What a surprise!

I would say, I'm a little surprised that a P3 would sound better then the NDS/555 as a source, I have never heard that combo in my setup but would be rather disappointed if that was the case given the price difference.

For digital I'm using a Metrum Acoustics Menuet with a Simaudio MindNeo streamer.  This combo easily bettered my previous RP6/Hana SL/Simaudio 310LPNeo (with Groovetracer subplatter & dual white belt upgrades).  I have since swapped the RP6 for the Bryston BLP-1, which was a huge upgrade for me.  I don't have a lot of duplicate albums in both digital & vinyl, the mastering/quality of the recording comes into play but in general I would say they are now both in the same ball park as far as performance is concerned & both sound excellent.

Hello Daren

i too can’t believe it but it is true (to these ears at least)

I will definitely stay on the TT path for my next upgrade. Just a shame they cost so much.

all the best

regards

Mark

I bought such an album - pure analog sound chain - it was Metallica Load, on 4 Lp's

And while it sounds absolutely superb - I wasn't motivated to buy another all analog LP at all - I would rather be pragmatic and enjoy all the music on digital with a Naim or Chord digital player.....

Not sure why, but I hardly play that all analog LP.... but I listen to plenty of old nostalgic stuff on digital. 

And on my Chord Mojo, the same metallic album sounds almost/virtually identical in terms musical enjoyment.

As Richard pointed out, there are still a few current LP releases and reissues which are all analog.   Many more mix in some digital technology somewhere in the chain of recording, mixing and mastering, pressing, etc. but those facts shouldn't deter music lovers from trying LP playback for themselves.

 LP's are certainly many things to many people, but I have come to think of them as being simply more fun than digital playback.     To enjoy what I call the core DNA of the vinyl experience does not require the most expensive playback components, so give vinyl a spin and see for yourself whether it connects you to music more fully than digital.    

I am getting tired of the purist argument that only a mint first pressing of whatever LP you care to discuss is the "real thing".    Certainly many such LP's from the 50's, 60's and 70's can be spectacular for those fortunate enough to have these in their collections, but there are also countless examples which are more compromised.      For new vinyl fans, in addition to the millions of used LP's available, there are a huge number of reissues being done with care, passion and integrity by many firms such as MFSL, Music Matters, Intervention Records, Reference Recordings, Acoustic Sound, etc. that have greatly pleased many listeners.    Sure, there are some reissues on the market which boast nothing more than being pressed on vinyl, but with some care and reading you can easily avoid the worst of the reissue boom.

Good listening,

Bruce

Richard Dane posted:

French Rooster posted:

  ...Unfortunately, true analog lps are not produced anymore...

There are still a few cutting LPs that have an all analogue chain, with no digital preview.  Check out Gearbox Records, or the Electric Recording Company as just two examples.

i will see that, thanks.

Hello Bruce

what a good answer.

I have now started listening to some very old Classical lps (Decca) and gosh do they sound good. (Rock sounds even better)

I am totally smitten with vinyl and so pleased to have rediscovered it. 

What a joy.

thanks

Mark

Richard Dane posted:

French Rooster posted:

  ...Unfortunately, true analog lps are not produced anymore...

There are still a few cutting LPs that have an all analogue chain, with no digital preview.  Check out Gearbox Records, or the Electric Recording Company as just two examples.

these are certainly reissues, like analog productions, mofi, .....but what i wanted to say is that nowadays recordings are digital, so the reissue on vinyl from music after the 80’s are not true analog.

For true analog reissues of the lps of analog era, i enjoy some from analogue productions and mobile fidelity, but they are expensive.

I will see gearbox or electric recordings.

French Rooster posted:

Richard Dane posted:

French Rooster posted:

  ...Unfortunately, true analog lps are not produced anymore...

There are still a few cutting LPs that have an all analogue chain, with no digital preview.  Check out Gearbox Records, or the Electric Recording Company as just two examples.

i will see that, thanks.

