[ylee]

It's been interesting to compare the records I bought recently to digital files I have or have access to via Tidal/Roon. My observations emphasize the importance of mastering.

The Allman Brothers Eat a Peach and John Mellencamp's Uh huh definitely sound better on the turntable compared to the digital files (I have Eat a Peach on 24bit 192kHz FLAC and Uh huh remastered via Tidal). There's something oh so right about the sound of Allman Brothers on vinyl.

Prince's Purple Rain sounds moderately better on vinyl compared to CD, althought the CD copy I have is my wife's from the early 90s whereas the vinyl pressing is of the remastering that was done more recently just before Prince died. The mastering for this back in the 80s was pretty mediocre.

Paul Simon's Graceland is a draw between vinyl and 24bit 192kHz FLAC.

The two Deutsche Grammaphon Beethoven records of Kleiber/Vienna Philharmonic performing symphonies 5 and 7 sound better to me on 24bit 96kHz FLAC than vinyl, although bass is easier to delineate on vinyl than FLAC. Edit - In listening again this afternoon (I'm working from home due to Northeast snow), I'd say it's about a draw between FLAC and vinyl. This indicates to me my vinyl rig is still settling in.

I have 7 more records coming to me this week:

Mozart: Mass No. 18 in C Minor by Ferenc Fricsay/Berlin Radio Symphony
Toni Childs - Union
Bruce Hornsby and the Range - The Way It Is
Yes - 90125
U2 - Unforgettable Fire
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Bob Dylan - Blood On The Tracks

I will post impressions as I hear these records.