Can digital get to vinyl sound and at what price?

[Lagonda]

Many digital recordings sound "flat and unemotional" and many don't... I'll leave it at that.

I have many digitally sourced LP's that sound great, newer Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Leonard Cohen and Willy Nelson to mention a few.

 

[PeterA]

I would not know. I've never been tempted by any of them. Did they "sound like shit" because of the digital step? You will never know.

I would still be curious to know if any one of you die-hard analog fans can even come up with an example of a good sounding recording in digital format! Is there really nothing out there that you feel even comes close to the lively/natural sound that you get from vinyl?

Here are four. They all sound good. The only one I have on vinyl is the Holly Cole. I prefer the LP. Would love to hear the others on vinyl, but I think they are all digital recordings. I play them in my truck now that I took my CDP out of my system, and I take them to Al's house. Bonzo might prefer them in my truck.

Clifford Jordana Quartet, Live at Ethell's, Mapleshade. 56292 AAD
Late Night Brubeck, Live from the Blue Note, Telarc Jazz, CD-83345
Holly Cole Trio, Don't Smoke in Bed, Alert, Z2 81020
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Keeping Tradition, Verve, 314518606-2

 

[PeterA]

I have many digitally sourced LP's that sound great, newer Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Leonard Cohen and Willy Nelson to mention a few.

The Musica Nuda LPs are digital sourced. They sound awesome.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I would not know. I've never been tempted by any of them. Did they "sound like shit" because of the digital step? You will never know.

I would still be curious to know if any one of you die-hard analog fans can even come up with an example of a good sounding recording in digital format! Is there really nothing out there that you feel even comes close to the lively/natural sound that you get from vinyl?

Alice In Chains, Unplugged. i have the CD, but the Tidal MQA 16/44 sounds better, but my uber$$$ server is likely better sounding than my cheap transport. it sounds fully lively and natural.....explosive. played at live levels it's astonishing.

there are many others that sound lively and natural with my Wadax Level 4. OTOH likely any of them might be even better had they been all analog. like my LZ 45rpm box set. the Alice In Chains is not quite like that.

in the case where i have both high rez digital and vinyl or tape from the same mic feed the analog is better, although i don't have enough of those for any sort of proof of concept. anecdotal only. but really the point is more that digital can enter the realm when all the graphs cross, but the ultimate is going to be analog. my best analog hits peak SPL's on my dart amps that digital just cannot. digital smears peaks. just the facts. sounds great but it's not quite capable.

 

[Ed.P]

The Musica Nuda LPs are digital sourced. They sound awesome.

Are you sure? Most I've seen have wording like the below:

"The Master has been implemented with Ampex ATR 102 (Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351 - 1965) 2 tracks, 1/2 inch 30ips modified by David Manley. The Mastering for Vinyl was made by Giulio Cesare Ricci using Signoricci's analog and valve system."

"For this recording I brought all my equipment both analog (Ampex ATR 102 Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351-1965 2 tracks, 1/2 inch, 30ips modified by David Manley) and digital (Pyramix Recorder, dCS A/D and D/A converters). This is because I have always made two Masters for each recording: an analogue master for Vinyls and a DSD digital master for SuperAudioCDs."

GIROTONDO De André - Musica Nuda - Petra Magoni & Ferruccio Spinetti - Vinyl

GIROTONDO De André - Musica Nuda - Petra Magoni & Ferruccio Spinetti - Vinyl Musica Nuda in this LP features songs by the great Italian singer-songwriter De André, an interpretation not to be missed! (Petra Magoni vocals, Ferruccio Spinetti double bass) and fonè Records

foneshop.it

 

[hopkins]

My best analog hits peak SPL's on my dart amps that digital just cannot. digital smears peaks. just the facts. sounds great but it's not quite capable.

Interesting, thanks.

 

[hopkins]

Dee Dee Bridgewater, Keeping Tradition, Verve, 314518606-2

Good album, good recording! Will listen to it again tonight...

 

[Rensselaer]

Then there is Peter’s principles:

https://youtu.be/Eu39VLzO4Ng?si=Cs7mjx1BfGtI0h8K

 

[PeterA]

Are you sure? Most I've seen have wording like the below:

"The Master has been implemented with Ampex ATR 102 (Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351 - 1965) 2 tracks, 1/2 inch 30ips modified by David Manley. The Mastering for Vinyl was made by Giulio Cesare Ricci using Signoricci's analog and valve system."

"For this recording I brought all my equipment both analog (Ampex ATR 102 Electronic Tube Ampex Model 351-1965 2 tracks, 1/2 inch, 30ips modified by David Manley) and digital (Pyramix Recorder, dCS A/D and D/A converters). This is because I have always made two Masters for each recording: an analogue master for Vinyls and a DSD digital master for SuperAudioCDs."

GIROTONDO De André - Musica Nuda - Petra Magoni & Ferruccio Spinetti - Vinyl

GIROTONDO De André - Musica Nuda - Petra Magoni & Ferruccio Spinetti - Vinyl Musica Nuda in this LP features songs by the great Italian singer-songwriter De André, an interpretation not to be missed! (Petra Magoni vocals, Ferruccio Spinetti double bass) and fonè Records

foneshop.it

Thank you very much for the correction. I was not aware of this. It makes sense based on the way they sound. I like the two masters of each recording.