[DoKwan]

I am one of the many who had a decent LP collection, rode the first digital wave and dumped my LPs for CDs, and then rode the second wave and ripped my cds onto hard drives. I have recently upgraded the collection with higher quality or lossless files. A while ago my wife even bought me a mid/low end external DAC. It all sounds pretty good, but...

I recently picked up app. $500 in fun money and was wondering the best way to apply it to my ear holes.

My first instinct was to grab some new cans. Serious listening is still done on my home speakers. I only have some old shure earbuds for portable and low level closed Senn for bed/nightime listening. I also don't see myself breaking the $250-350 range for cans. The remaining funds certainly wouldn't be enough for a headphone amp upgrade. (My DAC has one, but I certainly will upgrade in the future...) This started my thinking about Source.

I recently stumbled into a used LP blowout and got that old feeling again while flipping through the racks. It prompted me to dig my ancient turntable out of a basement corner. (Technics SL-D3 with a cheap Stanton D71EE Stylus) Its not in great shape, and sounds pretty grim.

I could go Analog and grab a Rega P-1 and an okay preamp (Rega Fono Mini?).
Vinyl is available again, both New and Used. The Vinyl care and listening ritual is both a drawback and a positive.

That being said I am also lured by the HD/CD formats. I do enjoy the occasional 5.1 mix and have the home system to do it justice. I obviously can't swing a reference quality player, but Amazon has SACD/DVD-A units from $80-150. Are these low end units "musical" enough? At this entry level, I could grab Cans and a cheap SACD unit. Tempting. (Certainly adding one at a later date is not out of the question. Finding an extra 80 to 150 in pocket change down the road is much more likely than finding 500.)

Either way it is commitment to a source path.

Any opinions??

 

[paaj]

What kind of DAC did she give you?

If you think you'll listen to headphones more, you can do much better than 'low level closed' Sennheisers with about half your budget.

The decision between analog/digital is a major one (re-acquire your music on LP, and the changing of discs) but many here love it. I think only you can make that one.

 

[LingLing1337]

I would rather have 15 LPs that I love and an entry level vinyl system with my Grado SR225i than my current enormous digital collection and my quite nice DAC.

 

[DoKwan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paaj /img/forum/go_quote.gif What kind of DAC did she give you?

It was a Beresford TC-7520.
(I know. Lets not rehash the various sins o' Beresford. It was a gift, and certainly sounds better than my Macs audio out.)


I have to admit, the lure of the LP is strong. Most of my early musical education came from pouring over album covers and liner notes. However, I don't want to indulge any vinyl fetish for nostalgia sake alone. This secondary source will primarily be for albums I couldn't live without and I want them to sound as good as they possibly can within my meager means.

The good Headphones will come. (be they Grado, AKG, Senn......but thats another discussion) If my source isn't capable of letting them show their true stuff, then I might as well stick with an ipod and earbuds.

If my eyes are closed and ears open, would I be happier with a 200gm pressing of "X" disc on the Rega, or a SACD release on the Denon/OPPO/Sony...

There are always other factors involved. The availability of quality recording is one. LP's are out there. The support for HQ CD/DVD formats is spotty at best.

I totally understand that it is a very personal and objective question, and I appreciate all of your input.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoKwan /img/forum/go_quote.gif If my eyes are closed and ears open, would I be happier with a 200gm pressing of "X" disc on the Rega, or a SACD release on the Denon/OPPO/Sony...

Don't really think you are going to get much benefit from going for high resolution digital with players in that price bracket. You could borrow a DAC which covers the spec and try downloading some high res files to check it out though.

Assuming your Technics isn't knackered, I'd get a better cart like a Denon 103 and a decent modern phonostage like the Cambridge 640P.