Analog, Digital and all that

[jazdoc]

I'm a vinyl guy but when asked about high end audio, I always tell people to start with digital.

I use Warren Buffett's advice on investing as an analogy: for the vast majority of people; well chosen index funds (digital) will outperform choosing securities (analogue/vinyl). To be successful at vinyl (like stock picking) requires a lot of time and effort, and yes a bit of skill to outperform a competent digital high end system. High end vinyl/analogue is typically an end destination....

 

[andromedaaudio]

If were gonna take the comparison to investing , comparing is easy in my view .
Tape is the gold standard for decades now the rest is fiat currency / derivatives .


That being said digital has its own merits and can sound great , and you have of course good and bad digital recordings just as you have good and bad tape recordings
If you want to get into analogue getting into tape is a safer/ cheaper bet imo , a turntable is not only an investment in time but also in $$$ resources , however the software choice is off course enormous compared to tape .

With all the recent upgrades / repairs to my own system i can actually say for the first time in my audio career i m finally satisfied /done

 

[Skanda]

amusingly, the two most common phone calls i get are for investment advice or for audio advice

 

[PeterA]

@Al M. just send me your address and I'll ship my 450 lb Ascona on a pallet....

In all reality, I would love to test Al's digital on your system Peter. I used to listen to a lot of digital when I lived in Seattle, had a small place and had the Ayre QB-9 DAC.

We once tried to listen to Al's Yggy in my system, but my CDP with digital out could not sinc with his DAC for some reason. Never got around to bring over his transport/DAC/cable/powercord etc. Lots of opportunities to directly compare the Yggy to vinyl in Madfloyd's and Ack's sytems though.

Frankly, I'd rather compare your new 401/3012R/vdH or SPU to my vinyl front end. I know which ddk would prefer.

 

[ddk]

The Neodio Origine comes close.

My current preferred digital source, gets most things right and IMO as good as you get from digital today.
david

 

[bonzo75]

The Neodio Origine comes close.

http://zero-distortion.org/neodio-origine-vs-trinity-aqua-formula-and-stahltek-opus-prime/

 

[jeff1225]

We once tried to listen to Al's Yggy in my system, but my CDP with digital out could not sinc with his DAC for some reason. Never got around to bring over his transport/DAC/cable/powercord etc. Lots of opportunities to directly compare the Yggy to vinyl in Madfloyd's and Ack's sytems though.

Frankly, I'd rather compare your new 401/3012R/vdH or SPU to my vinyl front end. I know which ddk would prefer.

Hard wood (alternating wood types) plinth being constructed as we speak!

 

[microstrip]

(...) Frankly, I'd rather compare your new 401/3012R/vdH or SPU to my vinyl front end. I know which ddk would prefer.

Even considering the hard wood plinth?

 

[Tango]

If were gonna take the comparison to investing , comparing is easy in my view .
Tape is the gold standard for decades now the rest is fiat currency / derivatives .


That being said digital has its own merits and can sound great , and you have of course good and bad digital recordings just as you have good and bad tape recordings
If you want to get into analogue getting into tape is a safer/ cheaper bet imo , a turntable is not only an investment in time but also in $$$ resources , however the software choice is off course enormous compared to tape .

With all the recent upgrades / repairs to my own system i can actually say for the first time in my audio career i m finally satisfied /done

Andro you are making a big big trade off for sound vs music. You could have great sound from tape but you cant deny losing out more than 90% of music. I get great sound from vinyls. I could acquire thousands of vinyls to not get bored of repeated music yet I am still jealous of digital people being able to access to 100% of music. I am choosing vinyl because of this middle ground in access to music. Maybe even digital for me one day, but why now. Technology keeps advancing, software is always there easy. Five ten years from now MikeL could tell us how to get even better digital. By then it could be better than analog.

 

[jeff1225]

Even considering the hard wood plinth?

You wouldn't be able to hear the difference between plinths. Maybe your grandchild can help you.

 

[microstrip]

You wouldn't be able to hear the difference between plinths. Maybe your grandchild can help you.

Curiously I could. With the advice of David I built one experimental plinth for a 401 and compared it with a slate and and multilayer wood one. Night and day differences I would say. Then come the EMT927 that put them in the shadow ... The tonearm was the SME 3012R I am selling at audiomark.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Andro you are making a big big trade off for sound vs music. You could have great sound from tape but you cant deny losing out more than 90% of music. I get great sound from vinyls. I could acquire thousands of vinyls to not get bored of repeated music yet I am still jealous of digital people being able to access to 100% of music. I am choosing vinyl because of this middle ground in access to music. Maybe even digital for me one day, but why now. Technology keeps advancing, software is always there easy. Five ten years from now MikeL could tell us how to get even better digital. By then it could be better than analog.

What works for you works for you .
One can however listen only to one medium at the time .
Your analogue set up is awesome .
I m not jealous about digital at all i ve got about 90 master tapes with all kinds of music , and about 400 CD s .
Plus 500 Lp s in storage .
I ve heard enough 100 K digital systems not to miss anything.

Ps i will go to the munich show next year to hear what the latest state of affairs is .
May be a miracle happened

 

[Al M.]

http://zero-distortion.org/neodio-origine-vs-trinity-aqua-formula-and-stahltek-opus-prime/

Fascinating report, thank you.

 

[microstrip]

http://zero-distortion.org/neodio-origine-vs-trinity-aqua-formula-and-stahltek-opus-prime/

I also heard good opinions on the Neodio-Origine from two french owners. It breaks a lot of rules - computer DVD rom drive, CS4398 chip DAC , 24-bit/192KHz. People looking for value for money on internal aspect will be very disappointed:

BTW, Paul Miller in the Hifi News review has an explanation why he loved it :

Possibly because Neodio uses unscreened wire links between its digital and analogue boards, with an unscreened LC resonator/clock source, jitter is consistent at ~2600psec from CD, USB and S/PDIF inputs with principal sidebands at ±10/20Hz and ±50/100Hz. Experience suggests this will correlate with an added warmth or bloom to the sound.

 

[ddk]

You wouldn't be able to hear the difference between plinths. Maybe your grandchild can help you.

Actually he can hear the difference and plinths matter a lot. They can mean make or break when it comes Garrards.

david

 

[jeff1225]

Actually he can hear the difference and plinths matter a lot. They can mean make or break when it comes Garrards.

david

I was specifically speaking to the OP and not the rest of the audiophile community.

 

[howiebrou]

http://zero-distortion.org/neodio-origine-vs-trinity-aqua-formula-and-stahltek-opus-prime/

Nice review and now the Neodio is relatively inexpensive compared to before I believe.

 

[ddk]

I was specifically speaking to the OP and not the rest of the audiophile community.

OK, lol !

david

 

[bonzo75]

Nice review and now the Neodio is relatively inexpensive compared to before I believe.

This was written 2.5 years ago

 

[microstrip]

I was specifically speaking to the OP and not the rest of the audiophile community.

My posts in WBF are in general addressed to the whole community. Otherwise I use PMs.

Anyway I already sold one of the Garrard 401's, I can't ask my 14 month old grand daughter about her preference of plinth in a direct comparison.