Should I stay, or should I go?

Back in the "real" world, I did think my thread would uncover sime guys here who had actively moved from analog to digital
Other than Bob/rvisinta on an allied thread who really has settled for a good streamer solution/Tidal over his analog sources, and my dancing on the margins, not many others have come out of the format closet
C'mon guys, it's good to share
Who else has been a loyal advocate for vinyl but has subsequently been wooed and swapped sides?
And what were the deciding factors?

Marc, I know of a few members who own both formats but have lately been listening to more digital. I can't really speak for them, but my sense is that as they have upgraded their digital sources for improved sound quality, they have listened less to their analog rigs. One guy wrote me that his digital now sounds better than his analog. He blames a specific component in his analog chain. Perhaps you should start another thread asking this specific question.

Regarding your OP, only you know what you like about each format and the music you listen to. In the end, it comes down to your own personal priorities. I would guess each member here has made this choice and examined his options. I doubt many members arrived at a decision based on what others told him to do. There are plenty of valid arguments for going either way.

I was not aware of the changing nature of your relationship with Bonzo. Sorry to hear that. I would not have made the suggestion to travel together, had I known. So, forget that advice and find someone who you like, trust and can discuss this subject with. Then, go and have fun listening to other people's rigs and learning something more the various options for each format. Gear is getting very good and you should be able to find something that will make you happy long term. Hold out for a good price from Audiophile Bill for all of those treasured LPs.
 
Peter, no apology needed
Agree w Ked, just not productive to go on the record
But his connections to guys w great analog would have been a fun journey
The good thing is, the guy I now consider my dealer (he supplying my Straingauge cart and NATs amps), and who I have a proper ongoing relationship with (I refuse to buy cheap online when it comes to certain gear like analog), runs the AMG Viella V12, is familiar w hearing the Straingauge on it, and is effusive in his praise of it
Interestingly for me, he's moved to it from the Brinkmann Bardo direct drive, and even though the AMG maybe falls a tad short on absolute drive, the AMG beats it on everything else, and there is no real contest
And he liked the Bardo
Some parallels in me poss moving from my DD-like Salvation
I have to say the AMG is an aesthetic delight at the very least
And it's in the sweet spot price wise for me personally, I can't really contemplate AF, Kronos, SME30 etc
I might make a pilgrimage to hear GP Monaco 1.5, Kuzma Stabi M and SME 20/3 as well
 
I agree completely and Ked should know better. It would have ended very quickly with the OP or Amir reporting the post rather than serving as a moderator. Citations have been noted and hopefully it will be a good day

If there are issues then either Marc or Amir or someone should have reported the post rather than Amir playing moderator so I agree in part Al and heed your suggestions. This is a suggestion to all members Al as all too frequently tempers and personalities erupt as we saw here. Report the post is what we ask of people.

It makes our job easier for people to stay out and merely report the post

Thank you, Steve, for your productive suggestion to report the post. My temper also erupts sometimes in questionable ways, and I apologize for that as well. I guess it's a learning curve for many of us.
 
Looks like it was a convenience thing for you Northstar, familiarity w digital by working w it, and a refusal to hold analog in the reverence that the vinylphiles like me and many others do, persevering w lps in the days that vinyl was derided by early digital
adoptees in the 80s and early 90s and the media at large
It was during these dark ages that my intrinsic love of analog was cemented, any argument w an early digital adopter was never turned down
And look at me now

No, it wasn't a convenience spirit, it was an artistic choice of pleasurable listening experience; I was discovering bass, highs, and in particular mids.
I should say this; the music quality recordings from CDs @ the time was a fascinating love adventure that lasted till this day.
My highest highs in life were from my youth, from spinning LPs. I have more veneration and adoration in the face of a turntable than I do in front of a CD spinner.

To me the greatest poets in history were the ones spinning record albums. ...Same with the greatest musicians.
...The greatest classical music players/composers/conductors/masters.
_______

Anyway, I just did it my way without ever giving up on true love. I followed my heart, the heart of the angels singing from the sky above my head.
...All around, in harmony, in unison, in multichannel, on SACD, on Blu-ray Audio, on DVD-Audio, on digital.

Not for convenience, for love of music enveloping me in ways that enrapture my soul all over.

I had my periods too; bleeding profusely, in the 80s and 90s...till the 00s when things started to connect and gel with the better music record labels and music studios run by the better music recording engineers, from Europe, from Japan, and some from here too...North Americana.

If we go back in time in the music history and quality emancipation; we can analyze an ocean of fantastic discoveries. Love and affection, from analog and digital.

I consider myself a universal living being, without bias without mechanical operation. I stay true to me, to my surroundings, to life, and to death.

You started a thread asking our opinion, all opinion from all people, from all venues. We are here because we love being among some of the best company in the world and share some of our most profound music experiences. There is no bigger gift of love than sharing with the people we love. ...Music included.
 
