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CD vs. Vinyl

I've personally had to opportunity to listen to identical music on vinyl and CD on an extremely high end system, possibly a seven figure system, and certainly recognized the stark difference between the vinyl sound and a CD.

What makes this difference? Here are three situation to consider assuming the same piece of music:

(1) An original analogue recording on a vinyl vs. an A/D CD

(2) An original analogue recording on vinyl vs. an original digital recording on CD

(3) An original digial recording on CD vs. a D/A recording on vinyl

I wonder if the sound of vinyl is in some ways similar to the "color" of speakers? It's not so much of an information difference, just the sound of the medium?

Any thoughts?
mceljo
hxt1
141 posts
 
Oh, yes, back to the topic.... CD Vs. Vinyl, let me state , emphatically, that in my many many years of playing music and evaluating various equipments at my personal disposal in... "yawn"... umm, where was I? oh yes, I find that there is always, unavoidably, discrepancies, and variations between the... Yawn, Oh my!
I seem to be, to ... be... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!
Snork!! Whattzat?? Huhwhuh?? Oh Yeah, as I was saying.... TUBES!!!!
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
the valid comparison to make is between a recording and the hardware.

thus a cd player or dac and transport is compared to a turntable, arm and cartridge.

there are many variables and there is personal taste.

while the facts of the recording are the facts, one must consider all of the variables.

it is possible, therefore, that a given recording may be preferred on either medium, regardless of the facts of the "superiority of the recording.

although, i would grant one could make a case that a well recorded lp will most likely be preferred over its cd counterpart--but not always.

i own csome cds which are quite exemplary in their sound quality and would be acceptable to those who love vinyl.
notec
407 posts
 
My analog source is better than my digital source because I built it that way and because I hate digital recordings. So for guys like me their is no debate. Never has been. I like reading these threads solely for the purpose of free entertainment.
tvad
9,467 posts
 
Ten to twenty years from now, it's going to be very interesting to read the debate, if any audiophiles even exist then, about what format is best.

Where will the debate shift when the old-timers who grew up on vinyl are no longer around?

I'm not of the opinion that there will be enough new users of vinyl to take up the LP banner in any significant way.

So, the moral of the story is, have fun with the digital v. vinyl debate while there's still time...'cause it'll run out before you know it.
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,333 posts
 
I think it is pretty obvious to anyone who is not deaf that the spring drive Victrola was and still is the pinnacle of audio quality.

For starters, stereo is just a gimmick. Worse, electrons are not natural sound vibrations and never ever will be. So any system that uses the modern A to E or E to A (Analog to Electron or Electron to Analog) converter approach can't possibly ever sound correct.

There are several $100,000 systems here on Audiogon and none of them can hold a candle to a good 1920 Victrola (where mechanical vibrations are used directly from the vinyl to make sound - a completely natural and lossless approach).
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