I have approximately $50K invested in my digital side. In considering vinyl, is it necessary to spend comparably to get to the same level of sound quality I enjoy on the digital side (which is quite good).
I guess people have become tired debating vinyl vs digital.
I can't help you here, just noting that the calculation for spending on vinyl gear should probably include the price for all those vinyl records, which can accumulate to a very significant expense, perhaps in the same ballpark as the vinyl playback gear itself.
A $1000 plug and play turntable will blow away a SOTA digital source with most AAA records. It's not that Digital is crap, it's that most digital transfers are crap. This of course is only according to what I hear, you may hear it very differently.
Last time Ked was barking about Gerrard tables and I looked them up, it was something like $9k. Then I'm told I need a Kuzma Stabi arm arm for $8k or so. A cart for $5k or so. Then the phono pre. Sky is the limit, but lets says its $18k. So a good vinyl rig is $41,000.
I don't see $1000 complete vinyl setup sounding good at all. I had an RP6 with Exact cartridge and Fono pre. It sounded ok. I enjoyed it. End of story. That was more like $4k.
I guess people have become tired debating vinyl vs digital.
I can't help you here, just noting that the calculation for spending on vinyl gear should probably include the price for all those vinyl records, which can accumulate to a very significant expense, perhaps in the same ballpark as the vinyl playback gear itself.
Yes. I spent $140 on vinyl yesterday. I'm hoping to have 4 good, well playing album out of it all. And I'm hoping to have 1 good album I like to listen too out of the 4 well playing one. So I'm spending $140 for a good album I enjoy.
Even with tape, I have $20,000 in tapes and I play maybe 2 consistently. That a $10,000 source media. I have about 60 albums in my favorites on Qobuz I listen to consistently. 60 albums for $2000 over 10 years. And I can add and drop from that list for no additional cost. Digital by far has the best cost to quantity of source material for me.
Yes. I spent $140 on vinyl yesterday. I'm hoping to have 4 good, well playing album out of it all. And I'm hoping to have 1 good album I like to listen too out of the 4 well playing one. So I'm spending $140 for a good album I enjoy.
Even with tape, I have $20,000 in tapes and I play maybe 2 consistently. That a $10,000 source media. I have about 60 albums in my favorites on Qobuz I listen to consistently. 60 albums for $2000 over 10 years. And I can add and drop from that list for no additional cost. Digital by far has the best cost to quantity of source material for me.
And even if you're still into physical digital media it's not a comparison. I am currently exploring the complete Mozart piano sonatas in the famous recording by Mitsuko Uchida, and it's on a 5-CD set available on Amazon for $27.49, new (about $5.50 per CD):
Ok, while it's musically superb, sonically it's not the most stellar recording.
But if you want musically superb piano recordings that also *sound* fantastic you can choose this 9-CD set of the complete Haydn piano sonatas for $37.40 on Amazon, new (about 4 bucks per CD):
I guess people have become tired debating vinyl vs digital.
I can't help you here, just noting that the calculation for spending on vinyl gear should probably include the price for all those vinyl records, which can accumulate to a very significant expense, perhaps in the same ballpark as the vinyl playback gear itself.
It is important to stay real and consider the actual costs… and when people start bullshitting about $1000 setups blowing away all the format opposition it’s just that. BS. If I could get back in to a good analogue setup with an affordable (and accessible) great vinyl library I’d go back in again but I’d be thinking $40-50k for a good vinyl rig to operate and maintain plus even two to three times that for a great library on top that I’d see worth investing a lot of my listening time in.
I’ll be honest if I had to listen to many of the examples of music nominated as peak vinyl sonics I often might not bother… it’s content dependent. I don’t want to be tied to chasing only either near unobtainium LP source material or listening to any second tier music to get in a few peak audio moments… that’s not where my listening is focussed. I follow where the music goes. Some people are happy listening to ultimately sonically driven music choices and feeling understandably completely validated… if I could afford both formats and libraries I’d love it but when it comes to being directed mostly by music it’s about where the music is and for each to follow their own musical journey.
The sad story is that once I got into digital l - but before really investing in high end components)I I decided that since any recording I could want was no free on QOBUZ, I sold off my 1200 LPs (a combination of mine, my dad’s and my audiophile uncle’s collections) for a pittance and gave my TT to a friend.
Listening to vinyl at AXPONA these past two years has mad me curious. But your post nails it. I think I’ve dug myself deeply enough down the digital rabbit hole that chasing the vinyl rabbit hole doesn’t make sense. At least within the limitations of my finances.
As to adding a $1K TT and a $250 phonostage to a six figure set up - no thanks, but thanks for the polemic. If I ever do, I’ll do it right. I’d guess something like a Dr Feikerts Woodpecker TT with arm, cartridge and decent phonostage would run about $10-$15K? Of course the painful part would be rebuilding my vinyl collection.
I have approximately $50K invested in my digital side. In considering vinyl, is it necessary to spend comparably to get to the same level of sound quality I enjoy on the digital side (which is quite good).
I've got around 8000 LP's, 600 10.5" Ampex 456 analog tape reels(I recorded my own music from radio broadcasts and only about 25 were records that I recorded), and just over 1000 CD's. I've no idea as to how much all of this cost over the years...lol.
My current 2 setups cost about €88,000.00, not including my ReVox receiver & tape deck. I started over from scratch in 2006 but kept my receiver & tape deck that I bought new in 1983.
You can enjoy vinyl with modest rigs, and you can easily tell the difference between the quality of some original LP releases and CD re-issues. It's not surprising. People recognize good recording quality even with modest rigs.
You can enjoy vinyl with modest rigs, and you can easily tell the difference between the quality of some original LP releases and CD re-issues. It's not surprising. People recognize good recording quality even with modest rigs.
You’re misreading. No im not exaggerating what was said… specifically $1000 turntables do not blow away the best digital on all analogue transfers… don’t go manipulating what was said and then say I’m exaggerating.
The rest is a point of view that is debatable but I don’t really have an opinion on.
You’re misreading. No im not exaggerating what was said… specifically $1000 turntables do not blow away the best digital on all analogue transfers… don’t go manipulating what was said and then say I’m exaggerating.
The rest is a point of view that is debatable but I don’t really have an opinion on.
Perhaps several things were said about "1000$ turntables". I did not read anywhere someone claiming that it would beat "all analogue transfers". Otherwise, please correct me and quote the post.
You can use the best digital you want, if you have a poor CD it's not going to make it sound great. It's not rocket science to understand that.
I only referred to Rex’s comment regarding $1000 plug and play turntable blowing away ALL sota digital with ALL analogue recordings… that was it… the rest is your issue that I didn’t comment on. Go ahead continue to make this shit up. I’m not arguing.
I only referred to Rex’s comment regarding $1000 plug and play turntable blowing away ALL sota digital with ALL analogue recordings… that was it… the rest is your issue that I didn’t comment on. Go ahead continue to make this shit up. I’m not arguing.
No worries… it’s all fine. It was just Rexp doing Rexp. I admit I struggle when posters make wild general claims and have no actual intention to validate anything they say… it’s just silly stuff really. How does anyone even benchmark blows away
