 for a very rare record in VG condition as some sort of illness too. They could sell a few rare records to buy proper equipment to enjoy entire collection on the different level, but they don’t want and don’t need this experience.

orpheus10
5,988 posts
 

When I was in high school, we stacked 45's a mile high on a record changer at parties; this was in the 50's. In good condition, they would be worth big bucks now.
noromance's avatar
noromance
1,780 posts
 
Friend bought a jukebox full of 45s. It sounds really crap; muffled and woolly. At a party when it was playing, everyone was cooing about how they love the sound of records. Go figure.
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