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Post by MikeMusic on May 31, 2015 11:22:31 GMT
Haven't made a comparison in a very long time and like aurender I confess to being lazy - or is that efficient ?
Before I spend money on some pending upgrades I need to compare
Isis CD player compared to highly modded Technics. Both sitting on S1NX tables on top of Mana reference tops, racks and soundbases
Isis on latest Black Ravioli, Technics on RDC cones
Cost of both roughly the same so a fair comparison
Tony Williams Lifetime - Million Dollar legs - as I can listen to that continuously.
Isis first. Track one, that is very nice.
Think I need more volume - of course ! - so track 1 again.
Very good. Best I've heard, due to various mods in the whole system. Tony C loaning me some mains cables, an interconnect, speaker cables and the black ravioli
LP next.
Surprise. It's better and not subtle. If you are *listening* and can be bothered with the getting up every 15-20 minutes or so this is well worth it.
Back to the question
Vinyl or CD ?
Both. Has to be.
Some albums I can't get on one of the mediums
I'm not always *listening*
LPs are time consuming
Streaming ?
I don't have it yet.
When I do that may naturally replace a lot, possibly all of the listening as it gets better and better.
From what I've heard about it both LP and CD will be gone from most people's systems
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2015 11:28:33 GMT
Both for me too. I listen a lot more to CD for variety of material,and convenience. I normally run two systems because vinyl always beats CD for me. I prefer to keep them as separate experiences so I don't compare and get dissatisfied. I've been there many times and ended up on a box swapping treadmill.
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Post by MartinT on May 31, 2015 11:35:14 GMT
I'm happy to say that both do it for me. Vinyl can sometimes win but then an SACD can leave all for dead. My collection will never be gone, streaming is for convenience and back-fill only.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2015 12:01:33 GMT
That's really interesting as you have the sort of reference system few of us ever will. I'd expected streaming to be "up there" with the best sound available but it appears not, I'm glad because I would want something far more plug and play than is currently on offer. I can wait a while for better tech and more user ffriendly kit.
My only experience with SACD was a Linn sampler played on a mate's Onkyo which he brought round. It was very laid back and just didn't have enough life for me. It may have been my taste, the Onkyo or the recording but from what you say, it's not likely to be the format.
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Post by jazzbones on May 31, 2015 12:04:55 GMT
Musical enjoyment has to be both, with vinyl edging it, simply because I have been collecting vinyl and listening to same for 50 years plus so my vinyl library is the larger of the two formats I own.
Vinyl is via a highly tweaked/modified Technics 1210SL2 (yes I'm one of 'em  also on a modified Linn LP12 upstairs. Both different but equally enjoyable.
Cd is via a properly set up and maintained Naim CDX2/XPS2 psu. Unfortunately, I've never heard Rega's top cd spinners, but I'm more than content with what I've got.
Digital Streaming: sorry not into it as I don't have enough time left to rip my software to this format and therefore it ain't for me... no regrets on this. The wife wants the simplicity of choosing a disc, plonking it in the cd player and pushing a button and away she goes.
Mike, Tony Williams, is that the superb drummer that drove/propelled the Miles Davis quintet for years, if so amongst my all time greats me having been a semi pro drummer years ago?
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ynwan
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Post by ynwan on May 31, 2015 12:10:18 GMT
I own very few CDs and I don't see that changing in the future - so vinyl every time for me (streaming hasn't yet come of age for me).
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Post by aurender on May 31, 2015 12:18:21 GMT
I'm so lazy that even cd is too much work. The problem is that I have a huge cd and said collection. I'm not very good at filing the disks so they don't get put back in the right place after I use them.
With that in mind, streaming or ripping is the only viable solution. I must confess it's been a while since I've been able to directly compare state of the art vinyl and cd in my system but I must say I'm very happy with sound quality from a streaming system using Tidal and Qobus.
Hot racks provides a reasonable collection of 24 bit files which sound terrific to me. Music selection using Aurender software on iPad is really easy and some evenings it's quite rewarding to search genres for new music or to compare versions of familiar music in ways that are just not viable with black or silver disks.
As for streaming or dedicated storage providing inferior sound quality! I'd say the converse is true. Sound quality can be superb.
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Post by aurender on May 31, 2015 12:19:32 GMT
I own very few CDs and I don't see that changing in the future - so vinyl ever time for me (streaming hasn't yet come of age for me). In what way has streaming not come of age? |
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Post by ChrisB on May 31, 2015 12:35:08 GMT
I prefer vinyl if forced to choose but to be honest I don't really care what format my music is on. My buying habits are largely opportunistic, so in the main I'll buy something when I see it rather than making a conscious effort to find it. Given the high price of new vinyl, if I do seek something out, it's usually on CD.
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Post by aurender on May 31, 2015 13:15:26 GMT
Sorry to keep going on about streaming but a subscription to Tidal removes the need to ever go browsing again. If you must buy silver disks, listen to it first on Tidal, comparing any alternative versions then buy the little silver fragile thingie with its even more fragile dust catching case which won't quite fit on the cd rack and won't be findable should you want to play it.
