Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms The Analogue Experience

Something like this one perhaps?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165219401640

Interesting discussion around analogue Vs digital.... way back when, I used to run the 3 major UK hifi magazines - around the time CD and digital first came out. As a result there was a lot of critical writing about, for example, an LP12 Vs the latest digital tech. I always found analogue to have more sonic weight, more authority somehow - but it was impossible to prove why or even argue the point convincingly on paper. I used to spend a lot on special pressings - heavy black vinyl, moving coil cartridges, mono amps etc etc. And I could hear the difference. Certain pressings, for example Sheffield Steel, by Joe Cocker, could not be beaten by CD. I guess some of this is down to AAA, AAD, ADD or DDD. Bop Til You Drop by Ry Cooder was one of the first DDD - and it showed.

I then had a recording studio for many years - all digital apart from the 24 track desk - and played around a lot with analogue into digital and back again. Single channels would be multiple gigabytes - and a full track could be 40 channels or more. Clearly something is going to be lost when you mix down onto an MP3.

Today? Tinnitus reigns in my head after years of high volume studio mixing - combined with a lot of unprotected hearing when shooting in my youth. So I am 100% digital at home and cannot really hear much difference between vinyl and high resolution digital. If anything, I probably prefer the slightly clinical and forward sound of digital.

Yes, I had a few special pressings. I had a couple of Rickie Lee Jones albums that sounded awesome through my fairly modest Planar 3 / AR60 / Acoustic Research set up. And Bop Till You Drop was definitely weird-sounding, wasn't it?

A classic hifi set up back then. I still have a Rega 3 somewhere - boxed up.

Bop was a bit weird, beautifully produced but very low recording level.

I still have some of those "master" albums but no spinner to play them on anymore. Neilda I should probably find them and donate them if you are interested. Cabled, Fibred or Bluetooth the sound from the best resolution iOS devices always sounds two dimensional. I did try and external DAC and it improved it noticeably but the moment I did a back to back with the Micromega CD it sounded just bland.

I worked in Auditions of Weybridge as a saturday boy to save money during the crazy mortgage rate times. I loved the analogue vs CD discussions. I believed the choice of amp and speakers needed to be different for either source as the amp and speakers that worked with CD made vinyl sound bland etc. We had a gent buy a big CD focused system (Musical Fidelity MA470's and some lovely ProAc speakers) then when he put a Linn LP12 on it the sound was horrible. We ended up swapping the amps and it sounded great. We must have sold dozens of the Rega Planar turntables such good sound and value.

Likewise for the hearing fall off and constant squeal of tinnitus.

Alistair, that is a generous offer..... I don't use vinyl any more and am unlikely to do so. My Godson, on the other hand, with eclectic tastes, is massively into it - so if you were having a clear out, I do know a good home.

But they might be worth something? I personally never sell anything, far rather give things away - but you never know, you might have that rare pressing of Joe's Garage!

I guess I will have to see if I can find them in the loft then. I have no doubt the box says something like vases as camouflage.....