Digital vs. LP

[struth]

Yeah but you can try Roon free too. :-)

Already cancelled Tidal. Get 30 days out of it tho. Interface is shockingly poor for a £20 a month service. Sound quality is better although part of that is the output from it is higher than norm. Found spotify's one to be very good with free remote within the app being a big plus, but its way more stable too. Sound quality is not as good but pretty decent for mp3.
Think I will hold out for Spotify's hifi service. although Ive no idea when it will be online, but it is in beta at moment.

[struth]

Just to clarify; when I comment on the 'digital' side of things, I mean Red Book CDs only. I've tinkered a bit with hi-res stuff, but not enough to be able to comment usefully on its merits.

Ive never bothered with hi rez, although I have and still do upscale with jriver as I think its better(i accept i may be kidding myself but Whats the harm)

[Joe]

Ive never bothered with hi rez, although I have and still do upscale with jriver as I think its better(i accept i may be kidding myself but Whats the harm)

I downloaded some hi-res stuff from Linn Records a couple of years back; didn't hear anything so good it made me want to investigate further. Every time I read articles or forum discussions on the subject it makes my head hurt, even when such discussions are preceded by the words 'I'll keep this really simple ...'.

[Macca]

But capturing the analogue sound in an analogue manner, even when eventually presented digitally can/will sound superb. This is consistent with some vinyl rips I did years ago using Cool Edit Pro (wow that takes me back) which sounded far far better than the remastered cds then available. An example that comes to mind was the Yes album 90125. Chalk and cheese.

Different mastering = Different sound. Mastering makes a lot more difference than the format, assuming the sources and system are good to begin with. Differences in mastering also account for the supposed superiority of 'high resolution' digital.

But we have been here many times before so I'll shut up now.

[Edward]

But we have been here many times before so I'll shut up now.

Ah but some of us are just new kids on the block ....

Always read your posts with interest Martin.

[Macca]

Always read your posts with interest Martin.

Don't worry, it's just a phase and it'll pass

[Marco]

Differences in mastering also account for the supposed superiority of 'high resolution' digital.

In *some* instances, yes, but in my experience, not always. Remember to take into consideration those 'grey areas' you were pulling Jez up for yesterday!

I'll get back to you later, Edward

Marco.

[Ali Tait]

Does Roon provide a streaming service like Spotify and Tidal or is it only a way of just streaming local media?

I was, a few weeks back, gonna give Roon a try but discovered that I would have to give my credit/debit card details upfront and then have to remember to cancel after the initial free period. Not something I like doing so I discussed with Roon. They said I could have an extended trial (but still would have to sign up). So far as I can make out Roon has licencing issues with their metadata providers which prevent them giving trials without the credit/debit card details thing.

Do you find Roon gives better quality sound then other players? I use JRiver but am attracted to the way Roon handles metadata and its displays etc.

It will stream your local media, but I've found the likes of Tidal not only has a better interface through it, but sounds better too. I used to use Jriver, but find Roon superior.

[WESTLOWER]

Edward, we spoke in a round about way on this when we met recently.
My vinyl and digital front ends are very fulfilling and
Hit the spots in many ways, with the right material.
I have to say if I hadn't been a compulsive jazz record collector for 30 years
I wouldn't go the vinyl route today if I was starting out from scratch.
I decided a while ago to invest in my analogue front end to enjoy the fruits of My record collection by purchasing an lp 12 (tin hat at the ready) which
I have a stupid emotional attachment to and obviously a financial one too now!!
But with the purchase of a top quality NOS DAC the digital presentation has been a revelation.
I owe you a return visit so I'll organise a get together soon and
You can judge for yourself. I think both are imho top notch...
But I will agree with most in saying it's very much
Material dependent in both formats digital and analogue.
I have many duplicate recording on both formats so comparisons are doable..
You can't polish a turd no matter which format it's presented in!
But when it's right, oh my, they are both so sweet!

[Jimbo]

Using the same downstream components will highlight the differences between vinyl and digital for sure but if care is taken in selection of equipment the differences can be lessened. It all depends on how good you want your vinyl and digital to be, how much money you have to fund equipment and what sound you are looking for.

Trying to get them to sound very similar will be difficult and time consuming and maybe expensive. I personally would concentrate on getting a vinyl system you enjoy listening too sorted and then put together a digital system you feel satisfies your listening pleasure. I would not fuss too much on trying to get them exactly the same because you won't. Digital and vinyl inherently sound different, each having their own strengths and I would concentrate on these and enjoy them.

You will also find a digital version of an LP release may sound very different and therefore trying to match systems is even more difficult because amongst other things the mastering for each medium can be very different.

If you are going down the digital route I would forget CD. File based digital audio is really the only realistic close alternative to LPs. There are some fairly cheap options out there to do this but again the more money you throw at it the more musical satisfaction you can get. In my experience vinyl LPs do this easily. Digital is a bit more tricky.