The character of analog and digital

“Digital is absolutely capable of delivering natural, captivating and exquisite sound quality if one has assembled a proper set up.”
+1, @charles1dad

It’s no surprise to see millercarbon putting down digital. Nothing will change his mind! Now that he’s back, just enjoy the freshly cooked up stories on Vinyl triumph over Digital in his mid-fi system 🍿

As @noske pointed out, the discussion here is about feature of the media or the many issues related to the recording and engineering of that recording. A well recorded piece of music properly transferred to physical media or streaming platform should sound great as long as your system is properly setup to re-produce that recording.

“As someone who is one hundred percent streaming digital there is one commonality that stands out to me about the thinking and approach towards digital from those I know who are fundamentally analog audiophiles:

That digital should be easy and deliver without much effort.

I find this especially surprising given the effort and years it has taken them to get to where they are in terms of sound quality and performance from their analog systems.

The second standout point, in my experience, is spending pennies on the dollar for digital when their budgets for the analog side of their systems are up there, way up there.

Digital takes effort and expense and experience. When executed correctly the results are stellar.”

+1, @david_ten

You nailed it 🖐️🎤 ⬇️

@rok2id

I get where you coming from, the tactile experience of vinyl playback (starting from removing LP from shelf, admiring the exquisite art work and content, removing LP from jacket, the 5 step cleaning ritual before finally dropping the needle) all can be very fulfilling to many. That’s just one aspect of Vinyl playback, we have not even discussed the steps required to setup a turntable :-)

Now you can get most of aforementioned tactile experience from a top loading CD player and XRCD’s that features exquisite packaging and artwork. I use ahp Klangtuch IV cloth to wipe clean and remove any electrostatic charges on all of my CD’s before dropping them in my top loading Raysonic CD128 player.

“I tend to play my CDs when I’m in the kitchen cooking or entertaining friends because they are definitely more convenient, quicker and easier. I play my LPs when I can actually sit down in the living room and fully enjoy the music I want to hear.”

@oldaudiophile

I respect your preference/sentiments for Vinyl and for keeping an open mind. However, I can’t imagine anyone rushing back to pick up the stylus in the middle of cooking or a conversation so by design one must babysit Vinyl playback to enjoy 20 min or less playing time.

If you have vested the same amount of energy and efforts in Vinyl and Digital (CD or Streaming), both can be equally enjoyable. They may sound different but far from being inferior in comparison. 

@facten

Thanks for sharing your experience with @gestalt. I was not aware of the Neodio Origine S2 CD player. That’s quite a piece of serious engineering and aesthetics. I bet it sounds amazing in your well appointed system. I am intimately familiar with Daedalus Audio and Modwright, they are match made in heaven.

What do you think of Wolf Langa’s and Cessaro’s.

I am looking forward to visiting Gestalt in early December. Should be a fun trip!

“However, to my ears and in spite of the excellence that both are capable of, digital imposes more of its character on the music. “

@frogman

Are these are the same ears that were possibly duped by MoFi in believing no digital mastering used in their vinyl pressings? Experts and hard core Vinyl fans  with golden ears, who claimed to always be able to hear the difference between a digital source and original tape were proven wrong. 

@frogman

I understand the difference you speak of are possibly due to differences in mastering techniques. That’s why I chose to focus on recordings that are faithfully reproduced and sourced from analog master. We all are trying to replicate live music experience in our homes. IME, a properly dialed digital or analog system can replicate that live music experience.

I honestly don’t care to partake in analog vs digital arguments. I been on both sides and understand deeply the virtues and pitfalls of both formats. I prefer to focus on music instead of tiresome and often meaningless discussions on one format superiority over another. Peace!

@sns 

You make an excellent point. Our subjective opinions are mere reflection of our level of commitment and experience. I said it all along, The devil is in the details. In my case, for past 3-5 years, I was laser focused on pushing my digital to where it is today without even realizing that my digital has long surpassed my vinyl setup. Now that doesn’t mean that I no longer enjoy Vinyl, it just that my digital is now so much better in terms of connecting me to music that it is no longer about the source or a format. Once you get to this level of perfection with your choice of source, Vinyl or Digital; the only thing left to do is just feed your system with best possible recordings, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.