Digitally sourced vinyl that equals or betters the AAA original pressings.

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Classicrock, Apr 23, 2015.

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  1. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    The argument about digitally sourced vinyl continues with passionate debate on the forum. Some people won't touch it no matter how much certain reissues get praised. The recent Springsteen Box is widely accepted to improve on the sound of the original releases. Can anyone suggest other digital vinyl that they have found to equal or better their originals for sound quality.
     
    marblesmike and tmtomh like this.
  2. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    I'll be watching this thread with interest.

    My own experience is that some vinyl that was made from an analog source converted to digital can sound quite good. Really good, in fact. However, I cannot think of a single title in my collection where a pressing that includes a digital step in the making will be preferable to the best all-analog pressing. That's if a true all-analog version actually exists. For recordings made after the 1970s, the likelihood of pure analog sound diminishes significantly.

    A couple examples:
    In the Court of the Crimson King - digital vinyl sounds great, much better than most versions, but I still prefer a clean UK Pink Island.

    Kind of Blue mono - digital sourced reissue sounds really great, but my original six-eye has that extra vibrancy and sense of realism.
     
    Last edited: Apr 23, 2015
    Wade Burrow, 1970, Laibach and 6 others like this.
  3. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    The new COTCK runs my pink rim copy very close with the added benefit of dead quiet surfaces. My pink rim is probably as good as you will get for a used copy on tracks like Moonchild.
     
  4. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    Took me years to find a solid pink Island that plays "Moonchild" cleanly. But it exists, and (to my ears) sounds richer than the reissue.
     
  5. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    OK, I just thought of one:

    Frank Sinatra - Close To You from the 1983 silver MoFi box. It's not absolutely confirmed that the MoFi was made from a digital source, but MLutthans reports he is confident of hearing digital sonic artifacts. I also asked Stan Ricker about this, since he cut one of the sides of that pressing. He wasn't able to recall that exact album, but confirmed that he was already cutting vinyl from digital sources back in the late 1970s. So, it's distinctly possible that the MoFi Close to You is from a digital source.

    Anyway, overall I prefer the MoFi Close to You to the original Capitol gray labels I've heard.
     
  6. DigMyGroove

    DigMyGroove Forum Resident

    The Kevin Grey mastering of The Who's "Tommy" is pretty darn good. Michael a Fremer reviewed it quite favorably compared to the UK original. I'd say the recent "Kind of Blue" mono is about 80% as good as the 1963 mono reissue (which SH recommends) to my ears. I ordered a copy of "Born To Run" on RSD, will be very interested to listen to that one. I have the CBS Half Speed Mastered version which sounds great IMO, and a first pressing which does not.
     
    Pancat likes this.
  7. Interesting post! I am basically an "Analog Man", however I believe certain digital recordings can sound great on vinyl. I will be watching to see which ones posters consider to be good sounding, or at least better than original releases that were not so good. I could really care less if it is analog or digital as long as it sounds great coming out of my speakers.
     
    David Ellis likes this.
  8. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Hi Res Digitally sourced viny can sound great, especially compared to the cd of the same release.

    If one cuts the same mastering using the AAA process and then the digital process, the AAA is better every time, IMO. See The Beatles.
     
  9. Mr Bass

    Mr Bass Chevelle Ma Belle

    Location:
    Mid Atlantic
    I have some classical music recordings that originally came out in the 50s, some mono and some stereo that sound better in the 80s digitally remastered edition on LP. However I know of no equivalent jazz or pop recording like that unless the recent reissue of Iggy Pop's Kill City was digitally remastered from the original 70s issue. But this is sort of the exception that proves the rule. Only a very poor analog LP is improved by digital remastering IMO.
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
  10. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Yes, I have some classical LP's digitally recorded that sound amazing. However, this doesn't seem to exist in the pop/rock world. Reissues that sound "great" still pale in comparison to the analog version. There's always that sense of etched clarity vs spatial reality.
     
    eyeCalypso likes this.
  11. riverrat

    riverrat Senior Member

    Location:
    Oregon
    The DSD sourced (I think) Rolling Stones Let It Bleed reissue is a great sounding lp. About the equal of the best UK early/original pressings and superior to all others including all US issues, according to most reports.

