Funny how streaming/digital still chases that analog benchmark.

I can't understand why audiophiles spend so much money on a turn table, cartridge and vinyl?  I hear often a lot of noise with the needle is tracking on a record.  Andy, you have to get up, wash the record you want to listen to and spend all that money on vinyl.  I prefer to stream music through my BlueSound Node 2i.  I can sit in comfort and never have to get up and select music from a huge Tidal library.  I must be deaf because I don't hear that much difference other the noise from the needle tracking on a record groove.  I also think there must be a reason why Tidal offered MQA Master recordings.  It is my understanding MQA offers the original recording that has not been remixed or tampered with.  However, what if the original recording was not a very high quality recording to begin with.  I also preferred the sound of my BlueSound without adding the DAC I purchased.  The bass sounded thin.  However, it was nice to view what the bit rates and degree of hi-res the recording was.

You all know more than I do, as I am just learning and I am not as wealthy as those in the group to buy such expensive systems.  Besides, my wife would kill me anyway.  We use the living room that was only used 3 times per year to watch movies and to listen to music.  My speakers, REL S2 subwoofers and cabinet look beautiful as well.  

I ended up buying a pair of Paradigm Prestige 85F towers and I still wonder if I should have purchase a pair of Focal 948 towers.  When I listened to the Focal's I didn't think they produced enough bass extension.  However, perhaps I should have considered adding the REL subwoofers at the time of purchase to fill in the lows.  However, it would have been difficult to get my wife to accept the price tag of adding the REL's.  Another concern I had was the size of the Focal 948's.

golfmd21

I find it remarkable that records sound as good as they do given the obsolete technology.

Perhaps the analog LP technology is not nearly as obsolete as you think. Obsolescence probably applies more rightfully to CDs, although I think they are also going to be around for a long time.

Re: “clueless 17 year olds”...

My 18 year old has his own music studio with some great kit - some beautiful monitors his grandfather made the cabinets for out of cherry; some 9x2 line arrays so his band can hear themselves well; two subs to fill things out; Mac mini server; nice DAC, room treatment, DSP profile to correct what the treatment can’t; and from what I hear through the walls a taste for all the genres and generations of music I’ve heard of and far far more. He writes, plays and records his own music of broadcast quality. He’s off to a music academy in September.


He’s interested in vinyl like he is interested in 35mm film cameras, clocks with pendulums, telephones with dials, paper maps, stick shift cars, encyclopaedias, lending libraries, department stores, V8 engines, coal fired power stations, police officers on horses, the postal service, and trains.
It doesn’t matter how often I say “but a V8 has soul”. He will say “a Tesla is faster, cheaper, greener, smoother, quieter, smarter, safer, more considerate, and exciting.” We are both right. To his credit he doesn’t say I’m wrong. 

Some of us could learn a lot from our teenagers.

@Goopson

And yet another assumption by Goopson.....your blinders at your age are remarkable...
More insults no meat....we’re not talking about how good headphones are ..... which by the way..
The old relics of the seventies for headphones were quite good...just somewhat less portable and less likely to be fed over compressed hs.......
So your so in tune with 17 year olds eh...Goopson....wonder why that is... funny you still use insults to respond back to the sarcasm, sent in reply to your own insults...predictable. ....
But no metric on the context forwarded....you can’t see the question till you move your self bias out of the answer.....
So what amazingly produced music are 17 year olds listening to these days....Since you seem to know....I’d ask my 4 kids or their six kids....but you seem to have assumed you and you alone are all knowing...... Which is actually impossible when your being so dismissive. .... in fact so much so....you still can’t see the context or the appreciation I alluded to.....are you 17.... that would explain a lot...or just so in tune you beleive your above us all....that also would explain more and much more plausable. ......
No wonder all those true knowledgeable guys that once flourished here don’t post anymore.....I mean with guys like you....why would they...

@ bluemood

I can relate. I have a daughter into vinyl as well. I also learn from her and my others the newest forms and ways. I agree we can learn from them.... but I must also concede....it seems more a rarity in general now to observe it.....sadly....

@Larry

If you can hear the needle tracking from your seated listening position....their is nothing wrong with your ears...
Now your ability to properly set up and play vinyl without the noise. ...thats on you...
Digital is good so is convenience....but dismissing something you didn't master isn't quite the same argument. Its just reassuring yourself on why you chose digital....and that's a reasonable choice...
Too many of us have very quiet playing analog front ends to make your experience the norm...
The important thing is, choice. That's what is so good about this Era. 

As with many things in life, it's not that black and white (vinyl vs. digital and which is best). If you had an unlimited system budget and >= $20K for your source component budget and assuming high quality material then vinyl (IME) can be superior under these conditions. But, for the vast majority of us where your source budget is 2 - 3 $ figures digital is superior. Reason being that digital has had less than half the time vinyl has had to develop and mature so the best of the best remains vinyl however digital is catching up. Also, notice how I said vinyl and not analog since the best R2R beats the best vinyl (IME). Ultimately, it's nice to have so many choices in formats with tons of new and remastered music available, a great time to be an audiophile!