OP is furthest thing from provocation if you get it. Far too many vinyl vs digital threads and posts where individuals become totally unprofessional with personal attacks.
Digital is far better than vinyl
I have invested a decent sum of money into my digital setup, including a decent streamer (Innuos Zenith MK3), a very good dac (Denafrips Terminator 2), Eno filter, and good cabling. But after being told by many here that vinyl is vastly superior to digital, I thought let’s build an analog system and see what all the fuss is about. So this is what I did ...
I picked up an Audio Technica TT from Amazon for around $299. I then used one of the older integrated amps with a built-in phono, which I believe I paid around $500 a few years ago. And, finally, just to even out the playing field I bought the cheapest possible cables from alibaba. Since I didn’t have extra rack space to put the TT on, I got a couple of bricks and built a DIY platform for it.
So after listening to the analog setup for a few days, I can proclaim without a shadow of doubt that digital is far, far superior than vinyl on any given day, and twice a day on Sunday.
What has been your experience? And please, don’t mention your gear or any special. cartridges, isolation, etc. Not interested in your system details. I just want to make sure you guys understand that digital is far, far superior than vinyl.
Showing 7 responses by sns
Some individuals certainly have need to develop hierarchies, add reductive tendencies and you get win/loose propositions.
I don't even know if its possible to objectively conclude one format superior to other. Has a single individual heard the absolute best vinyl setup vs the same digital? And what is the absolute best setup anyway? Add in the subjectivity of our senses and statements of absolute superiority seem hilarious. |
The constant and consistent need to argue over this points to something more than technical issues, that something more being belief. Based on my observations digital detractors have issues with the entire nomenclature of how digital is implemented, especially streaming. They prefer how vinyl stimulates tactile senses and the need to purchase music at much higher cost creates sense of ownership that streaming/renting music doesn't allow. Digital fans may be more concerned with utility vs this sense of ownership and stimulating tactile senses. I'm sure other concerns also apply.
My point here is I don't observe most digital/vinyl arguments being about sound quality, vast majority have totally unequal setups for a reason. People spend majority or exclusively on format they believe more in. |
@sonic79 My point is while they may think they're arguing sound quality, they really aren't. Their predetermined bias has influenced their decisions of where to spend money, this unequal performance only further reinforces this predetermined bias. |
I'm with above! If I didn't have well over 3k albums I wouldn't bother with vinyl. I do like the art, physical stimulus and feelings of nostalgia playing records brings, but I'd not bother if I had lets say only 500 albums or so. I'd sell those off along with all vinyl equipment, streaming would be my sole reference source.
As for sound quality face offs, vinyl vs cd's or streaming. This has been back and forth battle for years. I can't determine some hard and fast rules in regard to cost differentials. I can say sound quality generally correlates to expenditures, gonna cost big time for both at the top end. My experience is optimizing streaming far more complex than vinyl optimization, far more variables what with networks, rendering schemes, music player software, linear power supplies, ethernet vs optical, local file implementation, must be forgetting something! |