Wow, I've Discovered Stereo (1 Viewer)

[Scott Oliver]

Steve you should try to upgrade your 15 year old turntable and see the improvements that could make as well. Now if your old table is a Linn LP-12 or maybe an Empire or Garrard my point is little less emphatic, but still vinyl has made huge leaps in performance over the past decade as well. True that Cd has made greater strides and closed the distance, but man you invest about $3500 in a vinyl rig and it takes one hell of a CD player to match it.

 

[JeromeS]

I totally agree that the playback component makes a difference. Before I got the preamp, I did an A/B comparison between the different sources through the receiver. Since I had two CD's of the same album it made comparisons easy. The way it came out as follows:

1. Transport & DAC
2. Panasonic RP-91 w/remastering on
3. Pioneer LD player[/list=1]
   
   I think getting a component that only does one thing gets the resolution wanted since nothing in the circuitry that's not dedicated to it's main purpose doesn't get in the way. This is why a dedicated CD player will sound better than a DVD/CD player. If you're thinking multi-channel, even Sony's flagship SCD-1 SACD player only does SACD/CD.

 

[Chu Gai]

Your particular outboard DAC is very competent. Out of curiousity, in your evaluations, were the levels matched in some way?

 

[JeromeS]

I used a Rat Shack sound level meter to make sure they were matched. I even switched the CD's just to make sure those weren't the reason for the difference and it didn't.

 

[EdNichols]

Chu
Of course not!!! Everyone knows that CD's are round.

 

[Steve Marsh]

Scott
Help me out here. I have an old Sony PSX 600 Biotracer turntable with a Talisman A MC cartridge. This was a good combo in its time but i would guess it wants now...or maybe not?
WhaT should I go to and do you have any suggesstions for good research material. (links)
Steve

 

[Chu Gai]

If it's possible, you'd need to match the outputs at the speakers using a test tone and a multimeter. The SPL's are notoriously inaccurate and it's well known that things like CD players etc. have variable sensitivities.

 

[JeromeS]

Steve,

I'm not sure how to help you out as far as your current setup since I'm a vinyl newbie but here are some links that helped me in my turntable search:

Vinyl Asylum(also check out the FAQ at the top of the page)
Soundstage Vinyl
Ecoustics Phono Reviews
Vinyl Anarchronist
Van Den Hul

Another great resource is the Phonogram mailing list. This is a listserv so everything is by email and there are a lot of very knowledgable people on this list.

There are a lot of good turntables at each price point, so depending in how much you're willing to spend, you can get a great sounding unit. Just make sure to budget in the cartridge, cleaning supplies, and tools(i.e. track force gauge).

 

[Scott Oliver]

I am not super all-knowing on turntables and to get more experience with your turntable and what you should possibly look at a post at the Vinyl Asylum and also on the Analog forum of Audiogon should get you access to whole lot more knowledge than I possess on the subject.

I am about to take delivery on a Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck with a Hadcock GH242SE tonearm with Incognito wiring and a Benz Micro ACE cartridge which all said costs about $3500. My turntable on demo sits in a room with quite a few respectable CD players ranging from 2K - 5K and it the vinyl just offers something that those CD players can't match.

A Nott. Ana. Hyperspace (bigger brother $6000) sits in an adjoining room sharing time with the Accuphase DP-100 SACD transport and DAC ($16000) and again the accuphase is very nice but good vinyl just has more depth and texture to the music.

Some other good manufacturers of Turntables (not all inclusive) would be Basis, VPI, Teres, J.A. Michell, Eurolab, Bluenote and on and on.