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As detailed in this thread here, I finally bought a vinyl rig and started collecting records a few weeks ago. The rig is a vintage SOTA Star Sapphire Series III, vintage Fidelity Research FR-64fx arm, new Benz Micro Glider L2 cart, and Dynavector P75 phono stage set to Phono-Enhancer for low output MC. The table (no cart included) cost quite a bit more than your average vintage SOTA - $2K; the premium comes from the Koa wood chassis, the nice arm, and the services of the small local hifi shop - AudioAtlanta. I think, all in all, this setup was well worth the asking price. I also think that price-wise, it poses a fair comparison to many of the various digital players I've owned or auditioned.
Also, since I've had this table for a while now, it's finally appropriate to gush...
I never (for any serious duration) agreed with the source-first mantra that keeps getting repeated here like, well - a broken record. Look at my digital source history; it's a series of upgrades followed by downgrades:
cheap DVD player > RME PAD > cheap DVD player > Jolida JD100a, Bel Canto DAC2 > Meridian G08 > Sony SCD-1 > Denon 3910
I climbed the digital ladder fast, and also auditioned numerous modded players and DACs, but became disenchanted with the (IMO) killer diminishing returns effect. By the time I reached the G08 level - sure it was the best digital sound I've had - but at $3.4K it was at least a mild disappointment for the improvements rendered. I didn't have the enthusiasm or spare change to pursue any higher rungs of the digital ladder, so instead I backed off. When I went from the G08 to the SCD-1 and then 3910, I felt that I wasn't missing much. I'm not disputing that the G08 might represent a huge, worthwhile improvement over the $1K/$2K sources to some folks - however, it didn't improve the aspects of sound that are most important to me, and overall it failed to bring me much closer to the music.
Back to the source-first thing - the result of my digital player experiences was that I couldn't understand the importance of source in the chain. No way was the player nearly as important as headphones, or even amp. Now with analog, my eyes have been opened somewhat. In the recent Reimyo CDP-777 thread, the OP mentions that he'd rather listen to HD650 w/ Reimyo than the L3000 w/ Rega Saturn. For the first time, I can relate a little. I'd now have a tough time choosing between the HD650+Zu w/ my SOTA versus the L3000 w/ any of the digital players I've owned. With vinyl, the HD650 opens up renders a sense of space like I've never heard it on a digital rig. Of course, the L3000 sounds better with the SOTA, too
On the flipside - if you'd ask me to choose between HD650+Zu w/ Meridian G08 versus L3000 w/ a decent $100 soundcard, I'd hastily pick the latter
Vinyl is the most substantial improvement in musical enjoyment I've had since acquiring the L3000 & SDS. Vinyl excels at bringing me closer to the music.
Of course the vinyl vs. CD debate gets extremely complicated by the issue of what master was used, etc. For me, that fact remains that a lot of the music I like was rock music recorded in the 70's & 80's - so the vinyl was pressed off masters that were more likely to be fresh, analog, and unprocessed. Most of the 60-70 LP's I've collected the past month have been used and from this time period (another bonus - it's cheap and abundantly available!). However I've also recently picked up Tori Amos's new American Doll Posse vinyl - I think we can assume the master is digital - and the vinyl magic is definitely there. Overall, I've yet to run into a dud LP. As long as the're clean and relatively free from scratches, they've all sounded anywhere from slightly (but still appreciably) better to WAY better than their CD counterparts, when applicable. The tonality of bass is more natural. Drums, especially, have a presence and body that's lacking on digital. During loud, busy passages that are often compressed on CD, vinyl is noticeably more resolving and dynamic. Yes, the noise floor is there. You can plainly hear it during soft passages. To me, it's inconsequential; the meat of the music is what matters. If you need dead quiet, then vinyl is NOT for you.
So there you have it - I'm well on my way to becoming a full fledged vinyl junkie
Wish I'd started sooner, but I have to admit I was scared off by all the stories of setup headaches, vinyl degradation, cleaning hassles, and having to find/buy most albums used...not to mention the usual "digital has finally progressed beyond analog with the new <such_and_such> player" arguments. Well, it's all damn well worth it to ME! I'd strongly encourage others who might be thinking of making the plunge to do so, and to invest seriously in the hardware, setup, and cleaning supplies - but promise not to buy up all the good used LPs
Also, since I've had this table for a while now, it's finally appropriate to gush...
I never (for any serious duration) agreed with the source-first mantra that keeps getting repeated here like, well - a broken record. Look at my digital source history; it's a series of upgrades followed by downgrades:
cheap DVD player > RME PAD > cheap DVD player > Jolida JD100a, Bel Canto DAC2 > Meridian G08 > Sony SCD-1 > Denon 3910
I climbed the digital ladder fast, and also auditioned numerous modded players and DACs, but became disenchanted with the (IMO) killer diminishing returns effect. By the time I reached the G08 level - sure it was the best digital sound I've had - but at $3.4K it was at least a mild disappointment for the improvements rendered. I didn't have the enthusiasm or spare change to pursue any higher rungs of the digital ladder, so instead I backed off. When I went from the G08 to the SCD-1 and then 3910, I felt that I wasn't missing much. I'm not disputing that the G08 might represent a huge, worthwhile improvement over the $1K/$2K sources to some folks - however, it didn't improve the aspects of sound that are most important to me, and overall it failed to bring me much closer to the music.
Back to the source-first thing - the result of my digital player experiences was that I couldn't understand the importance of source in the chain. No way was the player nearly as important as headphones, or even amp. Now with analog, my eyes have been opened somewhat. In the recent Reimyo CDP-777 thread, the OP mentions that he'd rather listen to HD650 w/ Reimyo than the L3000 w/ Rega Saturn. For the first time, I can relate a little. I'd now have a tough time choosing between the HD650+Zu w/ my SOTA versus the L3000 w/ any of the digital players I've owned. With vinyl, the HD650 opens up renders a sense of space like I've never heard it on a digital rig. Of course, the L3000 sounds better with the SOTA, too
Of course the vinyl vs. CD debate gets extremely complicated by the issue of what master was used, etc. For me, that fact remains that a lot of the music I like was rock music recorded in the 70's & 80's - so the vinyl was pressed off masters that were more likely to be fresh, analog, and unprocessed. Most of the 60-70 LP's I've collected the past month have been used and from this time period (another bonus - it's cheap and abundantly available!). However I've also recently picked up Tori Amos's new American Doll Posse vinyl - I think we can assume the master is digital - and the vinyl magic is definitely there. Overall, I've yet to run into a dud LP. As long as the're clean and relatively free from scratches, they've all sounded anywhere from slightly (but still appreciably) better to WAY better than their CD counterparts, when applicable. The tonality of bass is more natural. Drums, especially, have a presence and body that's lacking on digital. During loud, busy passages that are often compressed on CD, vinyl is noticeably more resolving and dynamic. Yes, the noise floor is there. You can plainly hear it during soft passages. To me, it's inconsequential; the meat of the music is what matters. If you need dead quiet, then vinyl is NOT for you.
So there you have it - I'm well on my way to becoming a full fledged vinyl junkie
