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Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

MatrixS2000 said:
Nice Benz cartridge. I run a Benz Ref 3 Silver on my Pro-ject RPM 9. :)
Click to expand...

Cool!

I just looked up the Pro-ject RPM 9.

They make such beautiful turntables.

My buddy owned the Project RPM 10 carbon with the 10 cc evolution tone arm.

I’m using the Benz micro Ebony L cartridge.
It’s my second one.

Several years ago lucked into a really good secondhand deal on a Transrotor Fat Bob S turntable that came with a 12 inch acoustic solid arm, and a brand new Benz micro Ebony L cartridge. One of those poor guys who put it all that together and then found out after having twins, he had no time to listen so it was essentially all brand new and sold as a package.

When it came time to replace the cartridge, since I’d been so happy with the sound, I simply replaced with a new Ebony L cartridge.
 
Robin L said:
I got some CDs today, reissues of old favorites, where the packaging was improved as well as the contents and sound. The "Grateful Dead" collection of live performances from 1971 and "Grateful Dead/Europe '72" issues were updated by Rhino records, both in 2003. Instead of using jewel cases these use "Digipacks", cardboard exteriors with plastic interiors much like jewel cases but a bit sturdier. Both have expanded liner notes, unlike the LPs or the initial CD issues. They also have bonus tracks. In 2011 the entirety of the recordings made during the Dead's tour of Europe in 1972 were reissued as 73 CDs - I've recently seen a Conan O'Brien joke posted on Facebook "It has been announced that there will be a 73-disc set of the Grateful Dead about to be issued. It has not yet been announced what song they will be playing". In any case, another CD set I got today is a two-disc volume 2 of Europe '72, with no overlap of the previous issue of Europe '72. This set has no liner notes, just a booklet of photos from the concerts.

I prefer the Digipacks - they don't break when you drop them. I suppose what makes LPs visually appealing is how they have rainbow patterns when the light reflects off their surface as they spin. Not to mention the record covers. But I have no issues with the appearance of the CDs themselves, just the jewel cases.
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Most appeling thing about early first press cd's an for that matter later press cd's if same source digital date is used over vinyl (not to mention vinyl limitation that i detested already in the 80ties when cd came out till today) you got for an eternity the transients (they define partly the energy of a track) that was on the master at the time. At least it would be wise to use a digital file to make a laquer for vinyl as MoFI did an penalised for. :facepalm: For me (step one) the digital file has by far the preference.

1000002012.jpg


Transient (acoustics) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

www.audiosciencereview.com

Is transient response the most important thing for the perceived audio quality in a system ?

My target is exactly that - 95db max SPL, my normal listening levels (average volume) is around 75db, and allowing for 20db peaks takes me to 95db.... but I like to provide headroom beyond that (up to circa 105db) .... just because some music has that sort of dynamics - even when they are brief...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com

www.audioholics.com

Mobile Fidelity’s Digital Vinyl Debacle: Are your records really analog?

Mobile Fidelity has been caught in a lie. After years of claiming to produce pure analog vinyl, it's been revealed that the company regularly uses digital DSD transfers in the production of its remasters.
www.audioholics.com www.audioholics.com
Read the part "Is Analog Really Better"
 
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Snarfie said:
Most appeling thing about early first press an for that matter later press cd's if same source digital date is used over vinyl (not to mention vinyl limitation that i detested already in the 80ties when cd came out till today) You got for an internity the transients (they define partly the energy of a track) that was on the master at the time. At least it would be wise to use a digital file to make a laquer for vinyl as the MoFI did an penalised for. :facepalm: For me (step one) the digital file has by far the preference.

View attachment 427743

Transient (acoustics) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org

www.audiosciencereview.com

Is transient response the most important thing for the perceived audio quality in a system ?

My target is exactly that - 95db max SPL, my normal listening levels (average volume) is around 75db, and allowing for 20db peaks takes me to 95db.... but I like to provide headroom beyond that (up to circa 105db) .... just because some music has that sort of dynamics - even when they are brief...
www.audiosciencereview.com www.audiosciencereview.com

www.audioholics.com

Mobile Fidelity’s Digital Vinyl Debacle: Are your records really analog?

Mobile Fidelity has been caught in a lie. After years of claiming to produce pure analog vinyl, it's been revealed that the company regularly uses digital DSD transfers in the production of its remasters.
www.audioholics.com www.audioholics.com
Click to expand...
The reduction in steps when Mofi make those expensive one-step discs has nothing to do with using a digital copy, and indeed they have used the one step process with an analogue master in the past, as I understand it - and of course they tried to "hide" the use of the digital step when they did use it. Claiming now that the DSD is part of their improved system is a bit disingenuous if you ask me.

The traditional process allows many more LPs to be made from an original cut, and they can still be adequately quiet and detailed when produced properly. That is what most vinyl listeners are hearing, most of the time, and people seem to be perfectly happy with it.
 
Galliardist said:
The reduction in steps when Mofi make those expensive one-step discs has nothing to do with using a digital copy, and indeed they have used the one step process with an analogue master in the past, as I understand it - and of course they tried to "hide" the use of the digital step when they did use it. Claiming now that the DSD is part of their improved system is a bit disingenuous if you ask me.

