Paul McGowan Prefers Digital
- Thread starter Ron Resnick
- Start date
That’s not what he told me when he visited my room to fine tune my speaker position and tonearm.
Yes. Being political, and liking what the customer likes. Then again, digital is tremendously better than early 20th century analog technology.
I prefer analog but I have been over to Jim's place a few times (he's just up the highway a couple of exits). The sound is fantastic on his digital rig. He usually just plays 16/44 but it sounds amazing. Such a great room!
I don't think he does. He owns a digital only set up does not mean he prefers it over analog
That was years ago, and may have been his actual opinion back then. He could very well have changed his mind. I did. Four years ago I was, as a digital only guy, convinced of the superiority of analog. Now, while I still think that great analog can sound sublime, I am having a hard time finding really good reasons for preferring it to digital, which has come a long way in terms of naturalness of sound (and I am talking plain 16/44.1 Redbook). It would be interesting to know from Jim about his current and past opinions.
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Yes; analog vinyl versus the latest digital trend ... MQA.
Both of them @ their very sota best; aren't they similar in some ways more than not in their very best sound delivery? ...Say on a blind test from the exact same music recording master, levels adjusted to the micron.
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P.S. I asked Mr. Jim Smith regarding his personal preference between analog and digital music reproduction. When in possession of his answer I sure would share it right here with all of you.
Oh, that's already history:
https://www.audioshark.org/computer-digital-audio-11/denafrips-terminator-dac-13463-page15.html
You made an excellent choice with your DAC
.
This' just in ...
>> Originally Posted by Jim Smith >>
"Since I have not encountered a turntable - including ANY of those set up by "experts" - that was properly set-up in dozens of years, I would recommend the best (and affordable) digital for most - if not all - audiophiles.
That being said, it's only fair to also say that I have not listened to any tts that Mike (from AS) has set-up.
Those that come here for a Room Play Reference session forget all about whether it's digital or vinyl, because it's about falling into the performance, experiencing the music's immersive and engaging qualities.
So I would prefer digital on the desert island - if no other reason than I wouldn't be able to get a replacement cartridge or even a stylus - eventually the music would suffer until it no longer was listenable. IMO, of course."
"
>> Originally Posted by NorthStar
"Hi Mr. Jim Smith,
If someone (me) was to ask you your personal preference between analog and digital music reproduction and listening?
...Your brief take in just few lines, or even easier than that: If dropped by a plane on a deserted island; with a turntable or a CD player? ...As the source to go with the rest of the audio gear, of course, and solar panels powered. You could build a room made of drifting and dead wood; some tools are supplied to you for that with the air drop-off, of course.
Thank you, and best,
Bob"
>> Originally Posted by Jim Smith >>
"Since I have not encountered a turntable - including ANY of those set up by "experts" - that was properly set-up in dozens of years, I would recommend the best (and affordable) digital for most - if not all - audiophiles.
That being said, it's only fair to also say that I have not listened to any tts that Mike (from AS) has set-up.
Those that come here for a Room Play Reference session forget all about whether it's digital or vinyl, because it's about falling into the performance, experiencing the music's immersive and engaging qualities.
So I would prefer digital on the desert island - if no other reason than I wouldn't be able to get a replacement cartridge or even a stylus - eventually the music would suffer until it no longer was listenable. IMO, of course."
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That's a fantastic article. What I'd love to ask Paul is why so many apparently poorly set up tts still sound so compelling. Or is it the case that Paul can now easily detect poor analog sound because he's heard what he considers well set-up analog? Or is that due to a mental reference to well set up/well mastered digital?
I think both Paul McGowan and Jim Smith are wise men. Plus they are polite and quite diplomatic.
They are music lovers first and they know where they're going.
They are music lovers first and they know where they're going.
This' just in ...
>> Originally Posted by Jim Smith >>
"Since I have not encountered a turntable - including ANY of those set up by "experts" - that was properly set-up in dozens of years, I would recommend the best (and affordable) digital for most - if not all - audiophiles.
That being said, it's only fair to also say that I have not listened to any tts that Mike (from AS) has set-up.
Those that come here for a Room Play Reference session forget all about whether it's digital or vinyl, because it's about falling into the performance, experiencing the music's immersive and engaging qualities.
So I would prefer digital on the desert island - if no other reason than I wouldn't be able to get a replacement cartridge or even a stylus - eventually the music would suffer until it no longer was listenable. IMO, of course."
That's funny. Jim told me 10 years ago that he had yet to encounter a playback system he cannot improve. Anybody who possesses even some head knowledge in this industry could probably make this same claim and be honest about it because everybody brings potentially something different to the table. Moreover, when one actually hears what some of the systems sound like out there, it doesn't take much to vastly improve some of them. I'm confident I could elevate Jim's playback system to levels he did not think possible and be honest about that. Big deal.
I'm not saying Jim lacks skills nor that his playback system is lacking when compared the majority but we gotta' remember that Jim is also a marketing guy and his writing a book on getting better sound doesn't necessarily make him an expert. Then again, maybe it does. I never bought his book nor read it, but I remember reading segments of his book that he provided through variuous means years ago and as I recall perhaps everything I read there was audio 101 type of stuff. Good stuff but still basic audio 101 stuff I had already discovered or figured out on my own.
And if anybody thinks writing a high-end audio book makes one an expert, then we'd better also consider the author of the book, "The Audio Expert" who has claimed more than once in various forums that all cables sound identical and all components sound identical because all retain the fidelity of the input signal. That's crazy stuff. Yet, for all I know The Audio Expert may have a bigger following than Jim.
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