[Torq]

Spent the evening playing with vinyl ... starting in here ...
 

 
With this ...
 


... doing some needle-drops with these (off the S/PDIF output on the Akurate DSM/1) ...
 


And it started okay, with spinning this ...
 


... but then it all went a bit pear-shaped and went here:
 

 
And my drop of that beats out the 24/96 version from HD Tracks by two points on DR and a lot more musicality by ear.
 
That I now need to be rescued from 1978 is another matter entirely.

 

[oneguy]

Very nice stack!i I just got into records and between the few songs that I have on LPs and the songs that I bought on HD Tracks there is no contest. The vinyl wins.

 

[prot]

Even Radiohead's latest album is cut from a digital master... lots of complaints about the mastering quality on that one.

Analog vinyl masters are the very rare exception nowadays. Most of the music is created digitally... even more is recorded digitally .. and even more is mixed/mastered digitally.
On top of that I do not think there is any company left that produces things like analog mixing consoles, tape recorders or vinyl presses. The whole analog music industry is going to die. Probably not so soon but quite sure.

 

[Youth]

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/bernie-grundman-cuts-lacquers-vanessa-fernandezs-when-levee-breaks#y07qP7KAL2g4jxpC.97
 
This album has analog master. I have it and it sounds very, very good. It's from 2016.

 

[REXNFX]

Analog vinyl masters are the very rare exception nowadays. Most of the music is created digitally... even more is recorded digitally .. and even more is mixed/mastered digitally.
On top of that I do not think there is any company left that produces things like analog mixing consoles, tape recorders or vinyl presses. The whole analog music industry is going to die. Probably not so soon but quite sure.

Digital recordings can sound good but most are unlistenable, hence the analog revival.

 

[deafdoorknob]

don't think this was mentioned, a little bit of a dark horse, but hearing this against the Chord DAVE, it find that it has a certain density and flow that I found quite engrossing.

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue71/reimyo_dap999ex.htm

 

[artur9]

  Spent the evening playing with vinyl ... 
... but then it all went a bit pear-shaped and went here:
 

 
And my drop of that beats out the 24/96 version from HD Tracks by two points on DR and a lot more musicality by ear.
 
That I now need to be rescued from 1978 is another matter entirely.

Be thankful that's where you ended up.  Looking at this list it could have been a lot worse.
 
I think the only thing on that list I would have enjoyed is the Foreigner.

 

[Dillan]

Picked up a brand new Directstream DAC, I was considering the JR, but decided to just pull the trigger on the regular Directstream. Haven't listened yet, but so far am impressed with how intuitive and easy the touchscreen is and how well it looks on my rack.

 

[john777]

Picked up a brand new Directstream DAC, I was considering the JR, but decided to just pull the trigger on the regular Directstream. Haven't listened yet, but so far am impressed with how intuitive and easy the touchscreen is and how well it looks on my rack.

Yup, it's all show in Nashville... )

 

[theveterans]

 Digital recordings can sound good but most are unlistenable, hence the analog revival.

 
Blame the loudness wars and the harsh digital mixes for that.

 

[johnjen]

Digital recordings can sound good but most are unlistenable, hence the analog revival.

I'm reminded of the most horrific screetch and painful chalk and fingernails on the chalk board I have ever heard from rolling stones albums back in the day.
They had no equal, before or since.
 
JJ

 

[rgs9200m]

Magnet and Steel; 1978, Walter Egan.  Mmmmm, great song... (Duet with Stevie Nicks)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiPcsocAs6Y
[#40 on the Billboard list]

 

[rgs9200m]

The PS Audio Directstream products seem to be gone from their site...

 

[noshortcuts]

Here it is: http://www.psaudio.com/directstream-dac/

 

[masterfuu]

Fiio d3. Maybe I'm deaf. But sounds better then my old grace design m920.

Schiit bifrost Uber sounds great too.