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<!-- #thumb --> <p>I’ve finally gotten the turntable setup going into the new speaker system and have been, as of late, playing a lot of vinyl through it. *The setup I am using is a Clear Audio Master Solution with their carbon fiber arm and a Denon 103D moving coil cartridge set to 100 Ohms and tracking at 2 grams.</p>
<p>I have a variety of phono preamps to play with but I keep coming back to our new NPC as a good choice. *I like what I am hearing but I can’t, in all honesty, say it’s better than high resolution digital played on the system. *I know, there will be all kinds of teeth gnashing over this and perhaps some of it justified; after all, it isn’t the world’s best turntable/arm/cartridge/preamp setup possible. *But it is more than reasonable, I would assume, and yet ……</p>
<p>When I say it’s not better let me explain in better terms. *There’s a certain romantic quality to the vinyl that I appreciate. *The surface noise, ticks and pops help ground the spacial aspects of the presentation in a very comfortable and pleasing way. *Strings are lush, voices palpable and believable, and many aspects of the medium are wonderful. *And comparing tit for tat vinyl’s better on some discs, worse on others. *Let me give you an example.</p>
<p>My prized and pristine vinyl copy of Casino Royale sounds amazing – there’s no doubt of it. *I also have a high resolution copy of the same I can play to compare and contrast. *There’s simply no comparison as the vinyl version is better – the high resolution copy thinner, less body, threadbare by comparison. *My guess is that whoever mastered the high resolution version din’t have the right set of goals in mind or perhaps had a poor master tape copy.</p>
<p>On the other side I also have a Patricia Barber vinyl pressing of Modern Cool and have acquired a high resolution copy of the same (don’t ask me where). *Now the tables are turned. *The vinyl sounds great, full and round, great presence, but when compared to the high resolution copy played through the PWT and PWD combination there’s just no comparison. *The high resolution version clearly demonstrates the restricted dynamics, frequency response of the vinyl – and now, for the first time, I can clearly hear just how superior the high rez copy is. *No one would miss this hearing it on the big system. *No one.</p>
<p>My favorite track so far is from Reference Recordings HRX series. *The Tempest, track 8, where obviously the waves are getting pretty wild. *Mastered directly off the master digital recording at 176kHz/24 bits and played on the PWT Memory Player, the sound is breathtaking beyond words. *It leaves anything I’ve heard on vinyl in the dirt. *Wall to wall imaging – no, actually the sound field goes beyond the walls of the music room – and the depth goes out into the parking lot. *You’re enveloped in the music in a way that is just uncanny and just when you think it can’t get any louder, the dynamics wash over you and you have to just grin. *Imagine a system without any dynamic restrictions whatsoever, finally showing off what’s truly in the music.</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t mean to squash any cherished emotional ties to vinyl – and please don’t shoot the messenger I am just reporting what I hear – but there’s no question in my mind that on the right recordings with the right equipment, high resolution digital just stomps anything on vinyl.</p>
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<p>I have a variety of phono preamps to play with but I keep coming back to our new NPC as a good choice. *I like what I am hearing but I can’t, in all honesty, say it’s better than high resolution digital played on the system. *I know, there will be all kinds of teeth gnashing over this and perhaps some of it justified; after all, it isn’t the world’s best turntable/arm/cartridge/preamp setup possible. *But it is more than reasonable, I would assume, and yet ……</p>
<p>When I say it’s not better let me explain in better terms. *There’s a certain romantic quality to the vinyl that I appreciate. *The surface noise, ticks and pops help ground the spacial aspects of the presentation in a very comfortable and pleasing way. *Strings are lush, voices palpable and believable, and many aspects of the medium are wonderful. *And comparing tit for tat vinyl’s better on some discs, worse on others. *Let me give you an example.</p>
<p>My prized and pristine vinyl copy of Casino Royale sounds amazing – there’s no doubt of it. *I also have a high resolution copy of the same I can play to compare and contrast. *There’s simply no comparison as the vinyl version is better – the high resolution copy thinner, less body, threadbare by comparison. *My guess is that whoever mastered the high resolution version din’t have the right set of goals in mind or perhaps had a poor master tape copy.</p>
<p>On the other side I also have a Patricia Barber vinyl pressing of Modern Cool and have acquired a high resolution copy of the same (don’t ask me where). *Now the tables are turned. *The vinyl sounds great, full and round, great presence, but when compared to the high resolution copy played through the PWT and PWD combination there’s just no comparison. *The high resolution version clearly demonstrates the restricted dynamics, frequency response of the vinyl – and now, for the first time, I can clearly hear just how superior the high rez copy is. *No one would miss this hearing it on the big system. *No one.</p>
<p>My favorite track so far is from Reference Recordings HRX series. *The Tempest, track 8, where obviously the waves are getting pretty wild. *Mastered directly off the master digital recording at 176kHz/24 bits and played on the PWT Memory Player, the sound is breathtaking beyond words. *It leaves anything I’ve heard on vinyl in the dirt. *Wall to wall imaging – no, actually the sound field goes beyond the walls of the music room – and the depth goes out into the parking lot. *You’re enveloped in the music in a way that is just uncanny and just when you think it can’t get any louder, the dynamics wash over you and you have to just grin. *Imagine a system without any dynamic restrictions whatsoever, finally showing off what’s truly in the music.</p>
<p>Sorry, I don’t mean to squash any cherished emotional ties to vinyl – and please don’t shoot the messenger I am just reporting what I hear – but there’s no question in my mind that on the right recordings with the right equipment, high resolution digital just stomps anything on vinyl.</p>
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[Source: http://www.pstracks.com/pauls-posts/vinyl-big-system/10855/]