Analougue to Digital set up.

[Marco]

Me too! I would keep my modified Sony CDP, but only because it's a classic and quite unique.

The way forward with digital, in my opinion, is high quality computer audio.

Vinyl is a different matter, though. I still feel that ultimately the best sound comes from top-notch vinyl pressings replayed through a high quality turntable and partnering ancillaries. It's a sound that in my opinion no digital set-up can emulate.

Therefore, regardless if I buy a Squeezebox or a media player to embrace the benefits of computer audio, the T/T stays!

Marco.

[Vinyl Grinder]

Vinyl is a different matter, though. I still feel that ultimately the best sound comes from top-notch vinyl pressings replayed through a high quality turntable and partnering ancillaries. It's a sound that in my opinion no digital set-up can emulate.

Too right, I just fear for my vinyl's long term especially my 1st issues, I'd rather preserve the longevity of em. I play a crazy amount of vinyl you see. Something has to be done. I'd rather play them less now if I can.

[max-greece]

The subject of vinyl wear during playback gets discussed a lot on forums that I have seen. I do wonder, however, how much of a problem this really is if you have a properly setup TT and the cartridge tip is in decent condition.

Case in point. I have a copy of Pier Gynt on philips that have been played innumerable times (say weekly for 6 years). I really don't notice any degradation on the sound - not that this means there isn't any - maybe my ears have adjusted.

Thing is this. I would hazard a guess that with a proper setup you can probably play a given record 1,000 times before the quality deriorates significantly. I suppose quality is akin to half life here so a lot is going to depend on how fussy the listener is to pops clicks and hiss.

Even if you were to listen to a record every week it would take you 10 years to get to that point - and I am not convinced that point = unlistenable to.

Most used records are in poor condition due to either being dirty or worn through playback on improper equipment and some were simply poorly manufactured. I fully expect to be able to hand my record collection on to my daughter pretty much as is.

[john dolan]

Ive been buying records for close to 40 years and i still play some of the first ones i bought and most of them still sound fine.Dont worry about them wearing out.

[Ashley James]

For a PC an M-Audio 2496 for about £50 will do an excellent job with a program like Audio Companion. The M-Audio transit is an external equivalent and a similar price.

Dolphin Music are probably as competitive as any of them. The Pro Audio industry is far larger than hi fi so prices are lower and performance better on average.

If you have an Apple Laptop then the internal DACs are fine. An LP is the equivalent of a 10 bit CD player and all these convertors are 24 Bit.

I wouldn't bother to burn CDRs, just bung them into iTunes because it has an equaliser to tidy up anything that doesn't appeal.

Use a high bit MP3, say 256K and you'll be amazed at how good the result, if you don't it'll be your hi fi not the MP3 I promise.

Ashley

[pure sound]

I recently picked up a Tascam CD Recorder from ebay which I've been using to put vinyl LP's onto CD for the car. Recording straight off the phono stage output. It is quite surprising how good (& how unlike commercially produced CD's) these are. I'm sure the Tascam doesn't have the last word in A to D conversion hence my enquiry elsewhere about a better ADC. I imagine the results using something proper might get me closer still to the performance of the source. It does raise the question (for me anyway) of how much of what I dislike about many CD's lies not with the format per se or even the machines but what gets put on the disc by whatever means. I borrowed a similar Tascam last year and recorded a live concert with it using some AKG mikes straight into the analogue inputs. Again, it had a fresh, natural & lively quality I don't often hear from 'commercial' cd's.

[Vinyl Grinder]

It does raise the question (for me anyway) of how much of what I dislike about many CD's lies not with the format per se or even the machines but what gets put on the disc by whatever means. I borrowed a similar Tascam last year and recorded a live concert with it using some AKG mikes straight into the analogue inputs. Again, it had a fresh, natural & lively quality I don't often hear from 'commercial' cd's.

O Yes..

[Filterlab]

It does raise the question (for me anyway) of how much of what I dislike about many CD's lies not with the format per se or even the machines but what gets put on the disc by whatever means.

Indeed, and it's a shame that many commercial CDs are not mastered as well as their vinyl counterparts. There are exceptions though, but not many.

[Vinyl Grinder]

Indeed, and it's a shame that many commercial CDs are not mastered as well as their vinyl counterparts. There are exceptions though, but not many.

It's all to do with the high levels the commercial CD has been mastered at, it's so high (-3db) there's no headroom to speak of, so no room for musical peaks, this is why CD sound very loud, shouty & boring.All you are listerning to is harmonic distortion..Once upon a time CD were mastered a -18db which gave ample room for dynamic peaks without distortion, the level has gradually risen over the years for the worse..Commercial CD format will eventually kill it's self. being too loud it will sound no better than MP-3, or is that where it's all heading?....So at the end of the day it's not the format thats at fault it's the bafoons that's putting the music onto them..So that's why your Vinyl onto CD-r sound great, no high levels.

[Filterlab]

It's all to do with the high levels the commercial CD has been mastered at, it's so high (-3db) there's no headroom to speak of, so no room for musical peaks, this is why CD sound very loud, shouty & boring.All you are listerning to is harmonic distortion..Once upon a time CD were mastered a -18db which gave ample room for dynamic peaks without distortion...

I have a copy of Dire Straits 'Brothers in Arms' which is really low on the recording levels (I've analysed it with Audacity) and consequently superb. I have successfully managed to remaster a couple of discs, but it takes a huge amount of time to sort out one track, and then it's only partially destructive editing so never a true good recording, just an untangled one.

There are a few modern artists who are very well recorded, but it's definitely the exception rather than the rule.