Arnold Krueger
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One more pretty well known LP playback technical test: http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/vinyl-lp/70-tests/103-cartridge-tests.html?showall=1
One more pretty well known LP playback technical test: http://www.hi-fiworld.co.uk/vinyl-lp/70-tests/103-cartridge-tests.html?showall=1
Good looking graphs. The mistake is that many will think these measurements are representative of what a record player sounds like in the real world. It isn’t. There’s a big difference using a custom test disc EQ to make the FR look flat and real world standardized RIAA applied to a variety of off the shelf discs.
Well it is not only the cartridges that are all over the place, particularly at high frequencies.Please explain. I know that it is possible to faiely easily check the FR of a cut disk by optical means, and people who cut disks frequently in the day tell me they did it often to QC their setups.
Yes, good point. Seeing those beautiful flat lines it would be tempting to think that the system is almost as good as digital, but the operative word is "system". The cartridge if driven by the correct vibrations on both channels at the same time works OK, but real records have to be cut with de-essing, bass limiting, frequency-dependent compression, etc. so the real world result will be much different from what the graphs suggest.Good looking graphs. The mistake is that many will think these measurements are representative of what a record player sounds like in the real world. It isn’t. There’s a big difference using a custom test disc EQ to make the FR look flat and real world standardized RIAA applied to a variety of off the shelf discs.
Please explain. I know that it is possible to faiely easily check the FR of a cut disk by optical means, and people who cut disks frequently in the day tell me they did it often to QC their setups.
Fascinating to see the lid lifted on the horrors, compromises and myriad decisions that have to be made in order to play vinyl!
Big deal. Of course a recording that has been hand-crafted and massaged to sound reasonable when played back on a gramophone will sound the same when played back on digital. The real test would be to play back a big, dynamic symphonic recording that sounds earth-shattering on CD and see how well it fares when transferred to vinyl.Nothing new above ... and no lid came off anything ... makes me wonder if you actually have any first hand knowledge concerning these so called decisions (rhetorical) ...
... so so so many times and so easily demonstrated within my system ... playing back ripped vinyl copies, often for pure digital based audiophiles, most with no understanding or care for vinyl reproduction and 1) they never clued it was a vinyl rip. and 2) they consistently inquire about the dynamic sound (high DR original recordings) source and or mastering, and most importantly .... 3) they`d ask to hear more ...
Of course a recording that has been hand-crafted and massaged to sound reasonable when played back on a gramophone will sound the same when played back on digital.
If RIAA and LP QC was that great, there would be no reason for the JVC test disc to need a custom EQ. JVC could just manufacture the disc using RIAA just like any other disc.
A vinyl-to-digital rip will sound the same as it sounds on vinyl; digital will, of course, reproduce it faithfully. Not so the other way round.Who said it sounded the same, because if it had, no further interest in the session by the listener would have ensued.
A vinyl-to-digital rip will sound the same as it sounds on vinyl; digital will, of course, reproduce it faithfully. Not so the other way round.
Seems to me they master the vinyl with a hifi in mind, the digital offerings seem to be aimed at radio, mp3, earphones etc..
... the compromises of vinyl.
the venerable Shure M97E ... been around near forever ... still going ... still a v.good starter cartridge ... more forgiving than budget AT carts, the 97 has always had issues of omission, esp at the frequency extremes, sounds a little compressed during dynamic peaks, but these would go mostly unnoticed on the vast majority of turntables and equipment sold at this intended price point. It`s quality elliptical stylus does not require super precise alignment and remains gentle on vinyl.
The long discontinued V15mr5, however, was one truly great cartridge, the jewel in the Shure crown, it could be mounted on any good turntable with high-end-only issues ... contrary to what many esoteric minded vinylheads chimed, when set up properly the V15mr5 often competed favorably and more accurately, with far farrrrrrrrrrrr more expensive esoteric moving coils. Still be a winner today, if available ... like all great carts, it included a very stiff cantilever and a precisely aligned but relatively aggressive line contact stylus (mr=microridge).