2. analog
  3. 1151458982

My digital front end outdoes my analog.....

For the first time ever my analog setup is being outdone by my digital front end. The equipment: digital-MF Trivista SACD
analog-Thorens TD-125 w/Rabco SL8E linear tracking arm/Grado Master reference (4.0mv) YS Audio Concerto plus with Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7's. The sound: Overall fairly similar with that usual superior analog HF response. The image and seperation are way better on the CDP, this is my biggest issue. Better, but less so, are bass response and dynamics on the CDP as well. I love vinyl and always have and will. The tonearm is set up great and the thing tracks perfect. VTA perfect. I have it only two feet from the left speaker and it doesn't even think of feeding back. I can jump on the floor and the woofers don't move so it is so well isolated. The table/arm seem fine. Here are problems I see:
1)Lower end phono pre (so what do I need to spend)
2)Rewire TT from cart to interconnect as the tonearm is 30 years old
3)As a passive line stage user I need a very low Z ballsier phono stage. The current unit is 54db gain with an output impedence of 1000 ohms. The Trivista CDP's output impedence is 50 ohms (this could be the bass issue since I use a passive linestage)

Vinyl will never have the place for me it once did since so few new releases are on LP. I have most of the vinyl and out of print vinyl not on or never released on CD that I desire to own (based on what I like)
I do love playing with vinyl and shopping and finding it as well. Thoughts welcome-thanks in advance

ET
electroid
4yanx
1,576 posts
 
Thoughts?

You are happy - good for you.
One less vinyl buyer - good for me.

Well, it's profound to me... ;-)
yioryos's avatar
yioryos
723 posts
 
Shadorne
Holy cow,and I just returned back to vinyl!
George
plato
1,543 posts
 
Well, you could go to an active line stage to improve the dynamics and bass of the phono. Then again, if the phono is musical and you like the sound of it, who says it has to beat your digital overall???
nsgarch's avatar
nsgarch
2,524 posts
 
You are comparing a great digital player to a very average analog rig (the YS Audio Concerto excepted.) So it's apples to oranges. With all due respect, the Rabco SL8E was easily outclassed by the best pivoting arms of its own era. The cartridge is a hi-output, moving iron device hardly in the same league as your MF player, and God-knows what kind of ancient tonearm cable is coming out of your Thorens, which is no doubt badly in need of a new idler wheel to keep wow and flutter within bounds.

You didn't say how many LPs are in your collection, but if they number 1000 or more, you could discover a whole new world of listening magic with a new analog rig (including a new record cleaning machine) for the same $6500 you paid for the MF Trivista SACD.

Of course, then you'd be jones-ing for a new Meitner or Wadia. It just never ends. . . . . . . .

.
warrenh's avatar
warrenh
2,299 posts
 
I believe you BUT, and that's a big BUT. Like Nsgarch said: "apples and oranges." Spend the comparable amount on an analog front end and then let us know. You'll be hearing a different tune...
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