Turntables for Audiophiles
June 16th, 2008 by Rob N
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
Ok, maybe TS Elliot wasn’t writing about Vinyl records. Nonetheless, many audiophiles who began listening to music on LPs and moved on to the CD format, are now returning to vinyl records. There have been recent industry reports that LP sales, though they represent a small part of music sales, have increased 38%.
In part this is a backlash against the relatively poor quality of downloaded music. People who have invested in high quality speakers and receivers are often disappointed by the sound quality when the source is an iPod. They will begin by upgrading their CD player. Once they begin reading the audiophile forums and magazines, they will read more and more about turntables and LPs as being the “best” source. The basic argument is that sound is inherently anaolg and that when we attempt to “digitize” sound, elements of the waveform will be lost. Some audiophiles will argue that even the most sophisticated sampling rate and digital-to-analog converter in the CD player cannot replicate the true anaolg sound.
Perhaps. I own both a turntable and CD player and the only definitive answer to what is better is that they are different. What follows, of course, is subjective. The LPs seem smoother, warmer, and mid-tones are more open. CDs tend to be brighter and there is a better separation between instruments. Some music, the Beatles for example, just sounds better on LP.
A friend of mine recently received a collection of close to a thousand vinyl albums from an eccentric aunt. It is an eclectic collection of everything from Bo Diddly to Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison to Verdi’s Operas. He dug out his old turntable and began playing the albums. Then he upgraded the cartridge on the turntable. Then he upgraded the turntable. Now he is buying some of the new releases in vinyl.
Audiophiles are always searching for the best sound. In truth, vinyl never really went away because there is so much great music archived on LPs. However, the resurrection of vinyl in the marketplace is because it offers a quality of sound not available in the digital domain. If you currently have an old turntable that has been sitting in the attic, try upgrading to a Grado or Shure cartridge that can make an old turntable like new. There’s also a wide variety of turntables available from Denon, Sony and Thorens, for everyone from the beginner to an advanced user.
