2. analog
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Back to analog ..was it a mistake???

Like alot in the 1980s I went totally digital.Took my 300+ album collection and boxed them up never thinking I would venture back.My current digital system is about everything I always wanted.Black background,nice sound stage,fast,clean,detailed yet very musical.The speakers disappear and instument seperation is there and in the correct locations.Vocals are superb on all types of music IMO..
From strong suggestions from my bro I decided to try the analog approach again even though the analog systems Ive heard recently never came close to my setup.I bought a mid 1980s Linn lp12 and did some upgrades to it..Mose/Hercules2,new Akito2 arm,belt,oil,Denon DL160,cables..had it setup correctly.Bought a new Musical Surroundings Phono.Spent days cleaning records.What I have in sound is nothing short of a big dissapointment for the time and money spent.Forgetting the snap,crackle, pop which is very hard to get around the sound stage is nowhere to be found.The speakers no longer disappear,its like taking 10 steps backwards..Yea, I know the Linn isnt the beat all table as well as the phono but something is amiss here.Ive tried a few adjustments and things seem to become a little better but when I do the digital it becomes clear my analog attempt sucks.Am I expecting too much from my new investment back to analog???Is all this analog talk just talk from guys who never had a great digital system??Any positive imput or suggestions is appreciated..Thanks in advance
missioncoonery
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
And, what is the rest of the system under discussion? I read a bunch of the usual, basic analog dogma crap but what the hell are we really trying to "compare" for the OP? Sorry if I missed this information somewhere in this thread. I'm getting older and even more in the way.
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 
Yes it was a mistake if you are not ready for "Minutae", which means minute tweaking up the ying yang. Very deep pockets also help, a lot deeper than mine.
louisv
7 posts
 
I personally did not like the DL160. I tried one out for a month and sold it. For lack of a better word it sounded too 'digital' for me.

Try a nice Grado Gold1 Prestige on that bad boy and youll will see the appeal of analog over digital IMO

Also try to get decent tube phono stage.
coxhaus
231 posts
 
If you don't like pops and ticks try buying an old tube phono preamp or maybe an old preamp with phono and just use the phono on the tape out of the preamp. They tend to mask the bad record noises without spending lots of money. They just seem more musical than a lot of phono stages. I have not heard your phono stage but in general.
orpheus10
5,988 posts
 
I can truly relate to where you are coming from. Since you are up to your eyballs there is no point in turning back. Someone mentioned selling the Linn. I have a Rega P3-24 that is tweaked to the max as defined by the GON's tweaks on Rega. Someone with a VPI Scout says the Rega is comparable. That is the very cheapest you will get to good analog. Cartridge allignment is so critical you might benefit from having a professional do it.
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