Peter, no apology needed
Agree w Ked, just not productive to go on the record
But his connections to guys w great analog would have been a fun journey
The good thing is, the guy I now consider my dealer (he supplying my Straingauge cart and NATs amps), and who I have a proper ongoing relationship with (I refuse to buy cheap online when it comes to certain gear like analog), runs the AMG Viella V12, is familiar w hearing the Straingauge on it, and is effusive in his praise of it
Interestingly for me, he's moved to it from the Brinkmann Bardo direct drive, and even though the AMG maybe falls a tad short on absolute drive, the AMG beats it on everything else, and there is no real contest
And he liked the Bardo
Some parallels in me poss moving from my DD-like Salvation
I have to say the AMG is an aesthetic delight at the very least
And it's in the sweet spot price wise for me personally, I can't really contemplate AF, Kronos, SME30 etc
I might make a pilgrimage to hear GP Monaco 1.5, Kuzma Stabi M and SME 20/3 as well

I was looking at the specs for the Brinkmann Bardo and interestingly the rumble figure is pretty poor at -64db. The best Japanese tables from 30+ years ago were -80db or better (the Kenwood L07 was a cd like -94db. Kenwood KP-9010 and Yamaha GT-2000 were also 20db better at -85db). The story Brinkmann tells for their DD is a load of BS though. If you look at the simplistic design of the Brinkmann motor compared to the Kenwood L07 it is prettry instructive. The Kenwood even has partial magnetic levitation (reduces load on the bearing but there is still contact so you don't have the bearing instability that true magnetic levitation brings).

If I was going to do a belt drive though I would consider seriously the Brinkmann Balance. It has a very nice motor of their design (the "Sinus") is seriously well engineered and sounds really good (I have heard it a number of times).
 
TT trials not on for the time being
W $60k spent on my room, and another $10k on dedicated lines, bespoke isolated feed seperate from property to the audio room, and custom consumer unit, plus labour charge in setting the whole thing up, I am seriously out of funds for any major upgrade, and even if funds were available, I feel duty bound to investigate my current situation and wrangle the best out of it
This is kinda pointing twds me maxxing isolation w either a Symposium Quantum Signature platform or Spiers air shelf under my tt to augment vibration control, and continuing to fine tune tt set up
I will save in parallel to this, and if analog remains an itch I need to scratch, then there's a world of more sophisticated tts to look at

Northstar, you would absolutely love it here
Just 80 miles from London, but could be a universe away
Amazing driving and walking country, some serious Big Sky and Big Sunsets
Bird life quite spectacular, we're near to big big murmurations of Starlings, thousands of them flying in unison for several minutes ahead of them swooping down to nest, basically to confuse predator behaviour
You would wax lyrical w this around you
It's a big reason I'm minded to just sit tight and max out what I have rather than just throw cash at another upgrade
The $70k I've spent to get the space ready is 3 years' upgrade budget, and I need to make the most if things before moving to anything new
But everyone's thoughts have been so helpful in giving me a helping hand twds different perspectives
 
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Or is it the beginning, Barry LOL
We'll chat more when you visit in the Spring and declare to the breathless masses whether I have something to really worry about, or whether I should chill out
Brad's thoughts on the Brinkmann Balance have got me reconsidering this one, it's in the same ball park as AMG and SME 30
And despite my protestations of sitting on the fence re top streamer v top tt, my juices only really get flowing when I look at analog
 
Dctom, we seriously v nearly cashed in our chips and went to Snowdonia, nr Porthmadog
But in the end, it was a step too far, and would have meant me wrapping up my clinic and the business I've built up for 21 years, and a real risk w future income
This location in E Anglia meant a total change of scene, but also the ability to keep running my business part time, and see a handful of patients from home, all the while gaining the kind of listening space I could never have dreamed of down in London
Win win as far as it goes
But Wales, Scotland, Ireland would all have been peachy too

No GG to compare, but would love to hear your well set up Kuzma XL at some stage, maybe I can visit if we're in the area, do PM me
You're v welcome to make it over here as well, happy to look after you overnt

I'm getting the bug to look at take-no-prisoners tts as a result of this thread, maybe this was always a subconscious desire of mine
Who knows how my mind works, even I don't
Atm, my shortlist of seriously overengineered tts stretches to SME 20/3 and 30/2, TW Acustic AC3, AMG V12, Kuzma Stabi M and XL DC, GP Monaco 1.5 and Brinkmann Balance 2
I cannot stretch to uber priced decks like GP 2.0, Kronos Pro or AF 1 or 2, and examples like Wave Kinetics NVS, Kodo The Beat and Artisan Fidelity aren't sold in the UK
A quick scan of my shortlist, and backed up by Brad's recommendation, is putting the Balance 2 in pole position
That motor is seriously overengineered
 
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Just another day in paradise

Has anyone ever stopped to think that every day there is new conflict between members and when the admin team looks over the facts there is always a common denominator and guess who it is.....Amir,who now is calling Ked a bully . Really

Steve
Just ban him and be done with it. The crap between u and Amir is soooooo long in the tooth........
 
