An Audio Allegory

I was looking for something else, but got side-tracked into the analogue verses digital debate

It all comes down to the quality of the recording and mastering. One takeaway is that digital wins with deep bass, whilst analogue wins at high frequencies. One of these links (London Jazz) makes some interesting points about perception of high frequencies we cannot hear, but in pushing his favoured format forgets about bass.

Here are some opinions (some of the comments are worth reading):

www.soundguys.com/vinyl-better-than-streaming-20654/

worldofturntables.com/real-reason-why-vinyl-sounds-better-than-a-cd-detailed-explanation/

londonjazzcollector.wordpress.com/for-audiophiles/cd-or-vinyl/

globalnews.ca/news/10326673/cd-vs-vinyl-sound-quality/

blog.discmakers.com/2019/06/cds-just-sound-better/

I think the digital - analogue debate in photography is far more clear cut in favour of digital.

a few months back a friend bought a house sight unseen for a bargin price. when he got inside the guy use to own a record shop there was 20,000 records stored and about 30 high end stereo systems as well. he couldnt give away the records and they all went to the tip. same as the stereo systems, so i backed my truck up and loaded them in. i couldnt even get one bit on the stereos all sony yamaha pioneer ect. so i tested the lot which none of them sounded any better than my home made stereo i build when i was 16 45 years ago so i sold the lot to the local cash converters for $50 a peice. even the mint tascam 133 tape deck was sold for $50.

I have wanted to update my big audio system for some time now. After 15 years I fear the components are reaching the end of their optimum life. ( I read HiFi gear lasts about 10-20 years before capacitors start to decay? ) Audio and HiFi is an even bigger rabbit hole than photography. I used the net to research the products in my price range. The deeper I dug the less I understood. Audio forums are just a means of getting yourself even more confused. Audio is so much more infinitely subjective, compared to photography. A camera or lens produces certain results under test conditions that can be objectively compared to another brand. Audio gear is totally subjective, and wiring and connectors it seems can also play a part. I can spend €40 or €3000+ on the RCA plugs and wire, to connect the CD to the amp (Snake oil?).

For several reasons I have to buy without testing, but the consensus, of what I read, pointed me towards a Naim Nait XR3 integrated. I was fed up with the clutter and confusion of separate Pre - Power, and phono units along with a jungle of wires.

I still have some Celestion Ditton speakers that I bought in the late Eighties, they still seem fine. Stuff from the golden age of British audio.

It is pretty sad that most of the big audio names from the past are not independently British owned anymore. The sad fate of Quad comes to mind.

snake oil on the cables, my amp from 50 years ago is still going strong, you can see if a capcitor has leaked, you can download free sig generators and ociliscope apps for your phone now to test your amps. i found my old osiliscope from 50 years ago and it doesnt work from capacitors leaking 😌not worth fixing its that old.

Maybe well made connectors and cables, might make some small difference, But I cannot get my head around a 600mm long cable costing more than €3000 as I saw on sale in a British HiFi shop.

I picked up the Naim Nait XS3 today and it sounds brilliant compared to my theoretically higher grade stuff from 20 years ago.

i cant imagine spending 100k on a diamond ring so a pure gold cable might look the part at 6k for some people , i dont see musos using anything more than $100 6m guitar/microphone cables where the actual music comes from and i can guarantee that final transistors dont have gold legs and neither do IC chips even pcb are copper not gold. the amp you bought looks very nice, enjoy the new gear. its funny though ive spent 500k on a yacht and it cost 25k just to keep it at a marina for a year, 😂 when i sold it i lost 200k but it was alot of fun 😁 but i just cant seem to spent 10k on a new A1 or even 4k on sony lens.

Aaaahhh.....that explains a lot now 😃

i love this quote "You see there is copper, then there is magic copper, which costs way more. Ask any audiophile."

So what? That doesn't change what I posted 😉

That is it.

When I photographed Jazz concerts, the sound guys did not seem to have super refined sound gear. It was all about grunt and the cabling seemed standard industrial stuff. I am sure recording studios are much the same.

"sailing to hobart is like standing under a cold shower and tearing up $100 bills" 😁 my 46 footer i built 30 years ago has just arrived in Hawaii heading back to australia. i have its tracking code and sit in my comfy lounge and computer watching its progress with weather map overlays 😁 the latest owners have sailed from brisbane to new Caledonia, micronesia, guarm, japan, past russia to the Aleutian Islands, to alaska, down to canada, san francisco then hawaii. not my kind of passage but the couple are enjoying themselves. 😊 funny they both get extremely seasick and it never goes away 🤣 both doctors 😉

So I replaced my 40 year old speakers too. I went for some speakers made by PMC, who mostly do monitors for recording studios. A pattern I have used quite successfully, is to buy audio gear from companies also involved in professional audio. ( a good move with photographic gear too). Forums can be pretty useful for getting some good insights into gear.

your link is not working. a few months back i took to the tip a set of hi end english made speakers, the had 4 6" sso called bass speakers a couple of mids and 2 tweeters and a passive bass in the back, they were the worst sounding speakers i had ever heard, absolutely no bass response at all . the designers must have built them to look good only 😄

It happens. My speakers, like my earphones and headphones, have their Genesis, with professional sound gear. My new PMC speakers are very good.

The world of HiFi as far as I can see is full of traps for the unwary. It is interesting that the instruction manual of my speakers, is quite blunt in saying that, the speakers will work well with good quality connectors, and that exotic cables and fittings are unnecessary.