    Even if it doesn't quite beat an original UK, this lp shows what is possible in transferring digital masters to analog lp format. And an affordable alternative to original pressings on clean, quiet, new vinyl.
     
    Pancat, ellingtonic, Tommyboy and 5 others like this.
  12. Rob9874

    Rob9874 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    I'm a pseudo audiophile and understand the theory behind why analog sounds better than digital, but not sure I would be able to tell the difference. What kinds of things stand out that make it better? Or is it that indescribable feeling that analog provides vs digital.
     
  13. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    This could best be answered by sitting down with someone and putting on some samples of both. If you have the Beatles Red/Blue AAA compare those to the digital counterparts.
     
    Rob9874 likes this.
  14. Rob9874

    Rob9874 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    That's a good idea. I have The Beatles Stereo and Mono vinyl. I can compare those, albeit also hearing differences between the stereo and mono aspects.
     
  15. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Thats good to read, just picked a copy up a couple of days ago and not listened yet!
     
  16. richbdd01

    richbdd01 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    I think the Slowdive - Souvlaki (music on vinyl) sounds quite analogue to me. I was suprised to hear this was digitally sourced.
     
    Rupe33 likes this.
  17. James Glennon

    James Glennon Senior Member

    Location:
    Dublin, Ireland
    I wasn't overly impressed by the recent reissue of The Eagles debut LP (cut by Bernie Grundman from high res file). I will have to give it a complete listen again against my original US pressing to see if it is worth buying any of the others.

    JG
     
  18. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I think this is exactly right. I frequently buy new releases and the cd version, often the record sounds better.
     
  19. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    I'm sure some digitally-sourced (from hi-res files) vinyl can sound better than the equivalent CD. However, I haven't heard a compelling case made for superiority of such vinyl over the sound of the playback of the hi-res files themselves, if available as downloads or on SACD. Other than a subjective personal preference on the part of an individual for whatever the vinyl/turntable/cartridge/phono amp adds to the sound. And I can't imagine arguing the inferiority of all commercially available DACs for home use compared to those used in digitally-sourced vinyl production.
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2015
    ddarch likes this.
  20. tim185

    tim185 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Australia
    One word.
    Mastering.
     
  21. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    I'm talking about the situation where the mastering has been done for the hi-res digital file, and then used to cut the vinyl. I've never understood how the last steps of conversion back to an analog medium in that chain of processes can improve anything.
     
  22. ssmith3046

    ssmith3046 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Arizona desert
    I think that the choice is purely subjective. We don't all hear the same or use the same equipment for playback.
     
  23. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Yes, it always comes down to that at the point of playback in individual systems and reception by ears and brains. But, everything done in the process up to that last point of conversion is transmitted into the product for everyone to hear. So, mastering really isn't everything (as some try to claim) according to a subjective argument like this.
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2015
    DeRosa likes this.
  24. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I think of it in terms of photography. When you get to a certain level you shoot "raw" vs a file format and then work with it on the computer to arrive at the final product you are going for.

    Vinyl gives it a sound some prefer not unlike a fiter or image processing. If you consider this a molestaion of the source material, then vinyl wouldn't be your best option for playback.

    As mentioned before, people also like the sound of their equipment in the amalog playback chain.
     
    ddarch likes this.
  25. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Yes, it's back to the same old argument of preferring "euphonious" coloration and distortion over "accuracy." The trouble for me is that even if you like the coloration very much you get the same coloration with every recording converted to analog and played back on a phono system that way. But, this ground has been covered much already. No need to keep beating the horse, I guess.

    I had some lousy sounding American AAA pressings from the 1970s, when quality control was sometimes poor, and higher generation tape copies were sometimes employed for British and European artists, so I'll concede the OPs original point that it is possible and it does happen.
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2015
    Dennis0675 likes this.
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