Vinyl and Cd...not vs.

[Alaric]

I prefer the "feel" of most recordings on vinyl , even though my vinyl rig is a few steps down the scale from my digital stuff. It sounds (to me) like digital reproduction is a great reproduction of the performance. Vinyl sounds more like the performance. Or do I prefer older music on vinyl because that's how I first heard it , so think that's how it "should" sound?
Yes , my TT and pre seem to lack some bass that my CD player produces in prodigious quantities. About half the time I prefer listening to CDs , but some music just sounds better on vinyl. Is anyone else torn between the two mediums? The clean,crisp sound of CD? Or the deep,enveloping spatial presentation of vinyl? Or do many of us flip-flop between the two searching for "perfection"? (Gee,that's not a subjective term or anything)
I truly don't want to start a flame war , I'm just curious as to how my audio peculiarities compare to others'.

[Karma]

HI Lee,
I'm talking aout my two channel system not my HT system. They are in two different rooms.

I prefer vinyl in general. I have a very good, modern record playing system that I can feed 4000 + records. I also have a very good CD system. I love CD's for their new music and great bass. Really great bass on vinyl is rare but not unheard of.

But I prefer the overall sound of well recorded and pressed vinyl. As far as vinyl bass is concerned, I have some records that has bass that will match any CD. But not many. We need to recall that it was standard recording technique to roll off vinyl bass off so the average record players of the time could track the groove. This was true of even serious classical recordings. Man, I wish many records could be re-released for modern equipment which can stay with very difficult grooves. Analog is not inherently bass shy.

I don't think the game is over. Digital audio has always been on a trajectory to catch and pass vinyl. I think this will eventually happen. But, we are not there yet, IMO.

Sparky

[Russ L]

Try the new Cambridge Audio 840C CD player ($1800 CDN)...it sounds very analog. Much less grain and harshness. Compared it to players like the Simaudio Moon Supernova @ $5000 CDN and it was better IMO. The Moon while excellent only "warmed up" the graininess, set a large power supply on the signal to mask the problem, and eliminated as much distortion as possible through selection of expensive parts and a multitude of processing systems to combat the CD format. The Cambridge player takes a simpler and less expensive approach to the problems of the CD format.. An unlikely company to produce such a great player but worth checking out. I can't stop listening to mine...no listening fatigue here...only from staying up all night listening to my Cd collection! Best regards, Russ
( Still wish I hadn't sold all my LPs 20 yrs ago tho after my wife dropped a heavy kitchen mixing bowl on my turntable 8O )

[Karma]

HI Russ,
Thanks but I'm not into upgrading my CD system. It's already quite good (outboard tube DAC and all) and I spend most of my time with vinyl.

Sparky

[miner]

So many CDs are overmastered to boost the bass - unnatural in my book. I prefer the vinyl media (analog) vs digital. I have just started to rebuild my LP collection.

[dknightd]

I'm moving toward computer as source. Sometimes I still play an LP.

[Alaric]

I have no complaints about my Cd setup , I like the sound . It just sometimes seems the "detail" on a CD is less subtle than the same details on vinyl. I like hearing John Paul Jones' hand slide up the neck of his bass guitar on Heartbreaker , I'm just not sure it should be a "front-and-center" type sound. Vinyl tends to get the nuances of sound a little better , or rather , allows them to be nuances. On the other hand , the CD Tuesday Night Music Club sounds great. My CD player , amp , and speakers love female vocals-and Ozzy(?!)
I know vinyl mostly tends towards an early bass roll-off , and my current set-up probably isn't up to my previous 2 ch.'s standards. 20+ years or not , my last "real" stereo was pretty good. The cartridge set me back $300 in 1984 dollars. (a Klipsch , believe it or not. Ruby cantilever) My current CD player is my first real CD player because CDs couldn't touch my previous equip. in the early 80s. Nice to know vinyl still holds the edge , for me.
Overall , I'm pleased with my digital and analog playback , I was just trying to find out if the differences I hear are just me , my equipment , all of the above , or common.
One more observation-The 'black hole effect' of CDs wherein there is total silence as a background , doesn't sound natural to me. An absolutely silent room (good anechoic chamber) will leave one a drooling idiot after too much time hearing nothing but your breathing and heart rate. Vertigo can kick in , and added to the other effects , make for a very unpleasent time. I've never heard complete silence that wasn't artificially induced. I'm not saying "noise" is good , but vinyl has 'atmosphere' and a spatial presence I can't get from CDs.
Thanks for the replies , guys!

[Briz vegas]

I like listening late at night because of the low background noise. The pops on vinyl are annoying however despite all the other positives of the medium.

Just remember "you are all individuals. YES WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS ..........................I'm not"

[George Bellefontaine]

I prefer the general warmth of vinyl but look, you have to admit that cd can sound pretty good when recorded properly. And storage is so easy compared to all the space my vinyl collection takes up.

[Karma]

I prefer the general warmth of vinyl but look, you have to admit that cd can sound pretty good when recorded properly. And storage is so easy compared to all the space my vinyl collection takes up.

HI George,
Yes, I do admit it. I have some CD's that are quite good and I enjoy them. It's just that when push comes to shove I prefer vinyl.

And it's more than warmth. There are many areas where vinyl sound exceeds CD's. But I will also admit that they are a pain to maintain. And the the pops and clicks must be tolerated. Generally my record collection is in fine shape because I have been a record care nut case over many years. The care shows.

Sparky

[George Bellefontaine]

The care shows.

Sparky

For sure, Sparky.

[dknightd]

One of my old high school friends was in town recently and came to visit with his son, He saw my crates of LP's and turntable, and asked if they still worked. I said sure. And played some things for them. His Son said he had never heard an LP and wanted to hear what clicks and pops sounded like. I must have been lucky - everything they picked out to listen to was nearly completely free of pops and clicks, and was also a good recording. I think they were both shocked at the quality of sound. My friend said he plans to get a turntable again Could not have happened had my LP's been trashed. . . Care for them and they'll last a long time. . .