Records Vs cd's

[m_007]

Hi. I am new to this forum and have been reading a lot of threads to catch-up. I wanted to give my perspective on this debate which I feel is even stronger for music recorded in India. Older film music records (if you can find them in good condition) sound much much better than the CDs that are released of those soundtracks. That is what has kept me looking for good condition records. No contest between cd and vinyl for the majority of the movie soundtracks of older films. Vinyl is what is best.

 

[soundbuff]

Hi
Some folks said earlier that there is a lot of grey area and no clear answer to this query. I must disagree, under 'optimal conditions" (mid-high end table, good mid level cartridge, decent medium priced phono), I have no doubt the T.T is the superior performer in terms of tactility as well as presence. The instruments sound physical in a way that good cd player cannot match. Having said that however, a good cd player can be pretty enjoyable too. In terms of low frequency control and extension one has to go to a really high end TT to beat a good cd player. Keeping in mind that digital is basically where all the music is, for most of us operating between budgets of one lakh to five lakhs, cd is where you can get the best bang for buck in terms of a mature, balanced and engaging audiophile system. In today's context I would say that a turntable is something of a red herring

 

[aks07]

Lets be honest and admit spinning vinyl makes us the cool dood of the 'hood

//dunking back into the trenches to avoid incoming fusilade.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Hi guys,

So I have a denon AVR 520Bt that doesn't have a phono. I am looking at the project debut carbon TT as suggested by one member on this thread.

How would I be able to connect it? Is it possible via the red and white RCA?

Like I said,i have plenty of records with me. I am not an audiophile and am not really fussy about sound that much. Since I have so many records,might as well get a TT and enjoy.

Would the quality of sound be different on an entry level marantz TT that costs about 13k to a project debut that costs about 30k? I'm asking because firstly I don't have a phono on my AVR and secondly,since I have so many records,I want to definitely buy a TT. But is the price difference worth it? I honestly don't mind spending about 30-35k on a TT if it's worth it though.

Thanks guys.

 

[Vinay2013]

You can not connect directly via RCA. Project debut carbon does not have inbuilt phono stage. you will get very thin sound if you do. You have to invest in separate phono stage that will cost around 7-8k.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Thanks Vinay.

You mean something like a phono box E by project? That's a phono pre amp. Is that what u r talking about?

 

[pathakajit]

Hi guys,

So I have a denon AVR 520Bt that doesn't have a phono. I am looking at the project debut carbon TT as suggested by one member on this thread.

How would I be able to connect it? Is it possible via the red and white RCA?

Like I said,i have plenty of records with me. I am not an audiophile and am not really fussy about sound that much. Since I have so many records,might as well get a TT and enjoy.

Would the quality of sound be different on an entry level marantz TT that costs about 13k to a project debut that costs about 30k? I'm asking because firstly I don't have a phono on my AVR and secondly,since I have so many records,I want to definitely buy a TT. But is the price difference worth it? I honestly don't mind spending about 30-35k on a TT if it's worth it though.

Thanks guys.

Since your AVR does not have a built in Phono stage, You will need an external phono preamp. The RCA out of your TT will connect to the phono pre-amp (Input) and Output from the Phono Preamp will go to the AVR Aux/CD inputs..
The entry level Marantz TT (TT-5055) you are looking to buy has a inbuilt Phono preamp (usually switchable on-off from under the platter) - If the inbuilt phono preamp is ON then, you can connect the TT directly to the AVR (AUX/CD inputs). The Project TT does not have this inbuilt phono preamp and you will need an external phono preamp to go with the Project Debut.

The entry level TTs - Marantz, Denon, Sony, AudioTechnica, etc.. sound pretty good for the money.

Trouble will start when you will want 'more' and look to upgrade for a better sound - This will include styli, Cartridges, dedicated stereo amp, speakers, TT, the upgrade could be never ending.

If you like the vinyl sound and decide to keep spinning regularly, the project TT would be a better bet - It wont need you to upgrade immediately (should hold up better than the entry level marantz) so will buy you some time and provide opportunity to enjoy your investment for a longer time. In my opinion, you would also see better resale value for the Project Debut TT than the Marantz (TT-5055) when comes time to replace/upgrade.

Another very good alternative is to pick up a vintage TT as it will offer a cheaper entry point into the vinyl world and will sound better than most entry level modern TTs (generalized statement - there may be exceptions). With a vintage TT you will most definitely need an external phono preamp.

Happy spinning!

 

[elt93]

Hi guys,

So I have a denon AVR 520Bt that doesn't have a phono. I am looking at the project debut carbon TT as suggested by one member on this thread.

How would I be able to connect it? Is it possible via the red and white RCA?

Like I said,i have plenty of records with me. I am not an audiophile and am not really fussy about sound that much. Since I have so many records,might as well get a TT and enjoy.

Would the quality of sound be different on an entry level marantz TT that costs about 13k to a project debut that costs about 30k? I'm asking because firstly I don't have a phono on my AVR and secondly,since I have so many records,I want to definitely buy a TT. But is the price difference worth it? I honestly don't mind spending about 30-35k on a TT if it's worth it though.

Thanks guys.

