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Originally Posted by vcoheda /img/forum/go_quote.gif
i asked the head-fier about it. he told me, but i didn't catch all of it and forgot the rest. the vinyl to CD sounded very good though. hopefully, he will chime in.
i wonder if any companies sell CDs like this?
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The archiving setup I use for my vinyl LP collection is:
Analog playback (front-end of my hi-fi system):
VPI HW-19 mk4 turntable, Zeta tonearm, Grace silver interconnects, Koetsu Rosewood M/C cartridge, Audio Research PH-2 Phono amp (balanced), Audio Research Hyper-Litz w Neutrik XLR interconnects.
LP cleaning: Nitty Gritty, VPI, etc. record cleaning machines - essential to remove dirt & crud from old records.
Digital recording:
MacPro quad, Edirol FA-66 & MOTU 828 mk 2 firewire audio interfaces, Soundstudio software (tracking), Parallels 4 PC emulator, Win XP, Adobe Audition software (audio file clean-up)
[MacOSX audio drivers are much more stable than Windows drivers and far less flaky]
Headphones: HD-600/Cardas, Grado SR 80 & 225 stock cables
Headphone Amps: Edirol, MOTU & Mac built-in (for recording & cleaning)
I record at 192/24 bit sampling, clean the archive audio files, and audition finished archive files using a direct balanced line connection to my Audio Research VT130 (110W/channel) tube amp driving Mirage M2 speakers.
In my experience, I've found that a well-recorded (original) LP pressing yields a FAR superior sound to many CD reissues for several reasons:
1) Many CD reissues were sourced from the original old master tapes (if you're lucky) that have degraded over time while an original vinyl pressing (in good shape) retains more of the 'juice' of the music since the vinyl does not oxidize over time like the magnetic tape particles and carrier. I like to use the analogy of the million year old fossil perfectly preserved in amber - the music (fossil) is preserved by the vinyl (amber) much better than the old acetate magnetic tape - time does not degrade vinyl to the same extent as magnetic tape.
2) Most CD's reissues (with the exception of the most recent) were digitized with earlier A/D converters and electronics and the A/D and D/A converters and associated electronics are the most critical part of the audio chain - assuming you have a good amp driving your headphones/speakers.
3) Digital audio playback from a properly configured & stable computer system sounds better (than all but the most expensive CD/SACD/DVD-A players) since a hard disk can deliver a more stable flow of data to a D/A converter than the typical optical disk drive found in most mechanical players.
I've digitized many of my LP's (very time consuming if done properly) and the results are almost always indistinguishable (to my aging ears) from the LP. The obvious added benefit is that you have preserved an irreplaceable recording, many of which are not available in digital form, and you can sit on the couch and select from thousands of tracks instantaneously using an iPod Touch without rummaging thru a pile of 'jewel cases.'
Let me know if you have any further thoughts/questions.