CD v Vinyl

[ClassikFan]

Who has got both a top class TT and CD player?

What are the main differences, if any?

Personally, I much prefer vinyl on my Gyro over Cd on my Classik, but would it be a closer call if I had an equivalent priced CD spinner ie. about £2000.

Lets hear peoples experiences.

[Effem]

I would have said the TT ruled right up until I started fooling around with esoteric transports paired with a decent DAC.

[chezi61]

Same as yourself Classic.

Sondek wets on arcam with ease.Would love to hear it up against AK's Bow.

On second thoughts mibee not.

chezi.

[ClassikFan]

Effem wrote:

I would have said the TT ruled right up until I started fooling around with esoteric transports paired with a decent DAC.

What sort of cost would you put on esoteric transports paired with a decent DAC effem?

[Hawk]

Good question, I have a CDS3 (7K ish) and a modest spec LP12(Ittock/17D2) and id say there are times when the LP12 sounds better and times when the CDS3 kicks its arse!
The CDS3 i guess by nature is alot more consistent, but get a nice heavy slab of well recorded clean vinyl on the LP12 and it manages to humble the CDP. If you can live with the downsides of vinyl then £ for £ it wins by a healthy margin, IMO... but a good high end CDP or Transport/DAC can still show a clean pair of heels to a mid priced TT but obviously it will be more expensive...

Hawk

[adam]

I think vinyl has better imaging,more front and back depth to the sound,reaches out of the box more,has a more fluent treble which is smoother,bass times better.That's a modded Rega P25 waiting for new DV17 cart.

Whereas my tubed CDcplayer/DAC offers more detail,greater clarity,I enjoy both equally but they sound different.

[hifiwigwam]

AK and Whitter should be in on this thread as they both have serious Digital and analogue sources.. come on guys what is better for you.

Me the CDP kicks the TT's arse, but that has a lot to do with my TT, although good, doesn't even come close TBH, compared my CDP with snappers LP12 in his system, and TBH not a lot in it, would then come down to taste and disc.



Lets just say they are both good, and like a lot of things in this industry the more you spend....the better, but again the law of real diminishing returns kicks in around the price of the Bow and top LP12 stuff, after that it's very subtle differences and a lot of the time is more down to taste, than anyone being better.



Oh and the Bow and LP12 are both better than the cds3 ;)

Just read Adam's post, gotta disagree with you regarding soundstage, but I guess in your case the TT is outclassing the cd player, I reckon if you pick one from each at similar budgets, then there isn't much in it, my CD sounds pretty smooth and analoguey, ie more liquid, no harshness, and goes just as deep, in the bass (in fact deeper than my current TT)

[Hawk]

analoguekid wrote:

Â*

Oh and the Bow and LP12 are both better than the cds3 ;)

Then 'he who should not be naimed' woke up from his dream.. ;)

and what was it you were dreaming about?, or was that you coming out a brainwashing session

[Hawk]

Im wide awake thanks ;)

[adam]

Paul,I think the Transport/DAC outclasses the TT,it's just I feel,not so much in the soundstages width,but in depth,front to back vinyl is better than what I find a more flatter,but more detailed CD.

[Effem]

ClassikFan wrote:

Effem wrote:

I would have said the TT ruled right up until I started fooling around with esoteric transports paired with a decent DAC.

What sort of cost would you put on esoteric transports paired with a decent DAC effem?

Cor, that's a loaded question Stuart :Not Sure:

My transport cost £8,000 brand new but of courseI paid nowhere near that. Doubt very much indeed if I could have afforded it's new price tag.

The DAC is a knotty one to answer because I've been through a whole long series of 24/96 DAC's costing up to £1k and have been impressed by none of them at all, having a harshness that's very hard to put your finger on and as for front to back imaging depth that a good TT can give you, then forget it. I found much better results in the older 20 bit DAC's such as PS Audio, Wadia 12 and especially so from my current Monarchy Audio M-22 DAC which has a smooth sublime 'analogue like' sound coupled with immense imaging depth and placement.

[Picard]

analoguekid wrote:

Me the CDP kicks the TT's arse, but that has a lot to do with my TT, although good, doesn't even come close TBH, compared my CDP with snappers LP12 in his system, and TBH not a lot in it, would then come down to taste and disc.



Lets just say they are both good, and like a lot of things in this industry the more you spend....the better, but again the law of real diminishing returns kicks in around the price of the Bow and top LP12 stuff, after that it's very subtle differences and a lot of the time is more down to taste, than anyone being better.



Oh and the Bow and LP12 are both better than the cds3 ;)

Last bit is a bit off. Different yes vs the turntable. the '3 is more musical than the Bow.

Picard wrote:

analoguekid wrote:

Me the CDP kicks the TT's arse, but that has a lot to do with my TT, although good, doesn't even come close TBH, compared my CDP with snappers LP12 in his system, and TBH not a lot in it, would then come down to taste and disc.



Lets just say they are both good, and like a lot of things in this industry the more you spend....the better, but again the law of real diminishing returns kicks in around the price of the Bow and top LP12 stuff, after that it's very subtle differences and a lot of the time is more down to taste, than anyone being better.



Oh and the Bow and LP12 are both better than the cds3 ;)

Last bit is a bit off. Different yes vs the turntable. the '3 is more musical than the Bow.

guess thats what they mean by subjective, funnily enough, for a room where 2/3rds were vinyl junkies, we only played one side of a record!!

I think the cds is a bit recessed in the mid and a tad flat, spose we are all different.

[Hawk]

analoguekid wrote:

Picard wrote:

analoguekid wrote:

Me the CDP kicks the TT's arse, but that has a lot to do with my TT, although good, doesn't even come close TBH, compared my CDP with snappers LP12 in his system, and TBH not a lot in it, would then come down to taste and disc.

Â*

Lets just say they are both good, and like a lot of things in this industry the more you spend....the better, but again the law of real diminishing returns kicks in around the price of the Bow and top LP12 stuff, after that it's very subtle differences and a lot of the time is more down to taste, than anyone being better.

Â*

Oh and the Bow and LP12 are both better than the cds3 ;)

Â*

Last bit is a bit off. Different yes vs the turntable. the '3 is more musical than the Bow.

Â*

Â*guess thats what they mean by subjective, funnily enough, for a room where 2/3rds were vinyl junkies, we only played one side of a record!!

I think the cds is a bit recessed in the mid and a tad flat, spose we are all different.

lol, that will have been the cotton wool in your ears that caused that

We all know how much you love to hate Naim, but joking apart how different is the Wizard 2 to the original? If its moved on then i might give it a good listening to..

Hawk

haven't heard the original one so won't know the answer.

[Hawk]

analoguekid wrote:

haven't heard the original one so won't know the answer.

Does anyone know the answer? genuine question...

Hawk

[Picard]

Hawk wrote:

analoguekid wrote:

haven't heard the original one so won't know the answer.

Does anyone know the answer? genuine question...

Hawk

Yes. There's not a lot of difference. There IS a difference of course, bit more detail, air, resolution. Some will hear more of a difference than others. Bow, of course, will claim there's a huge difference between the players.