I was hoping for some more discussion here....so just bumping this thread.
Some of you have some experience now with vinyl and digital and I was hoping you could chime in about the comparison and differences you heard.
First of all, apologies to Shaizada for a long overdue review. And thanks to him for 'loaning' me 3 different recordings of the LimeHouse Blues:
1. XRCD recording at standard (44.1 KHz, 16 bit) audio
2. Vinyl sampled at standard audio (recorded from LP into Redbook format)
3. Vinyl sampled at 24 bit, 96 Khz
I had promised to write up a review late last December but paper deadlines, end of semester and now new work imposed deadlines have all prevented me from completing aforesaid promise. I finally have time to do a brief writeup, which I will keep adding to during the week, as time permits.
The goal of these tests was to find out if the same song, recorded on CD and ripped from vinyl at exactly the same resolution (Redbook Audio standard) can sound different on a 'good enough' system. My current financial situation (student status) leaves me only enough money for food and books, so audio has to be enjoyed at the homes of 'generous' good friends. One of these friends has a system I helped set up:
A Marantz PM7001 integrated connected to Wharfedale 9.5 music being supplied from HTPC, connected via usb to an EMU 0404. The combination is on the warmer side of neutral but has all the detail that we need for our tastes.
I normally like to listen to a song for a long while so that I can get used to it, before critically analysing it. However, time pressures prevented this from happening for this song, so my impressions are more subjective than I would have liked. In addition, Limehouse is a very complex, intricate recording, swinging from softer passages into fast rhythms suddenly and it takes (my) mind some time to memorise the subtle flow of music. If someone wants to do listening comparisons, I suggest starting out with some simpler music first and then easing into this song. Anyway, onto the test:
A. XRCD vs. Vinyl at standard audio rate (1 vs 2)
The first impression of the XRCD was that it was brighter than the Vinyl. The drums, snare and high hats all had more bite though not more detail. When I listened to the complete song, once on XRCD and then on Vinyl, the XRCD seemed to jump out at me. The Vinyl recording, on the other hand, was a little more laid back, with less emphasis on individual instruments, and with the sound more balanced. Note that all the words I use to describe the sound are subjective (since there were no measurements involved) and were the impressions that stayed with me after several listenings, switching between the two files.
Another place where vinyl was more listenable was a section from 3:40 to around 4:30. This piece contains a lot of high hat audio. The XRCD was a little more 'splashy', the sound was more of a continuum, than individual hits. The Vinyl recording showcased each individual hit, and a small section where triple hits were being made (I'm not a drummer so my description is not technically sound, but I hope you get the picture...the hit is the stick delicately hitting the 'hats). And that's the word I'm looking for - delicate. The vinyl made the high frequencies in the music sound much less fatiguing, more refined and detailed. The mids were the same, the base also almost the same. The treble section was where I noticed the most difference. The vinyl recording was just more easy to listen to. That's the most succinct way to sum up all the above differences.
So which would I prefer to listen to? The vinyl, by a small margin. The reason for the 'small margin' is because of this interesting phenomenon I noticed when I fine-tuned my listening sessions.
Here's how that goes. I know my own mind and I know that it starts to drift off (stops critically listening) after about 4-5 minutes or so. It then starts enjoying the music and the foot tapping starts. If I have to be critically alert, a 4-5 minute music mind buffer is the best I can remember. In other words, I can objectively compare two different pieces of music in minute detail if I listen to ~4 minutes duration of each. Then mind effects start to play memory tricks and I can no longer trust my own 'ears'. I'm sure all of us have this threshold where the critical listening starts dropping one. For seasoned listeners, I'm sure the threshold is much longer. Anyway, mine is around 4 mins.
So I switched between the two files, listening to ~4 minutes from each, same section, and comparing the sound. And a funny thing happened. When i heard the songs section by section, the differences between the two versions was marginal. It was as if my brain was compensating for the differences it was hearing. But when I heard the whole song (~10 minutes), I could make out the difference between the two versions, even in a blind comparison. It's as if my brain needs time to get used to the 'sound' of each, and if I switch between the two rapidly, the subtle patterns are lost.
For example, there was this chiming instrument sequence (don't know name) around the 2:30 time mark. When I heard the XRCD, this was overly forward and bright, compared to Vinyl. But when I heard the two sections rapidly, the difference was less pronounced. I'm not sure of the reasons why, just putting down what I heard.
B. Hi Rez vs Standard Audio (3 vs 1 and 3 vs 2)
No comparison. The Hi Rez wins hands down. Each sound is more detailed, without being brighter. The cymbals, wind instruments, everything is more musical, more 'open' and more detailed, at the same time. The highs were more detailed, more separated, each instrument note was more spread out, the envelope was bigger. Comparison with XRCD and Vinyl standard is the same. No need for further testing. I could make out the 24 bit version with my eyes closed (which I did anyway during the listening test) ;-)
Another interesting thing I noticed was that the higher resolution also emphasized the slight hiss and added crackle-pop from the vinyl recording. When I revisited the standard vinyl, this was also there but was not as prominent as in the 24-bit version. It did not interfere with the music, but I was aware of it's presence more in the high-rez vinyl. The XRCD background, by contrast, was blacker.
I also played all 3 versions on another friend's system: a modest desktop setup comprising a pair of CA s30s connected to a vintage Pioneer SX-650 receiver. Here the distinction between XRCD and Vinyl standard was indiscernible. I honestly couldn't have made them out in a blind test. The difference between HiRez and the others was slightly more. I could make it out if listening to it over a major portion of the song.
Conclusions
So what have I gathered during this experience?
1. Vinyl and XRCD do sound different for the recording I tested. Not by a huge, obvious margin on the system I tested (which is a budget system, in my view). It is possible that more detail will be noticed on a more resolving system.
2. Which do I prefer? Well, this is frankly a matter of taste and listening habits. I like the vinyl sound more for this particular song and recording. It could be the XRCD was not as well recorded as the Vinyl pressing was. It could be that on a rock album (Pink Floyd or Def Leppard), the brighter sound of XRCD may be more appealing for some folk. I don't know the answer in general. What I do realise is that if one is used to the CD sound, the vinyl sound (or at least the digital version of it) will at first sound less detailed and less bright. But on closer listening, you can make out that it is emphasizing the same detail differently. In a more balanced way, for the recording that I heard. So finally, it really is a matter of taste and individual preference what you finally choose.
3. The 24 bit version is the best. But the fair test would be to test out a 24 bit version of say DVD-A with the 24 bit vinyl and see the differences. There is a Chesky recodring of Limehouse Blues in 5.1 surround format. I think the same disk also has a stereo version in 24-bit, 96 Khz. Once I get a hold of that, I will try and compare the two versions and update this review.
Thanks again to Shaizada for giving me the chance to listen to some high-quality recordings and an enjoyable musical experience.
regards,
Ajinkya.
