Progression?

[quadsugdenman]

Sorry if im spouting rubbish. Ive had two expressos this morning.

Steady lad!!!!

[Haselsh1]

Put very simply, I've not yet heard a CD player; any CD player, that sounds better than a top notch turntable setup. Now if digital is supposed to be the answer I'd love to know the question.

[Ali Tait]

Agreed,but digital is still in it's infancy.Give it a few years and I reckon it will be giving the black stuff a run for it's money.

[Rare Bird]

Agreed,but digital is still in it's infancy.Give it a few years and I reckon it will be giving the black stuff a run for it's money.

Ali they want to stop farting about with CD players & concentrate on the CD quality & how the music is Remastered..

[Haselsh1]

Agreed,but digital is still in it's infancy.Give it a few years and I reckon it will be giving the black stuff a run for it's money.

Point taken...!

[Clive]

Agreed,but digital is still in it's infancy.Give it a few years and I reckon it will be giving the black stuff a run for it's money.

It could do it now....technically it's easy. The commercial will and reality is to cater for the masses so we have most software at best to Redbook standard and often worse (lossy).

[Ali Tait]

Ali they want to stop farting about with CD players & concentrate on the CD quality & how the music is Remastered..

Can't argue with that! Most new recordings are dire,too much compression,though I guess this affects new vinyl as much as cd. I have noted things seem a lot better generally with stuff from the U.S. in regards to sound quality and lack of compression,at least with the folk,bluegrass and blues stuff I've over the last few years.

[Alex_UK]

I think doing the digital v analogue thing again is kind of missing John's original question...

Taking vinyl first - yes, I think the equipment has progressed, but not by a huge margin. I suspect it is our understanding that has progressed more - the fact that Garrards, Thorens etc. are now revered much more than in the past is generally down to the implementation - understanding the interaction between all the component parts and how the turntable is plinthed, sited, cables etc. Coudl be wrong, just my guess, but otherwise why would these old turntables still be held in such high esteem?

Digital is an entirely different story, IMHO - and especially regards the dac - either a standalone unit or built-in to today's CD players. I think my Marantz as a transport into Caiman DAC sounds so "un-digital" compared to the early generation CD players and dacs it's untrue, though again, my knowledge is limited, and there will be better placed people able to confirm or deny my hunch. There will always be exceptions to any rule, but I'd say that mostly CD/digital has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 5-10 years, whereas vinyl reached it's zenith years ago and only marginal increases can be had by new technology/materials which is not the case with the complicated circuitry used in modern dacs.

Radio - a big fat zero - one area I would never argue an improvement has come in is with DAB... Digital radio in itself should be able to compete with FM, but not via DAB...

Speakers, then. Yes, I'd say overall there have been big improvements. If you compare a vintage Tannoy Gold with a modern Wharfedale Diamond then of course not, but taking speakers at their respective price points, especially low-mid budget, today's designs trounce most of their counterparts from preceding generations...

Finally, amps. I suspect most amplifiers are still based on decades old circuits, and where any improvements will have come is in the better quality of components due to better understanding and design, as well as tighter manufacturing tolerances.

That's my very amateur take on it, anyhow.

[Haselsh1]

Hmmm... getting on the digital bandwagon for once I have to say that my HDCD compatible Original 2008F sounded incredibly digital until I bought a Caiman and plugged the two together. The Original was hard and edgy and very grainy in the upper mid/treble. The Caiman is glorious all round but still can't image like my Techie can. I use a bog standard SL1210 with an Ortofon OM30 into a Croft pre/power and the imaging is wonderful.

[Rare Bird]

But your putting up with noise from the record which alone would drive me nuts or don't people listern intensly? Most the recording on vinyl that i listern to sound terrible, i can't alter that. CD for me kills all these problems

Alex: Regarding your comment about speakers, i disagree.