Get yourself an Audio Technica AT LP5. Excellent TT with a nice phono pre built-in. It can bypass the built-in phono pre should you wish to upgrade later. I'd take this over the Project any day.

 

[umapati]

Get yourself an Audio Technica AT LP5. Excellent TT with a nice phono pre built-in. It can bypass the built-in phono pre should you wish to upgrade later. I'd take this over the Project any day.

What is the appropriate price of this model & from where can i buy it??

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Thanks so much Ajit and elt93.

I'm trying to find the AT LP5. All I get is AT LP60 and 120 available in India.

Sheesh,this is harder than I thought :-(

 

[navinsinha]

A well set up, simple Philips 242 (coming around 5-6K) would work better than these modern toys any day!!

 

[pathakajit]

Thanks so much Ajit and elt93.

I'm trying to find the AT LP5. All I get is AT LP60 and 120 available in India.

Sheesh,this is harder than I thought :-(

As you have found out, the AT-LP5 is not exactly entry level.. it retails for a little north of 300 pounds. I have not heard this TT yet but, all reviews read very promising. it looks brilliant in all black. very mean and businesslike.. hyeah:

The entry level AT turntable is the LP60... a smal step above is the LP120 (not a bad TT at all!) Not sure where the LP-5 is available in India. a bit more searching is in order..

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Nope the LP 5 is not available in India.

What I did find is a Rega RP1 with decent reviews and the project essential 2.

 

[elt93]

Nope the LP 5 is not available in India.

What I did find is a Rega RP1 with decent reviews and the project essential 2.

I contacted Audio Technica. The LP5 will be released inside a couple of months in India is the information I got. If you have the patience to wait, you will be rewarded well

 

[asliarun]

One more thing to consider: CDs are rapidly going the way of the dodo. Hardly anyone is making CDs and CD shops are also shutting down like crazy. People who want digital music just download it from online, or stream it via Spotify and other channels.

Vinyl on the other hand is selling in record numbers (pun intended). And this is not a fad, vinyl sales have been steadily going up. Furthermore, it is also a very millennial thing. And consequently, record companies are fairly prompt in putting out vinyl records of almost all latest albums.

Lastly, recording quality or mastering quality of vinyl is generally superior as it targets a more discerning audience that is less cost sensitive and more quality demanding. And I strongly believe that mastering and recording quality is the single biggest reason for a good listening experience. A well mastered song on 128kbps mp3 would beat the pants off a poorly mastered high res digital audio format or a vinyl.

And I say all this as a digital audio person. But truth be told, if I had to start today, I would definitely build a vinyl and turntable setup. And the vinyl vs CD audio quality debate would be far down in the list of reasons for doing so.

 

[navinsinha]

Another aspect of comparison between CD and vinyl may be the durability. A few CDs purchased by me about 3 years back have gone bad. About 10 years back, Rhythm House used to record songs of your choice on a CD. I got it done on 2 CDs - mine and my wife's favourite songs - became fit to thrown in a dustbin in about 3-4 years. On the other hand I have a few 78 RPM records of 1906 and quite a few of 1930s and 1940s, still going strong. Some of these 78 RPMs just sound out of this world (A few of K L Sehgal's records). What do you say?

 

[benz]

Another aspect of comparison between CD and vinyl may be the durability. A few CDs purchased by me about 3 years back have gone bad. About 10 years back, Rhythm House used to record songs of your choice on a CD. I got it done on 2 CDs - mine and my wife's favourite songs - became fit to thrown in a dustbin in about 3-4 years. On the other hand I have a few 78 RPM records of 1906 and quite a few of 1930s and 1940s, still going strong. Some of these 78 RPMs just sound out of this world (A few of K L Sehgal's records). What do you say?

Well I have some CDs bought in 90s and still working fine. Just couple of days back I ripped them to flac, just incase if they stop reading.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[navinsinha]

Well I have some CDs bought in 90s and still working fine. Just couple of days back I ripped them to flac, just incase if they stop reading.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

By ripping, you did the right thing Bro! You never know when would they go bad. But this never happens with the vinyl/shellac, unless they get warped.

 

[Sumanta]

these are reasons for me to listen vinyl -
1) The surprise of getting a new (unknown old) album or song.
2) Get old western classical recordings that are rare or very costly to buy.
3) Get a pre sorted, collected set of gems without much effort.
4) Get the feel, smell, colours, drawings, essence of an album which has music in sounds too.
5) Get to listen to music only, as playing a TT force me to do nothing else. slowly now, I enjoy absolute pleasure of listening music and music only. No remote, no walk away from the sweet spot.

 

[navinsinha]

these are reasons for me to listen vinyl -
1) The surprise of getting a new (unknown old) album or song.
2) Get old western classical recordings that are rare or very costly to buy.
3) Get a pre sorted, collected set of gems without much effort.
4) Get the feel, smell, colours, drawings, essence of an album which has music in sounds too.
5) Get to listen to music only, as playing a TT force me to do nothing else. slowly now, I enjoy absolute pleasure of listening music and music only. No remote, no walk away from the sweet spot.

+1 to it Sumant! Fully agree!