I have no axe to grind here, other than this thread was my idea and communication disconnect w Ked has been highlighted
Amir and Al brought it to light, me and Ked don't particularly want to air our issues, so let's leave it at that
I certainly don't want Amir's jump to my defence to be the reason the trigger is pulled on him
Now I feel the need to say something in his favour, he detected animosity and stuck up for me
Maybe on another day, someone else would stick up for Ked after reading a pithy reply of me to a comment of his
IMHO, bully/bullying are overused words in this "safe space" society
There are descriptions I'd use for Ked and me, but this is not the place for them
So, let's just let the bullying accusation get laid to rest
It's gone, past, the thread has moved on
Let's all move past it too
Please
There'll be other occasions on other threads for baring of chests, and bans to be mooted
Just not this thread, and def not because of me
Again, please
 
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I have no axe to grind here, other than this thread was my idea and communication disconnect w Ked has been highlighted
Amir and Al brought it to light, me and Ked don't particularly want to air our issues, so let's leave it at that
I certainly don't want Amir's jump to my defence to be the reason the trigger is pulled on him
Now I feel the need to say something in his favour, he detected animosity and stuck up for me
Maybe on another day, someone else would stick up for Ked after reading a pithy reply of me to a comment of his
IMHO, bully/bullying are overused words in this "safe space" society
There are descriptions I'd use for Ked and me, but this is not the place for them
So, let's just let the bullying accusation get laid to rest
It's gone, past, the thread has moved on
Let's all move past it too
Please
There'll be other occasions on other threads for baring of chests, and bans to be mooted
Just not this thread, and def not because of me
Again, please

Well spoken !
 
Detlof, you're a gentleman
 
Ah Portmadoc, PortMerrion--lovely part of Wales--I spent year up there--the Elvers migration up the river rapids--has to the seen to be believed--plus the splender of the Vistas;)

The little Choo Choo still chugging I wonder?

Ah memories!

BruceD
 
Northstar, you would absolutely love it here
Just 80 miles from London, but could be a universe away
Amazing driving and walking country, some serious Big Sky and Big Sunsets
Bird life quite spectacular, we're near to big big murmurations of Starlings, thousands of them flying in unison for several minutes ahead of them swooping down to nest, basically to confuse predator behaviour
You would wax lyrical w this around you
It's a big reason I'm minded to just sit tight and max out what I have rather than just throw cash at another upgrade
The $70k I've spent to get the space ready is 3 years' upgrade budget, and I need to make the most if things before moving to anything new
But everyone's thoughts have been so helpful in giving me a helping hand twds different perspectives

You have mountains, forests, ocean, lakes, rivers, beautiful women, wise people, freedom, eagles, whales, moose? :b
 
Hey Spirit,

The mind is an incredible thing to explore. Its breadth and depth unmeasurable, its limits unknowable. Those who make it their lives pursuit to understand make breakthrough after breakthrough only to realise that what they do know is dwarfed by what they don't. It's fascinating, beguiling and stimulating, and the journey of discovery a never-ending one.

But it's not the heart.

Best,

853guy

Ha.

Look. Let me just say this:

I'm aware there are many women in the world I've not slept with. Many, many of them are exceptionally talented, skilled, disciplined, conscientious, intelligent, emotionally sophisticated, culturally knowledgable, open-minded, social-refined and, yes, desirable.

But when I climb into bed with the mother of my children, all such ponctification becomes irrelevant in the light of the fact that my heart lies with her.

853guy

Today I am reading the full thread; this is where I am @ (page 11), there are many interesting posts, and few times I was tempted to reply, but I kept reading some more.

It's very hard to improve on those (the two quotes above).

_____

Just for the fun of it; in good spirit:


Don't miss the last part; from 3:21
 
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No GG to compare, but would love to hear your well set up Kuzma XL at some stage, maybe I can visit if we're in the area, do PM me
You're v welcome to make it over here as well, happy to look after you overnt

I'm getting the bug to look at take-no-prisoners tts as a result of this thread, maybe this was always a subconscious desire of mine
Who knows how my mind works, even I don't
Atm, my shortlist of seriously overengineered tts stretches to SME 20/3 and 30/2, TW Acustic AC3, AMG V12, Kuzma Stabi M and XL DC, GP Monaco 1.5 and Brinkmann Balance 2
I cannot stretch to uber priced decks like GP 2.0, Kronos Pro or AF 1 or 2, and examples like Wave Kinetics NVS, Kodo The Beat and Artisan Fidelity aren't sold in the UK
A quick scan of my shortlist, and backed up by Brad's recommendation, is putting the Balance 2 in pole position
That motor is seriously overengineered

Thanks Marc, will PM.

I thought about the LaGrange when I was looking at the Kuzma, difficult to get to hear it at the time. Never heard a Nottingham analogue which might be worth checking out in terms of cost.
 

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