The traditional process allows many more LPs to be made from an original cut, and they can still be adequately quiet and detailed when produced properly. That is what most vinyl listeners are hearing, most of the time, and people seem to be perfectly happy with it.
Click to expand...
With one step i meant only the dsd file i would prefer so basicly no steps.
 
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Snarfie said:
Read the part "Is Analog Really Better"
Click to expand...
I read until Fremer was mentioned, then I stopped. I don’t believe that well designed ADCs sound different. I have a Tascam DA-3000 that I use to digitize my vinyl. The output is transparent to my analog chain. Am I to believe that only the Tascam is a transparent ADC? I doubt it. I am going to be getting an RME 2/4 once my new listening room is built. If that sounds different, then I will be pointing to my analog phono pre not the Tascam as the 2/4 has built in RIAA correction.
 
Let me tell you a real story:
I think It was back in 2015 when all the Led Zeppelin albums were remastered and released on CD, LP récords and High Res digital downloads.
I have a friend Who is a huge Led Zeppelin fan, and also gets quite a high wage by Spanish standards.
He bought all the New Led Zeppelin remastered LPs and a new turntable, around 4000 Euros for the turntable alone without a cart.
He invited me to his place to listen to his new Led Zeppelin remastered LPs played on his new turntable.
He didn't stop talking about the goodies of analogue sound and how digital, regardless of its resolution, wasn't able to sound that good. I let him speak and play many Led Zeppelin songs for me. When he was done, I asked him if I could use his laptop for a moment, which he did.
I don't remember now if I got on the Sound on Sound or Mix On Like website, one of the two. I showed him and made him read an interview with Jimmy Page about the new remasters, stating that the new LP remasters were cut from 96/24 digital files.
You should have seen the face of my friend...
That was It.
 
MatrixS2000 said:
I read until Fremer was mentioned, then I stopped. I don’t believe that well designed ADCs sound different. I have a Tascam DA-3000 that I use to digitize my vinyl. The output is transparent to my analog chain. Am I to believe that only the Tascam is a transparent ADC? I doubt it. I am going to be getting an RME 2/4 once my new listening room is built. If that sounds different, then I will be pointing to my analog phono pre not the Tascam as the 2/4 has built in RIAA correction.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Did a test last week to compare if my good old 34 year legacy Tascam DA-30 (DAC part) could keep up with my (relative) recent Topping D10 DAC sound quality. So besides a comparison the Topping D10 was also used as spdif converter feeding the Tascam. Furthermore quality OFC silver-shield interlink cable is used for the Topping an ordinary cable (few Euro) was used for the Tascam (see picture) no doubt if there will be a difference it will be infavor for the Topping. Guess what no difference what so ever listening for hours. :facepalm: The included video is under 1 minute because of max file length using Imuger but you get a impression sound level matched.


tascam.jpg

https://imgur.com/sVPHu5l
 
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Snarfie said:
Interesting. Did a test last week to compare if my good old 34 year legacy Tascam DA-30 (DAC part) could keep up with my (relative) recent Topping D10 DAC sound quality. So besides a comparison the Topping D10 was also used as spdif converter to the Tascam. Furthermore quality OFC silver-shield interlink cable is used for the Topping an ordinary cable (few Euro) was used for the Tascam (see picture) no doubt if there will be a difference it will be infavor for the Topping. Guess what no difference what so ever listening for hours. :facepalm: The included video is under 1 minute because of max file length using Imuger but you get a impression sound level matched.


View attachment 428297
https://imgur.com/sVPHu5l
Click to expand...
Still glad I've got my Topping E 30 - the Tascam DAT recorder would take up too much desktop space. On top of that, I no longer have any use for DATs.
 
Robin L said:
Still glad I've got my Topping E 30 - the Tascam DAT recorder would take up too much desktop space. On top of that, I no longer have any use for DATs.
Click to expand...
Same here but for 25,- euro in a thrift store i could not resist still working. :facepalm:
 
Snarfie said:
Same here but for 25,- euro in a thrift store i could not resist still working. :facepalm:
Click to expand...
Yeah, got my Tascam DA 30 for $60 over ten years ago, worked perfectly from the git-go. Bit streaming and hand-held recorders put paid to all that.

Back to the subject at hand, I haven't heard the current de-noising digital devices for LP playback. I have to wonder what my opinion of LPs would be if I had such devices back when I was transferring LPs for people who no longer had turntables. Click Repair helped some, but not enough in my humble opinion. And Click Repair was not a real-time operation.
 
Psychology, humans after time tend to remember more of the good things , this creates a distorted view and leads folks to do stupid things like buy vinyl and even cassette tapes when there's MP3's and Ultra HD audio abound ..

Oh well , could be worse ...
 
MatrixS2000 said:
Why a second one? Was it somehow destroyed? I had my stylus replaced on my Benz about year ago and it is as good as new now.
Click to expand...

I got my turntable and first Benz cartridge in 2017. At one point it was time to replace the cartridge. I traded my old cartridge for a new one.
 
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