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Thread: Listening to digital/analogue and then mono

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2010

    Location: Vancouver, Canada

    Posts: 2,166
    I'm Alex.

    Default Listening to digital/analogue and then mono

    A friend came over for a listening session couple of days ago, and after listening to some of my recent vinyl acquisitions, he started wondering if digital might sound as nice as LPs. So we said why don't we do a quick side-by-side comparison, for a lark?

    So I played Sgt. Pepper's opening track (streaming AIFF stereo file from Mac Mini via ethernet cable into modded Logitech Squeezebox Touch digital transport and then into Beresford Bushmaster DAC connected via digital coax cable). Sounded great, with awesome deep bass and everything super clean and legible. No distortions, just perfectly clean (almost clinically clean) sound.

    Immediately after the song finished, I switched over to playing the same track on my turntable (Systemdek IIX with Denon DL-103 cartridge mounted on Rega RB300 tonearm, into hand-made SUT into Emotiva XPS-1 MM phono stage). I was spinning the original Sgt. Pepper's stereo pressing. The difference? Staggering!

    The music simply came to life on the turntable. The guitars leapt out from the speakers, the bass felt like molten lava, Paul's voice was really shouting with excitement. Gone were the clinically clean glossy sounds, to be replaced with impolite, nasty, raunchy gutbucket rock and/or roll sounds.

    But most importantly, the music coming out from the turntable was SWINGING! So much so that we couldn't help ourselves and remained glued to our seats for the remainder of the side one. It was captivating, mesmerizing, magical. Once side one was over, we both had to exclaim how, indeed, Sgt. Pepper's IS the best album ever made!

    And then the weird thing happened. My friend said that, if the stereo LP sounds so amazing, imagine how incredible would the mono, the Holy Grail Pepper sound?!? Do I have a mono copy? Well, sure I do, I have the squeaky clean 2012 all analogue 180 gram vinyl remastered release of the mono Pepper. The release that everyone is hailing as being the absolute best sounding ever.

    So we put the mono LP on, expecting to hear nothing short of a miracle. Alas, nothing like that happened. Compared to the stereo LP, the mono LP sounded dull, muffled, crowded, congested. The swinging was gone, the palpable life-like presence wasn't there anymore.

    That made me wonder -- could it be that the magic was missing from the mono LP due to the fact that I was playing it using the stereo cartridge? Many people claim that the only way to really hear mono LPs is to use the mono cartridge.

    Opinions?
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    Alex.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Nov 2013

    Location: N London

    Posts: 566
    I'm Steven.

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    Curiously, I have an original Sgt Petter stereo and the mono remaster, with dual arm turntable with mono and stereo cartridges. I understand that far more effort was put into mastering the mono versions. I think I shall give them a compare, together with the digital mono remaster.
    Wilson, Devialet, Innuos, Puritan, Claro

  3. #3
    Join Date: Mar 2011

    Location: Preston

    Posts: 197
    I'm Paul.

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    2 things I'd say. 1, your tt setup sounds a bit more high end than the sbt/beresford combo. But 2/ I expect the lp is simply a far better recording.

    I have ultra by Depeche mode on both cd and 180g vinyl and even on my basic planar 2 through basic phono stage it's a fair bit better than the cd.
    SBT/Chromecast/TEAC T1 into TEAC D-T1 DAC or olde-worlde Rega Planar 2 controlled by Rotel RC850 into HH S500D or DACT Passive Pre into Mullard 5-20 monos. Then into Tannoy Cheviots and a Wharfdale sub. All connected by colourful cables.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

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    I'm Lawrence.

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    I think some people give absolute tonal sound quality and instrument/voice separation over stereo placement/ imaging and soundstage, so they would think a slightly better quality mono recording was best whereas those who valued the latter would struggle to listen to the former.

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  5. #5
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

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    I'm inthescottishmafia.

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    Yes have discussed this elsewhere, we thought that some are more sensitive to phase changes, these people zeroing in on imaging and soundstaging(I include myself in this). The other less sensitive folk would zero in on timbre and tonal shading etc.
    “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”

    Hunter S Thompson

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    All are important for realism, but it's tone & timbre/'boogie factor' for me every time. If a system (or component) fails miserably in that department, and merely majors on imaging/soundstaging, then it'll leave me cold, as it simply won't engage me in the music.

    And in my book, that's an EPIC FAIL, for any hi-fi component or system!

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    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

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  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

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    I'm Shaun.

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    Very interesting as I almost bought 'Ultra' on vinyl a month or so back. I've had the CD copy since it first came out but I may have to get the vinyl version now just for completeness.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

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    I'm Grant.

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    Was it from the latest 2017 cd the copy was made
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  9. #9
    Join Date: Mar 2011

    Location: Preston

    Posts: 197
    I'm Paul.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    Very interesting as I almost bought 'Ultra' on vinyl a month or so back. I've had the CD copy since it first came out but I may have to get the vinyl version now just for completeness.
    Mine is warped, the seller sent me another LP as compensation. But it plays fine (cue jokes about rega speed stability being so bad you can't tell...) and it's just more dynamic and musical than the cd.
    SBT/Chromecast/TEAC T1 into TEAC D-T1 DAC or olde-worlde Rega Planar 2 controlled by Rotel RC850 into HH S500D or DACT Passive Pre into Mullard 5-20 monos. Then into Tannoy Cheviots and a Wharfdale sub. All connected by colourful cables.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Yeah, just planning out today so maybe a visit to HMV is called for. Rega owners need not worry when it comes to speed stability. It seems to apply to anything powered by an elastic band. Maybe we should all upgrade to a DJ deck

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