My Gyro SE/SME309/Shelter 501 Ruined Digital For ME

[1KW]

My record collection has doubled in the past few months and I find myself only able to have long listening sessions now with vinyl. I have some albums on both LP vinyl and Cd and when I do a side by side comparison, analog always wins in the sound that I prefer. I almost never listen to streaming anymore, ie Rhapsody or Pandora. I prefer listening to my CD's using Pure music software and the Halide bridge when I listen to playing the CD's in my MCD500. I may sell my MCD500 :scratch2: and just get a Wyred for sound DAC. I never thought that last century technology would be so impressive compared to CD.

[gtubes]

Incredible update. Almost speechless about your mcd500, wow.

[Puma Cat]

I've had exactly the same experience, vinyl always wins. And record collections have a habit of growing like weeds. I probably have twice the LPs I had when I got back into audio three years ago. And it was vinyl that made me realize what I had been missing all along!

This really happened when I got my Koetsu Vermilion, or when I started using the Shelter on my Michell with my Bob's Device's SUT. And I prefer my digital content via my MS Streamer Pro to my Oppo BD-83SE, mostly out of convenience as the Streamer sounds every bit as good as the Oppo. The only time I use the Oppo is to listen to SACDs.

The way I look at digital content now is to rip it and put it on the Music Server.

[BlueChiaro]

David, your system sounds great in all configurations per my ears, so it's great to know that vinyl has grown into such a delight for you. :thumbsup:

[KT88]

It took me perhaps 3 years to even try digital. I had an analog system, well many analog systems for years prior and had heard CD a few times and never liked what I had heard. I finally broke down and decided to get a player just in case I wanted some release which was only available on CD or someone else wanted to use the thing. I never loan Lps and figured CD might be different somehow (...not).

Long story made short, it took many system upgrades and many thousands of dollars worth of digital gear to even get near the performance of my Rega Planar 2 turntable. There was always a sonic trade-off. These days, digital has caught up a bit and finally prices for nice digital gear are in the ball park of where analog gear was. In fact, you could spend a lot more on analog gear now to try and meet some aspects of modern digital sound. Even though digital has finally "arrived", I still use my analog rig and have no plans to liquidate my Lp collection.
-Bill

[Jerome W]

David,
I agree.
Vinyl always wins when played on a good table / arm /cart like yours.
My both TT's outperform my MDA by such a high margin that the MCD1100 has no
more interest for me.

[Rafale]

My record collection has doubled in the past few months and I find myself only able to have long listening sessions now with vinyl. I have some albums on both LP vinyl and Cd and when I do a side by side comparison, analog always wins in the sound that I prefer. I almost never listen to streaming anymore, ie Rhapsody or Pandora. I prefer listening to my CD's using Pure music software and the Halide bridge when I listen to playing the CD's in my MCD500. I may sell my MCD500 :scratch2: and just get a Wyred for sound DAC. I never thought that last century technology would be so impressive compared to CD.

:thumbsup:
Nothing is worth a good analogical system:crowd:

[Masterlu]

KT88... Welcome! :wave:

Great Member name Bill, feel free to use my KT88 pic if you like as an Avatar. :thumbsup:

http://www.audioaficionado.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=12525&d=1318106568

[jdandy]

Vinyl always wins when played on a good table / arm /cart like yours.
My both TT's outperform my MDA by such a high margin that the MCD1100 has no more interest for me.

Jérôme.......I have rediscovered vinyl, and have a fair investment in my new vinyl playback rig. I am enjoying vinyl more now than I ever have, even going back to my vinyl only days before CD was invented. None the less, I believe digital gives vinyl serious competition, and in some ways it is better. For me, vinyl playback is about having another excellent analog source, not a replacement for my digital sources. Vinyl is far from a perfect playback medium with its inherent peculiarities. The same is true for digital, but modern digital playback advances deliver amazing playback quality with properly engineered and recorded material. Source material makes or breaks digital and vinyl playback.

The MCD1100 may no longer interest you, but as an owner of this amazing component I can say that until you have heard it in your system with a great disc you don't have any idea what you are passing up. I am not trying to be argumentative, just offering my personal opinion on the topic. I have never thought it was logical to abandon one high quality source in favor of another. I prefer to embrace them both.

[jwhite613]

KT88... Welcome to AA!!!!


:welcome2.:

[Jerome W]

Jérôme.......I have rediscovered vinyl, and have a fair investment in my new vinyl playback rig. I am enjoying vinyl more now than I ever have, even going back to my vinyl only days before CD was invented. None the less, I believe digital gives vinyl serious competition, and in some ways it is better. For me, vinyl playback is about having another excellent analog source, not a replacement for my digital sources. Vinyl is far from a perfect playback medium with its inherent peculiarities. The same is true for digital, but modern digital playback advances deliver amazing playback quality with properly engineered and recorded material. Source material makes or breaks digital and vinyl playback.

The MCD1100 may no longer interest you, but as an owner of this amazing component I can say that until you have heard it in your system with a great disc you don't have any idea what you are passing up. I am not trying to be argumentative, just offering my personal opinion on the topic. I have never thought it was logical to abandon one high quality source in favor of another. I prefer to embrace them both.

I agree Dan.

I could speak more wisely if at least I could hear the 1100 in my system and compare it to my TTs.
The thing is that I get so much pleasure from my TTs, that I 'm simply no more looking for digital.
When I do, the USB driver "problem" of the 1100 is a concern for me. Not because I plan to use it : I do not use any computer direct in my system. But because if this firmware update does not come, I could have some difficulty in selling the 1100 if needed. But I trust your ears ( I believe that yours and mine were made of the same material and I'm so glad I always did that : PMC speakers, C1000P, Kimber cable and Wire World cables......: I always won in trying your path ! ) and I placed my order this summer. My dealer returned my call by saying that the price he offered me in june was no longer available. At the end of august he finally gave me the "new" price and it was 2500 euros more !
So my feeling is that near 12000 euros is a big amount of money to play digital when you're a vinyl guy like me.....
I wish that ARC could propose a standalone Reference tube based Dac. The section of the CD8 Ref actually. I'm leaning in the direction of Serge : tubes all the way. The C1000P will be the main exception to this because it has a tube sound in my opinion, more than the 1000T :D !
My

[jdandy]

Jérôme.......I understand. A 2500 euros price increase ($3350.00) is crazy, as is 12,000 euros ($16,50.00) total purchase price. Perhaps a pre-owned MCD1100 will show up for sale. I'll keep my eye out for you. Thank goodness you have two excellet vinyl rigs that make you happy.

[two dot]

David,

I, of course, couldn't agree more.

Getting the disc spinner out of my system and boxing up all of the terrible little plastic cases was the best day of of 25 some year HI-FI journey.

My ears just prefer analog. Period.

I'm glad that you are enjoying the lasting medium so much.

Stephen

[Masterlu]

David,

I, of course, couldn't agree more.

Getting the disc spinner out of my system and boxing up all of the terrible little plastic cases was the best day of of 25 some year HI-FI journey.

My ears just prefer analog. Period.

I'm glad that you are enjoying the lasting medium so much.

Stephen

You my friend are Orthodox Analog! :D