True. I don't have SOTA either and never will, but just like you I enjoy my system immensely.
WBF Poll: Which Sounds Better, Digital or Analog?
- Thread starter amirm
- Start date
True. I don't have SOTA either and never will, but just like you I enjoy my system immensely.
I like both. I see no point in picking one over the other, as the mastering and development process has so much more impact on the quality from either format.
My Bozaks will out perform many a high priced system, ask Wes Phillips. It's not what you spend but how you spend it.
I find it neither silly or sad because at the end of the day, it is all about taste or preference or bias. I started a thread on this forum back in the Jurassic age that was entitled "It's all a preference" and I think it had more pages than the Old Testament. Let's face it, everyone loves to argue their point of view. You of all people should understand that since you are famous for starting threads with inflammatory titles so you can get reactions out of people. Half of the titles of your threads are expressed as statements of facts that you are asking for comments on when in fact there is nothing factual about what you have stated in your title.
+1. I wouldn't say my system or the components individually that make it up outperform more expensive ones, but what I've selected has wonderful synergy and sound more than just pleasant to my ears.
That reminds me of a bumper sticker I once saw that said "My son can beat up your honor roll student."
I find it neither silly or sad because at the end of the day, it is all about taste or preference or bias. I started a thread on this forum back in the Jurassic age that was entitled "It's all a preference" and I think it had more pages than the Old Testament. Let's face it, everyone loves to argue their point of view. You of all people should understand that since you are famous for starting threads with inflammatory titles so you can get reactions out of people. Half of the titles of your threads are expressed as statements of facts that you are asking for comments on when in fact there is nothing factual about what you have stated in your title.
Welcome back Mark. +1 on your post!
Terry just yelled at me for this +1.. saying Caesar doesn't hurt anyone and he's a nice guy in person. Now I feel bad.
Last edited:
I've seen that sticker too. Those who can't compete with their minds resort to their fists.
I have an analog only system. I've visited a few owners of systems on this site. They usually have both formats. We usually end up listing to vinyl. One guy with a TechDas did not even play digital for me. He told me his collection is collecting dust.
At the lower price points, I have heard digital sound better than analog. At medium price points, I have heard both sound good. At higher price points, and in well done systems, I always prefer analog. To me it sounds more like live, unamplified music. Which is closer to the original signal, or more accurate, that was not the poll question. "Which format sounds best to you: analog or digital"
Great post! I have both digital and analog in my system and do listen to both. At the end of the day, we don't listen to spec sheets that show outstanding measurements-we listen to music played over a system. It kind of reminds me of the old joke about someone doing something right in front of you and you watched them do it and then they want to deny they did it. That's where the old saying about "Who do you want me to believe, you or my own eyes?" comes from. Ditto for "fact" spec sheet waving digital diehards that want you to believe that digital has to sound better because they have spec sheets that 'prove' it. And that would lead to the next saying: "Who should I believe? You or my own ears?" Of course that leads into the next digital rabbit hole where people claim you can't trust your ears because they are constantly lying to you and you have to believe the spec sheet so sit down, shut up, and listen to digital and tell yourself it sounds better than analog.
Great post! I have both digital and analog in my system and do listen to both. At the end of the day, we don't listen to spec sheets that show outstanding measurements-we listen to music played over a system. It kind of reminds me of the old joke about someone doing something right in front of you and you watched them do it and then they want to deny they did it. That's where the old saying about "Who do you want me to believe, you or my own eyes?" comes from. Ditto for "fact" spec sheet waving digital diehards that want you to believe that digital has to sound better because they have spec sheets that 'prove' it. And that would lead to the next saying: "Who should I believe? You or my own ears?" Of course that leads into the next digital rabbit hole where people claim you can't trust your ears because they are constantly lying to you and you have to believe the spec sheet so sit down, shut up, and listen to digital and tell yourself it sounds better than analog.
Perfect sound forever.
DSD can sound pretty damn amazing. Play vinyl after you finish listening to DSD though and get back to me.
FWIW, there was only one room (where I could and did listen to both) at THE Show where LP's sounded clearly better (to me, obviously) than digital and that was a bit of an odd situation. $5k/pr Usher speakers driven by a Pass X250.8 amp ($11k?) with $30k+ of analog front end and a $17k Accuphase SACD/CD player playing only CD's. I know mep would never even have listened to digital in that room (or probably any other where there were analog sources)
FWIW, there was only one room (where I could and did listen to both) at THE Show where LP's sounded clearly better (to me, obviously) than digital and that was a bit of an odd situation. $5k/pr Usher speakers driven by a Pass X250.8 amp ($11k?) with $30k+ of analog front end and a $17k Accuphase SACD/CD player playing only CD's. I know mep would never even have listened to digital in that room (or probably any other where there were analog sources)
When I go into a room, I listen to whatever they are playing. If they are playing vinyl or have a vinyl rig in the room, I'm certainly not above asking them to play some LPs I packed for the trip. I'm glad you found the LPs in that room to sound clearly better than the digital. According to those who love digits, it shouldn't matter if the LP system cost more money than the $17k Accuphase SACD/CD player because most want to argue that any old CD player is far superior to any analog rig! Besides that, those that love to wave the spec sheets the highest and fastest under our analog noses also usually love them some cheap digital playback because it's all great, bits are bits, it's bit perfect, yada yada.
For recording - for spirit I'd vote analogue, for context I would vote digital.
For replay - reel to reel @ #1 followed by vinyl or hi-res digital replay largely dependent on the format of the original mastering.
For replay - reel to reel @ #1 followed by vinyl or hi-res digital replay largely dependent on the format of the original mastering.