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Post by John on May 31, 2015 13:24:37 GMT
For my own listening it is mostly digital mostly due to my set up. However yesterday I visited a friend who vinyl set up is the most musical system I ever heard regardless of cost. Just effortless. I certainly heard digital with more detail in places but not with the same ebb and flow that I just heard
I think both mediums are great and most of my music is via digital
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Post by ChrisB on May 31, 2015 14:04:25 GMT
Sorry to keep going on about streaming but a subscription to Tidal removes the need to ever go browsing again. Nope, I enjoy the hunt as much as anything! |
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2015 14:08:50 GMT
Mine used to be streaming then CD, although since buying the CDX2, I find myself listening to CD first and only streaming when I've got fed up with getting up and down. Whilst I have a few Vinyl, I no longer have anything to play them on as I recently sold my LP12... Maybe next year I'll invest in a Vinyl spinner again but first I'm saving up for a Naim NDX, because if it's as good as the CDX2 (some say better) it'll keep me happy  |
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Post by MikeMusic on May 31, 2015 15:57:30 GMT
Cd is via a properly set up and maintained Naim CDX2/XPS2 psu. Unfortunately, I've never heard Rega's top cd spinners, but I'm more than content with what I've got.
Mike, Tony Williams, is that the superb drummer that drove/propelled the Miles Davis quintet for years, if so amongst my all time greats me having been a semi pro drummer years ago?
The Rega outperformed a CDX2 on its own, but then it should given the price difference Yes, that Tony Williams. To my mind the best drummer that ever lived, and yes I know of a few Saw the first Lifetime live - stunning |
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Post by jazzbones on May 31, 2015 17:26:38 GMT
Cd is via a properly set up and maintained Naim CDX2/XPS2 psu. Unfortunately, I've never heard Rega's top cd spinners, but I'm more than content with what I've got.
Mike, Tony Williams, is that the superb drummer that drove/propelled the Miles Davis quintet for years, if so amongst my all time greats me having been a semi pro drummer years ago?
The Rega outperformed a CDX2 on its own, but then it should given the price difference Yes, that Tony Williams. To my mind the best drummer that ever lived, and yes I know of a few Saw the first Lifetime live - stunning
Regarding Naim's CDX2 this was better still, apparently with the P555 psu unit, but I could not justify or was willing to pay more... I jumped off the 'upgrade to the next big thing' with Naim and stuck with what I have. |
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Post by MikeMusic on May 31, 2015 17:48:02 GMT
A prodigy our Tony
Now Joe Morello and Shelly Manne I need to hear
I was swayed by some opinions and reviews that said the Rega was around the same as a 555 - and a hell of a lot cheaper, especially at the less than half I paid for it, still with the Rega lifetime guarantee !
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Post by Clive on May 31, 2015 21:49:28 GMT
It's hard to disassociate the tactile connection of vinyl but I find a high end vinyl setup easily beats a CD or streaming setup, pretty much regardless of the price of the digital setup. Excellent vinyl setups though tend to be very expensive vs the digital setups.
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Post by jamescg1972 on May 31, 2015 22:04:43 GMT
I ripped all my CDs years ago to high bit rate MP3. Then took them all out of the loft a couple of years ago and re ripped my favourites to FLAC. I generally either stream my FLAC or via Spotify (I tried tidal and struggled to tell the difference enough to put up with the gaps between songs while it struggled to stream the next one). I do like the ritual of vinyl. Sitting with a cup of coffee early on a weekend morning in peace, or late at night with a whiskey while listening to a favourite album.
Generally, though, it's the convenience of streaming that gets me. Whatever takes my fancy, wherever I am (within reason), I can listen to instantly.
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Post by stanleyb on May 31, 2015 22:05:54 GMT
It's hard to disassociate the tactile connection of vinyl but I find a high end vinyl setup easily beats a CD or streaming setup, pretty much regardless of the price of the digital setup. Excellent vinyl setups though tend to be very expensive vs the digital setups. It need not be like that though. My gripe with vinyl is with the phono stages on offer. The friend of mine who assembles my DACs etc. also happens to assemble a number of phono stages that carry the brand name of some well known companies. I have tried a couple of them in recent years and also had a look at the construction. Given the price that they are sold at, versus the simplicity of the design and the components used, I am not surprised that people have to spend quite a bit just to find a decent phono stage. One design uses a NE5532 (cost less than 50p for one) and critical RIAA components with wild variations in tolerance. That same preamp sells for around £150. Add the TT and cartridge and you are quickly talking a couple of hundred quid. You can get a terrific sounding CD player for that sort of price these days and still have change left over to buy some more discs. |
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Post by aurender on May 31, 2015 22:10:33 GMT
It's hard to disassociate the tactile connection of vinyl but I find a high end vinyl setup easily beats a CD or streaming setup, pretty much regardless of the price of the digital setup. Excellent vinyl setups though tend to be very expensive vs the digital setups. I understand why you find that. Until you hear a digital system where clocking is really state of the art, vinyl will win. It was only when I achieved clocking accuracy greater than 1 in 10 -13 that the balance changed; suddenly digital has the qualities we associate with analogue and also has the resolution only high end digital can produce. That kind of accuracy really is the turning point, however the only way you'll get it is by hydrogen maser or a BVA clock. Until Oscilloquartz resume production, sadly no one else seems able to produce a BVA. so in absolute terms you are wrong but in practical terms given what digital clocking technology is available you are probably right. |
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also on a modified Linn LP12 upstairs. Both different but equally enjoyable.