The mono Beatles reissues are all analogue.

Richard Dane posted:

French Rooster posted:

  ...Unfortunately, true analog lps are not produced anymore...

There are still a few cutting LPs that have an all analogue chain, with no digital preview.  Check out Gearbox Records, or the Electric Recording Company as just two examples.

I have met Darrell, Caspar and Justin at Gearbox, and have seen them at work. Their dedication to quality and an all-analogue chain is second to none.

They have a great collection of 1960s Studer and Philips tape machines, they use old Decca studio amplification and have a stunning array of very high-quality vintage microphones. In addition, their records are cut in-house on a 1967 Scully lathe (either from tape or direct to disc). The vinyl is pressed at Optimal in Germany. The recordings, whether reissues or new ones (Binker & Moses, Kate Tempest etc) always sound stunning.

Hopefully we'll be working with them on some recording/vinyl projects later this year!

Rich 1 posted:

Good, old, vinyl recordings to my ears can in some circumstances sound better than when digitised but not in all cases. For example the original vinyl Bridge over troubled water lp is marginally better than digital. Buddy Holly master tapes are very good on both. A number of new vinyl recordings, which I have, are mastered digital to analogue recordings so where does that leave us? Can you still get a purely new analogue recording these days that hasn't been digitally compromised? I'm not bashing digital or vinyl as I've learnt that the expertise or otherwise of of the recording engineer and perhaps the location and recording set up are far more important to music satisfaction than whether it's digital or analogue. Linn tt, Naim separates, PMC speakers. Rich 

Some output from Welcome to 1979, such as Applewood Road.

The American Epic - The Sessions (@seakayaker check out Rhiannon Giddens 'One Hour Mama' on this!).

notnaim man posted:

Some output from Welcome to 1979, such as Applewood Road.

The Applewod Road album was done by the Gearbox crew. Not my cup of tea, but exquisitely recorded.

Just curious:  Has anyone played "needledrops" on their top-flight digital system?  These would be a digital reproduction from files of digitized vinyl replay.  Thus they would include the "vinyl coloration" mentioned by J.N.  

Charlie

Yes, I sometimes record vinyl LPs to digital files - it's usually stuff that hasn't been issued on CD, or 12" singles or else those favourite LPs that sound much better than any digital release.  I usually record at 24bit 96kHz onto a Marantz PMD671.  The Marantz outputs digitally to the Naim DAC, and so quick comparisons are easy.  I have to say it does a fantastic job and the odd tic apart, the sound quality successfully captures most of the life from the vinyl that so often can elude a so-so digital CD issue.

I digitised my entire vinyl collection when my LP12 was still in the living room.  Took me well over a year and I needed a new TKR partway through the exercise!

This was so that I could play them in my study.  Used a Korg MR2.  Results excellent, although the original LP still better. Every so often I compare the original LP (LP12 now attached to my study system.  When/if the digital copy starts sounding better, then that will be a sign that my cartridge needs replacement!

However, very happy with the digital copies, which I still use if I don't fell like climbing on a chair to get an LP off the top shelf.  Also nice to have as 'safety' copies should the original LP become damaged.

Richard, Dungassin,

Your experience is consistent with others I have heard reported, that A high quality digital reproduction of “needle drops” retain much of what some listeners appreciate about playing vinyl records.  

While I have not yet attemted this myself, I have theorized that much of the “charm” or “exuberance” or “life” in vinyl playback may be attributed to resonances and vibrations in the mechanical system (turntable, record, tone arm, cartridge).  In a good vinyl rig these resonances, not unlike the resonances in the original musical instruments, are musical in nature - while one might call these “distortions,” they can add to the enjoyment of the music. Of course, there can be very un-musical distortions (I like the terms “grain” or “bit fog”) present in varying degree in digital reproduction, depending on quality of the equipment involved.

Charlie