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My LP couldn't beat my CD, until now

I'm an owner of a new VPI Scoutmaster w/Sumiko Blackbird cart. I, like so many recently, have returned to vinyl after a long time, seeking (as always) the absolute sound.

I'm an 80s kid; a product of the CD revolution. I enjoy my Slim Devices Transporter and all the convenience it delivers. However, I've felt that there's been something missing around music listening, and everyone's talking about analog anyway, so I took the plunge.

Imagine my disappointment when I set up my new 'table, wire it all up, and the first few albums sound flat, a little shrill and generally thin compared to a good rip of the same music off of CD.

I chalk all this up to break-in, to everything in the signal chain from the cartridge to the amp being new and untested. I'm also new at this, and have never set up a tonearm in my life (my goodness, it's a fiddly exercise).

I give it 20 hours of playing time or so, forcibly choosing not to judge. I wait patiently for everything to work in. Still, I find most recordings of everything from Pop & Rock to The Firebird Suite to be palatable and fine listening, but far from the nirvana of naturalness and organic ease everyone says is on LPs.

Well, friends, I think I've had one of those 'holy cow!' moments that come in audiophilia so rarely. A fellow AudiogoNer's recent sale just arrived at my door, and I swapped it in. It's a McCormack Micro Phono Drive, and it's made a tremendous difference in this setup. (I also changed the cable from arm to preamp from Hero to King Cobra for length, but I truly doubt that's what I'm hearing.)

My point in posting all this is to say that I never expected such an assumedly minor part of the signal chain to make such a magnificent difference in the enjoyability of LP listening.

It took a pinched soundstage and made it full-bodied. It took a somewhat shrill and tinny, crackly high end and tamed it. It filled in the bass from 'there' to 'wow'. In short, it completely saved what I thought was a flawed and disappointing attempt at analog.

I was all ready to post a 'LP can't possibly beat CD, so what are you smokin'?' message, but this one, simple thing has changed my mind! 80s kids out there, don't lose hope! there really is something to this LP scene.
forddonald
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
LP an art forum? Silly, its all science. Matching that is. Getting the chain right is what it is all about. Glad you are on your way to better sound.
madfloyd
411 posts
 
What phono stage did you have before?
oregon
807 posts
 
Mapman,
The N.Y Times had an article about people in N.Y. who play RECORDS!
At parties, even!
Check out the news: You Say You Want a Revolution (at 33 1/3)

BTW, did you know the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary?
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,378 posts
 
Mapman, WHOA!!!

There are tons are great sounding 180g and 200g LPs out there. Given the horrid condition and lack of availability of many used titles, must analog lovers are best served by both used and new LPs. There are many threads here outlining great recommendations of various new 180g LPs of every genre. Please check some out. Without sending the thread on a total bender, at least look into Speakers Corner, Classic Records, Music Matters, Analogue Productions just to new a few. Great stuff abounds! Cheers,

Spencer
forddonald OP
2 posts
 
So, I don't want to throw anyone's phono stage under the bus, but since several have asked, I was using a Cambridge Azur 640p. I think it's a nice piece of gear, well packaged and attractive. However, in this signal chain, it (clearly) sounded all wrong. And yes, I did give it several weeks of powered on time to settle.

Maybe what I'm hearing is the difference between $180 of today's China-sourced parts vs $800 of parts like Kimber Kaps that McCormack used. Or maybe it's 2 weeks old vs 8 years old (no sure when this pre was made; serial in the low 6000's). Or maybe it's just what so many on this site have stated before, that Steve McCormack designed gear that 'sounds right'.

One of the biggest challenges for me when I researched this project was figuring out where to bias my spending power. For cost-no-object it's easy, just buy the top of the line from each of the mfgrs that appeal to you, or buy what A.S./Stereophile recommends.

I had to route dollars to the table, the arm, the cart, the preamp and interconnects. I knew the sound of the supporting components (Krell, Totem, Kimber). My research suggested it's all in the table, that a solid foundation was the critical component, allowing the arm/cart to speak it's best, and all I had to do was keep the signal path clean to the amp.

Now I think I'd say differently. I'd say it's all in the cart much like race cars are all about the tires, and the signal path from it's delicate wires through the arm to the amp is the critical path. Everything counts, of course, but again, I'd bias my dollars there. Maybe what I should have done was bought the Scout and passed the dollars saved to a Signature arm. I already bought more cart than I intended; I originally focused on the Evo III, but was encouraged to go to the Blackbird by the rep.

Now I wonder... where is the next weak link in the chain? Do people actually spend $900 - $1500 several times on different carts, trying them in and out of the system, listening for that magical moment? Or do I look downstream at the 10 yr old Krell, and try a tube amp (thinking Primaluna or maybe Manley)?

In the mean time, all I know is my Cat Stevens and CCR albums rival the CD copies I have like I wouldn't have believed. Oh, and those 180g pressings are highway robbery!
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