Vinyl vs digital sound

Why are they different? Learn more at Octave Record's YouTube channel!

[davidsams]

Much of the pleasure I get from listening to vinyl recordings comes from the complete experience of getting the album off the shelf, opening it up and carefully placing the disc on the turntable, setting the stylus in the grove, then settling back to become involved in the music, often while enjoying the large format artwork of the packaging. For some reason, the easier a playback method is, the less engaging it is. Perhaps it is similar to the way that I find all of the difficulties of using my 8x10 view camera somehow more satisfying than my excellent digital camera, even though the digital camera is demonstrably superior in many ways. That said, I am very much looking forward to listening to the recording of the Bach cello suites I just ordered from Octave Records on my SACD player.

[remic]

We always have that feeling of a private conversation, welcoming us for a little chat, a coffee and some of the best hifi conversation each time. Thank you for your great work and pieces of advice.

[tomfoolery]

Having grown up on vinyl . Nothing better so far . Tho a CD sounds more perfect, vinyl sounds closer to sitting in front of a real guitar amp . And maybe in part of what I grew up with . Interesting .

[EraYaN]

Vinyl essentially works as an EQ, and you can either like it or dislike it. The company or person preparing the master for the cutting process applies a curve (in addition to the basic RIAA EQ) to make it producible in the first place. The medium has it's limitations which gives it its sound, and people got used to that and thus they like it.

[YuengsNwings]

Vinyl playback has inherent second order harmonic distortion that I find to be MUCH better sounding on my main 2 channel rig where the other imperfections of the medium are not so overpowering (pops, clicks, IGD, noise between tracks, etc). When listening to headphones I almost always prefer digital unless I’m listening to jazz.

[geoffs]

Sory Paul, you cannot use the same master for vinyl. Vinyl requires dynamic compression, RIAA equalisation and low frequencies must be mixed from stereo to mono because a stylus cannot track stereo bass. I am very old and started in hi-fi when stereo was becoming popular and vinyl was the only practical sourse. It is a fact that vinyl is technically vastly inferior to digital and I have no desire to return to those days. If you like or prefer the sound of vinyl thats fine, whatever floats your boat.

[michaelcesar]

The best sounding music is the music you get lost in, you know that moment, the music in a feeling when time is then and now, memories and present, feeling of euphoria. The moment you start hearing the music instead of feeling it, you've lost it. I've stopped chasing that ultimate sound dragon, it's a dangerous game.

[wildcat]

The question is, at the mixing desk playing back the master tape on those speakers, which comes closer to the master tape - analogue or digital ?
I would wager the digital does, but the analogue sounds better ? If analogue sounds different but "better" it can only be adding euphonic colouration.

[casfox]

As a 40 year old I grew up with vinyl and have missed it. Last year I just started buying some old records. I’m not sure how I feel about the new ones being produced but I will give them a try. I love to hear the old music like from the forties with those distinctive sounds only a record player can deliver. It takes you back to that time.

[ptbfrch]

I sometimes get really confused by the discussion. The only thing that matters, in the end, is whether it was enjoyable to listen, as in emotionally rewarding, intellectually stimulating, fun, culturally enriching, etc. Personally I don't even care what the source is, if I get the goosebumps when I listen to Iggy Pop, Mahler, Coltrane, or Kraftwerk. Either it sounds good or it doesn't. Lots of garbage analog Masters out there, and lots of digital brilliance. And vice versa. The end.

[Evil_Peter]

It will sound different since the master is digital and the digital format is technically more capable. The drawbacks of the vinyl might affect the sound, depending on the recording, and vinyl is also a noisier medium. If you prefer the vinyl in a case like this you are likely responding well to something that causes loss in fidelity.

[finscreenname]

It's all about the recording. Folks like albums because the parameters of the recording have to be pulled back to accommodate to the limitations of the album's ability to store the recording. The recording then sounds less cluttered and with more range because there is less there. The reality is if you take a recording made for a album (say prior to CD's) and put it on a CD it is superior to todays music recorded for CD and all albums. I still have CD's from when they first came out and bands just took what they recorded for an album and stuck it on CD. Total different world.

[hugobloemers]

Analog reel to reel tape recordings have their own sound as well. I remember being totally confused by the fact that copies I made with a reel to reel recorder from LPs sounded better to my ears than the LPs they where copied from using the same turntable.

[caleguillory]

I’m willing to bet that it all depends on a combination of the set up, the mastering, the medium from which the album is sourced and/or mastered, and the medium of the album itself.

[digggerrjones]

You didn't address the most important aspect of the question which is *how* do they sound different???

[grahamstrahle]

The only thought I have is that vinyl puts the recording through a whole additional microphonic system. In turn this may add its own live character and impression of realism, even if the result is more artefact than strict truth.

[cesarjlisboa]

Hello Paul. It’s make sense what you said. Our ears works as a vibrant sensor, if your source it’s near 100% based on vibration, it will works better, I have no doubt.

[shugstobin]

The whole thing with vinyl was a connection to the music. I remember reading every detail of an album cover while I listened. So it's not about sound for me it's about touching the music.

[freekwo]

It would be honest to say which one Paul preffers... but that would spoil the sale I suppose.

[ctal]

You nailed it. I was recently thinking about this. It occurred to me that the biggest difference in playback is the sound a D/A converter makes as opposed to coils and magnets. Also, the file on the vinyl is likely going through better sounding D/A conversion than what people have at home... Something to consider.