Many times the differences are miniscule to nonexistent. Also, it has been my experience that very often the person who make the biggest noise about differences turns out to be the big phonus balonus. That is true for all things pursuant to audio and has been so since forever. You have already been given excellent advice in this thread to which I can only repeat to you; don't worry about it, instead enjoy the music.
I could not hear a difference between Analog and digital...... what gives ?
I always thought I could hear the difference between Analog and Digital. I have been looking to add another DAC to my 11 year old McIntosh D150 DAC, and a recent post here about Jethro Tull inspired me to pull out the two best versions of the Jethro Tull Aqualung album - the Mid 90's DCC Vinyl version and the Mid 90's DCC Gold CD. These were special Vinyl and CD from the same original master tape and mastering. Ian Anderson kept the master tape hidden for over a few decades before providing them for these DCC versions. Volume level is also almost exactly the same between the Vinyl and CD. I played both versions at the same time through the same pre-amp, amps, speakers - switching back and forth through out the whole album and I could not hear a difference between the analog or digital. They both sounded fantastic and exactly the same. What does this mean ? is this normal ? Has my hearing deteriorated ? Is it because both my Analog and Digital front ends are all McIntosh ? Is it because the DCC version of this Album could be from a digital file on both the vinyl & CD ? This whole episode has put a damper on my new DAC aquisition... I mean if I cannot tell the difference between Analog and Digital, then, who am I kidding with R2R, Delta Sigma, etc.... My system is posted under my signature, and as you will see I have very resolving speakers, so, I am not sure what to think... I would appreciate any feedback on this surprising experience. Thanks so much..
- ...
- 42 posts total
A OP - Michael Fremer did the same comparison: "As for the DCC, I would never bet against the house of Hoffman/Gray, then operating at Artisan and the DCC is a model of good EQ taste and clarity, plus a fine 180g RTI pressing. Just for the hell of it, I also listened to the DCC gold CD. Give me a break! Martin Barre plays a descant recorder (a small, inexpensive wooden wind instrument in the key of C) on, among other tracks 'Mother Goose.' It's 'flutey' and 'woody' and 'airy' and 'round' on all of the LP editions. You can barely hear it on the CD." It might be worth playing that passage. If the recorder is unclear on both the CD and LP, then it suggests that hearing damage (ref your comment about shooting) is at issue and that limited hearing bandwidth is homogenising the sound - further exacerbated by the fact that McIntosh does tend to have a common sonic signature as well. |
Its funny you mentioned this, I just did a test the other day, I randomly like to do a comparison right after listening to the last song of an LP. I have to say though, my analog rig is worth way more than my digital, and the LP blew it out of the water. Album was : GNR Lies. The Qobuz and Tidal versions couldnt compare at all. In 1-2 years, I will upgrade my digital gear and see if it gets closer, but for now, im happy with my LPs. |
Thanks for posting your experience. Gives me something to think about. Regarding Preamp, I am running a McIntosh C2300 with a pair of vintage 12ax7 Telefunken Smooth Plate tubes in both the MC phono stage and the Line stage. This means that both the Phonograph and DAC are getting the "benefit" of the smooth plate Telefunkens. I guess this may be helping match the tone of the two mediums. I consider my components already matched since they are all McIntosh from the same era. For cables, I am using a Voodoo Stradivarius cremona between the turntable and preamp, and a Neotech NEI-3001-III XLR Interconnects between the DAC and Preamp. I am using Audience Ohno XLR interconnects between the Preamp and the two MC275 amps set in monoblock mode.... All connections at least OCC copper. In general I have noticed differences between Analog and Digital, and have normally preferred the Analog - if it is a mint first pressing. I am just surprised the two versions of Aqualung I mentioned in this post sound exactly the same, and what it may mean in my system. Thanks for your reply and posting your experience. GNR lies was recorded in 1988, I believe it is an analog master tape and therefore an analog recored. So, I would expect the Analog to sound different from the Digital. For some reason, there is something exactly similar about these DCC versions of Aqualung that were created at the same time. Thanks for the quote of that review. I re-listened again last night switching back and forth, I hear a lot of flutes, which may include a descant recorder, but, I am not sure. I asked a 35 year old to listen with me, and she said she could hear that the Analog and Digital sounded a little different, but, could not pick them out in a blind A/B session. She did say she preferred the Analog. After she said that, I thought I also could hear some differences, but, I also could not pick out which was which in a blind test... So, I back to blaming my ears, and believing that these versions are very similar based when and how they were recorded, and the sound of my system with similar tubes in the preamp and amp stages is producing comparable sound for both Analog and Digital. @billstevenson @newton_john @audphile1 Lol, great points, thanks so much. I just finished upgrading my ethernet and streaming front ends this year, so, I have been doing a lot of comparing between streaming (Qobuz) and SACD/CD and I am very satisfied with the results. After that, I decided to test my DAC to see if I should upgrade, and the best I could come up with is to compare it to Vinyl & Digital that I know comes directly from the original analog master tape... Hence, this long post about DCC Aqualung with both Analog and Digital mastered by Steve Hoffman directly from the 1971 original master tapes in 1996.
|
- 42 posts total