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Does anyone have a digital system that is as involving as their analogue front end?

I have a good analogue front end. Not stratuspherically good but good enough for this comparison. VPI Prime Signature 21 turntable, Pass Labs XP-25 pono preamp, Pass Labs XP-30 preamp and Hovland Radia amp. It has a lovely, very involving sound. On the right recording, I just drop everythng and am drawn in to listen.

My streamer, on the other hand, is decent but not spectacular. It is better than my CD player, but it is not jaw-dropping like my analogue front-end. My question is this: does anyone have a high-end, tier-one streamer (dCS Bartok Apex, Lumin X2, or something like them) that can rival a good analogue system?

audio-b-dog
audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog OP
883 posts
 

@audphile1 @macg19 

I've heard the background noise (and the record plays quiet on my system) and I'm with @macg19 , it gives the record character. I can imagine being there in the club, and once the music gets going that's all I hear.

macg19
1,392 posts
 

It’s a slice of history guys. Beautifully captured but never to be repeated. 
 

 

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
8,121 posts
 

No doubt a great album. It does distract me a bit though. Especially on side 1. 
I have the Craft Kevin Gray mastered “Sunday At The Village Vanguard” which is the 1st of the two releases. I’ll play that next over the weekend. It’s phenomenal. I highly recommend it if you don’t own it yet. 
 

As a side note…I started with 100ohm load on the phono stage, which is how it was shipped to me from Whest. As it was breaking in, gradually it was becoming warmer in its presentation compared to when I first got it. By now it became a bit too warm sounding and even a bit shut in. Switched it to 220ohm and bam - everything just opened up. I’ll run it at 220 for a few then try the next load up. But so far the 220 sounds excellent. Cartridge is Hana Umami Blue which calls for 80ohm minimum load. The Hana is also relatively new with around 60hrs at most. 

macg19
1,392 posts
 

I have the UHQR pressing of Sunday At The Village Vanguard. It' is a great record.

audio-b-dog's avatar
audio-b-dog OP
883 posts
 

@macg19 

I have both albums and like them both a lot. They did a super job of recording and pressing, despite the background noise. "Waltz for Debbie" was recorded with "Sunday At the Village Vanguard." They had too much material for one record and so made two. There are one or two cuts of pieces also on "Kind of Blue." They were written by Bill Evans. He was a brilliant composer.

@audphile1 

Can you play around with capacitance? I have that adjustment on my Pass phono stage. I have read that with a moving coil cartridges capacitance should be set to 100 and left alone. I have found it makes a difference, however. I eventually set mine at 200 when my VPI Shyla broke in.  The cartriidge was a tad too bright and it settled down at the 200 setting.

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