Worth pursuing analog sound from digital?


Hi all,

I recently acquired a PS audio Nuwave dac which has eliminated most of the digital harshness compared with my old dac but it's still not as smooth and harsh-free like vinyl. I was wondering if it's worth pursuing that analog sound from digital without spending a fortune and if it's even possible. I know lots of digital lovers will say digital can be as good as vinyl but is it really?   
jaferd

Showing 4 responses by lalitk

jperry,

Not everyone likes to hear ticks and pops that have long plagued the vinyl playback. Not to mention, complicated setup and care required to play a darn LP.

Can you replay that song you just heard without getting up from your throne 😉
@jaferd,

Harshness can be due to equipment being new or from digital cable linking to your DAC. Did you buy PS Audio new or used? Just like your analog gear, digital gear will also require bit of tweaking and patience.

What are you using as a source with the DAC? If you can list your system, it will be easy for members to make ‘solid’ recommendations.

You could look into Denafrips Ares II DAC that will get you very close to the analog sound. 
@big_greg,

Great post, the world needs open minded people like you. At the end of day, music matters the most not the source.
“on a quality system, with a quality source, they should sound the same“.

I respectfully disagree, they cannot sound the same (close maybe) even if the playback is from the same master file. Everytime I heard and compared, Vinyl and Digital (CD or Streaming) setup, they sounded different not better or worse but different.

The key here is to tweak both setups to your liking and enjoy the music. They both can be very engaging and satisfying.