How to compare CD vs. vinyl on my system

You do need to level-match if you're going to compare by ear but if you're interested in a more scientific approach, it's irrelevant. The most important thing you'll want to measure is the frequency response and this doesn't change with amplitude. If you use Voxengo CurveEQ as I described, it makes no difference what volume level you record your samples at - the EQ curve of each sample will always be the same and you can make your comparisons accordingly. Other things you might want to check, such as channel separation, are also uninfluenced by amplitude.

If you're interested in experimenting and finding out more, the first thing you need to do is connect your CD player and record player to your PC. For the record player, you'll need an analogue-to-digital converter (A/D converter) and it would be best to have this in a combined unit with a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC). The combined unit is often called a sound card and there will be a cheap one inside your PC. It's probably better to get an external one but it needn't be expensive - some say there's no difference in sound quality between very cheap ones and very expensive ones. Next, you'll need some sound editing software on your PC. One very popular choice is Audacity which is free. Another possibility is Adobe Audition which is expensive. Once you have that lot hooked up and running, well, a whole new world opens up before you!

 

Unfortunately, Adobe Audition is discontinued and the company no longer supports it. The serial number of hard copy, licensed version of Audition3 doesn't even activate it any more.. In the middle of a by now 4 year long recording project, I had to raise a stink with Adobe support to get a generic serial number so I can hopefully finish up this job before the next millennium.

 

Actually, if you want to compare both in the computer, you should record the CD player's analog output with the same ADC. And, since I know musicians don't "get" this....,you don't want to record anywhere NEAR full scale. You want to record where your ADCs are calibrated. -18dbfs or -13dbfs=analog "zero" is typical-if you can't find the documentation, you can safely use in between those two and be fine. The good part about 24bit digital is the wide forgiving window.

 

I agree...what is the point ?

 

Only your ears matter

 

I am not an engineer but I don't compare formats. Both formats are different, each adds something special to the musical meal!

 

It's a question of preference, not performance. Analogue and Digital are 2 different vehicles based on entirely different principles and they each have their strengths and weaknesses. To try and figure out which of those is better is an exercise in futility, because there is no answer.

 

Noted, but I think it would be a fun learning experience anyway. I've heard people say things like "my vinyl rig is higher end than my CD player so it sounds better," and back when I had a Marantz CD changer the guy who sold me my turntable even said I'd be getting an "upgrade" in sound quality. I'm skeptical of but curious as to how one can even make such a claim, hence my original question. Practically and financially, digital works better for me but I thought it might be fun to someday do as close to an A-B comparison as I can for an album release I don't mind buying twice, such as any of the recent Led Zeppelin or Rush remasters that are being released in both formats.

 

If doing this is an exercise purely out of interest, then I say go for it. Have fun with it, because that's what this hobby is all about. I'd be interested to hear the conclusions you came to, and I hope you'll share them with us.

 

Hear, hear!

 

I like playing with the toys. It is fun. Plus the OP might learn something. I sure did when I did a CD/LP comparison upthread.

 

Thanks for the tips. It's good to get this kind of information from someone who is a professional and does it every day at work.

 

Those were some interesting observations in that thread. And I agree that some titles are virtually indistinguishable from eachother. Good digital has certainly come a long way. However, as a principle I still think the exercise is rather pointless. Having fun with it is not however!

 

A surprising outcome for me was verifying my turntable is operating up to snuff. It's like timing your speed with the mile markers on the side of the road. With a speed/distance/time calculator and cruise control, you can verify that your speedometer is reading accurately. I liked that my turntable gear sounded almost identical to the CD player. Setting up a turntable can be like aiming at a moving target. I feel more confident now that my set-up is right.

But yes, I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been fun. I was playing with my toys, just like I did when I was 9 and my bedroom was dominated by a model train layout.