• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Why do records sound so much better than digital?

Status
Not open for further replies.

sq225917

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 23, 2019
Messages
1,361
Likes
1,612
Much like many native American tribes believe that a photograph steals part of the soul of whoever is in the photo, I believe analog recordings also steal some of the soul of the person(s) being recorded. Each time you play an analog record, you are releasing a bit of that soul back into the air. You just don't get that part with digital.
Is that because digital is soulless to begin with?
 

Chrispy

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
7,757
Likes
5,915
Location
PNW
Compared to vinyl. Plus Tidal Masters cannot be beat. Regardless of politics.
If they're masters they're masters, despite if Tidal screws it up using the stupid codec and getting people to buy gear they didn't need to begin with. Can get masters from other services/sources.....
 

MattHooper

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
7,201
Likes
11,817
Is that because digital is soulless to begin with?

Of course!

Just like the Transporter in star trek takes people apart, puts them in to computer code, and re-assembles. They all come out with their soul missing! :)
 

Sal1950

Grand Contributor
The Chicago Crusher
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
14,073
Likes
16,609
Location
Central Fl
So it was a surprise to me as a pianist/keyboardist myself (we grew up with 3 pianos in the house, along with many other instruments), I actually found many piano recordings on vinyl quite compelling. While I of course can hear some of the deficits that might drive you more crazy - pitch instability being an obvious one - I'm often able to listen past those to the qualities I like.
That reply really surprises me Matt. I was always driven mad by the various pitch instabilities of vinyl playing good piano recordings. You being a connoisseur of piano sound and not being bothered by it confuses and surprises me.
I guess it all falls back to the statements vinyl fans always make when defending vinyl's grosses failures,
"I can listen past them" :facepalm:

You certainly can hear pre-ringing. Look for tracks that start with a very loud transient and there will be slight noise just a poofteenth of a second before the music starts. But within the music, I struggle to hear it / or I can't hear it at all.
IME it was much more audible on RTR tape than vinyl.
It may be that the pre-ringing (bleed thru) happened on the original master or on the purchased tape I listened to.
Quite possible (probable) the ringing on vinyl was covered up by the medias surface noise and other distortions?

What percentage of the posts in this thread do you imagine are making B.S. claims for vinyl
Tooooo many. LOL

I don't think "straight wire with gain" across the entire system is a good idea. As I previously mentioned, the room and speakers will mess it up. My individual components are as linear as possible and (hopefully!) approach the "straight wire with gain" ideal, but then I apply DSP to correct the speaker/room or apply salt and pepper for personal taste.
That's cool Keith_W, so do I.
But if a listener uses non-linear gear upstream, the distortion introduced can then never be removed.
Get your rig right from the beginning, then season to taste if desired.
 
Last edited:

Sal1950

Grand Contributor
The Chicago Crusher
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 1, 2016
Messages
14,073
Likes
16,609
Location
Central Fl
I'm just here to figure out why records sound so much better than digital.
Brain damage from over-indulgence in intoxicants ???
Just kidding Matt. ;)
 

MattHooper

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
7,201
Likes
11,817
That reply really surprises me Matt. I was always driven mad by the various pitch instabilities of vinyl playing good piano recordings. You being a connoisseur of piano sound and not being bothered by it confuses and surprises me.
I guess it all falls back to the statements vinyl fans always make when defending vinyl's grosses failures,
"I can listen past them" :facepalm:
Oh yeah, it is kind of strange admittedly!

When I got my good turntable and spun some tracks with piano I remember thinking "holy cow, THAT sounds like a piano!" But of course not all tracks strike me that way. And most of the stuff I listen to the piano melody is moving around enough to make pitch instability less obvious. Even in sustained notes, if a record is pressed ok (hole centered) it's not really obvious. But, yeah, there are certainly times where the pitch instability is a bummer. I've mentioned before, my father-in-law, and absolute fanatic about classical music (lots of classical piano too) felt like he'd died and gone to heaven when classical music was finally available on CD.
 

MattHooper

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Jan 27, 2019
Messages
7,201
Likes
11,817
Or clean it with holy water.

Well, I may not have had a priest bless the water I use to wash records, but I have heard my wife curse my record cleaner. Not sure what effect that has, yet....
 

Keith_W

Major Contributor
Joined
Jun 26, 2016
Messages
2,530
Likes
5,800
Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'm just here to figure out why records sound so much better than digital.

Anyone have any ideas? We need to talk about this.

 

Chrispy

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 7, 2020
Messages
7,757
Likes
5,915
Location
PNW
Moebius strip?
 

Robin L

Master Contributor
Joined
Sep 2, 2019
Messages
5,213
Likes
7,592
Location
1 mile east of Sleater Kinney Rd
Well, I may not have had a priest bless the water I use to wash records, but I have heard my wife curse my record cleaner. Not sure what effect that has, yet....
I've cursed my VPI 16. Was not helpful.

Cleaning my mold-covered copy of "The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders" gave me an intense headache.
 

dlaloum

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 4, 2021
Messages
3,092
Likes
2,353
I used the commonwealth sister acronym SFA acronyms three weeks ago… And spelling out was not very appreciated.

I have never poofteeth outside of the commonwealth…
Guess #2 … Canada?
Yes, well in my case - Melbourne, Australia....

Canada tends to be a little more "American" - so I don't know!
Brits tend to use many of the same terms.... (as Aussies)
 

dlaloum

Major Contributor
Joined
Oct 4, 2021
Messages
3,092
Likes
2,353
I've cursed my VPI 16. Was not helpful.

Cleaning my mold-covered copy of "The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders" gave me an intense headache.
Mold on the cover, or Mold on the vinyl?

Mold on the vinyl is more easily cleaned than on the cover!

I have used Enzymatic cleaner, with Vacc Machine, followed by Ultrasonic deep clean - gets most records clean
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom