Speaking of Audiophile - What is the Good Information on Vinyl?

[Don Ro]

I recently bought a few LPs to play on my hot shot "record player" through my hot shot sound system.
Super disappointed...some sound only slightly better than AM radio.
What do I look for when it comes to the designations on vinyl recordings?
You know what I mean...not sure if I do.
I don't want to waste money on LPs that don't offer super fidelity.
.
For example on Discog's page with Ry Cooder's "Bop Til You Drop" album:
"Album digitally recorded on 3-M multi-track digital equipment.
This record is essentially an exact copy of the master tape and was not treated with any equalizing or limiting during transfer to disc."
.
What say gurus?

[jcommin]

I have several "direct to disk" albums from Sheffield Labs. I have had them a long time (late 70s/early 80s). I also find the vinyl from Blue Note records descent too.

Home Page
Home | Blue Note Records

[gchappel]

What is your hot shot record player?
I could take a vinyl record randomly out of the gutter- wash the big pieces off- and it would sound better than AM.
Just go down to the local used record store and start listening to your favorite genre.
My favorites are likely not going to be the same as yours.
The Sheffield lab albums sound great- but they usually do not have great music.
Gary

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by gchappel

What is your hot shot record player?

Gary

https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/marantz-tt-15-acrylic-turntable

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by jcommin

I have several "direct to disk" albums from Sheffield Labs. I have had them a long time (late 70s/early 80s). I also find the vinyl from Blue Note records descent too.

Home Page
Home | Blue Note Records

That's one of the designations I'm looking for.
Thanks for the links.
.
I thought that there might be some numbers, etc., to designate fine recordings.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by gchappel

What is your hot shot record player?
I could take a vinyl record randomly out of the gutter- wash the big pieces off- and it would sound better than AM.
Just go down to the local used record store and start listening to your favorite genre.
My favorites are likely not going to be the same as yours.
The Sheffield lab albums sound great- but they usually do not have great music.
Gary

I can listen to just about anything as long as there is clarity. My system will reproduce any information there is on vinyl...I just want it to be as pure as possible...to have brilliance and fidelity.
I like to listen to any genre...sometimes just for the feeling I get - like good blues - and sometimes I listen and marvel at what a fine recording it is ...just for the recording itself.
Get it?

[gchappel]

You may be looking at the wrong source if you are trying to measure clarity.
I am presently listening to a Benz micro wood cartridge, oracle table, Herron tube phono preamp- all in all about 10K- before we go into the main preamp, amps, speakers, etc.
My favorite vinyl is usually old- 50-70's. Is it the clarity, the absence of noise, pure. NO
But it is musical- it has a swing, it carries the music much better than high end digital.
BUT- if I want to impress someone with the clarity, with the purity, even with the volume without noise I go to my digital sources. Some of the new DSD files really sound pretty good. Defineately sound clearer than the vinyl.
Me, I pick the noisy vinyl everyday. But if you want the upmost in clarity- if you want the sharpness of every note, the absence of noise and clicks go try the new dsd files. They may be want you want.
gary

[GH85Carrera]

I prefer leather to vinyl. Oh wait, wrong thread.


My CPA is a big analog music lover. He has a home system that cost a fortune. Tube amps and turntables.
It is wasted on me. I like Pandora on my cell phone streamed to my blue tooth headphones.

[pwd72s]

Yeah...sadness is knowing the frequency range of your hearing isn't as good as the range your old stereo is capable of.

[Dmitry at Pelican Parts]

I could probably write a novel on this, but I'll keep it short.

- Look for 180g pressings.
- German and Japanese pressings sound excellent.
- Warner and their subsidiaries until about 1980 all sound pretty good.
- New pressings on Concord Music Group are all excellent.
- Look for reissues that say they came from the original tapes.
- If it says 'Remastered', make sure it's from an analog source and not 'Digitally Remastered'.
- Reissue and Repressing are not the same thing.
- Color vinyl generally sounds like crap.

Entry level EXCELLENT turntable: Rega RP1
Entry level EXCELLENT cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red

[Rtrorkt]

as said above, turntable is important, amp and speaker too, but the sound originate from the cartridge. pick a good one.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by Dmitry at Pelican Parts

I could probably write a novel on this, but I'll keep it short.

- Look for 180g pressings.
- German and Japanese pressings sound excellent.
- Warner and their subsidiaries until about 1980 all sound pretty good.
- New pressings on Concord Music Group are all excellent.
- Look for reissues that say they came from the original tapes.
- If it says 'Remastered', make sure it's from an analog source and not 'Digitally Remastered'.
- Reissue and Repressing are not the same thing.
- Color vinyl generally sounds like crap.

Entry level EXCELLENT turntable: Rega RP1
Entry level EXCELLENT cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red

Not ashamed to post it again.
Most excellent, Dmitry. More of what I was looking for and didn't know how to ask. Kisses.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Yeah...sadness is knowing the frequency range of your hearing isn't as good as the range your old stereo is capable of.

You can say that again.
My ears have suffered from unprotected (youth) gunfire and jet engines.
Probably why I have such a hunger for fidelity, clarity, attack and decay transients, etc.

[Gogar]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

Probably why I have such a hunger for fidelity, clarity, attack and decay transients, etc.

Well if you want clarity and attack transients you’re looking in he wrong place with vinyl.

Vinyl is awesome for its -lack of attack transients.

Think of vinyl as velvet, and digital as linen. Both are great but just different.

[Don Ro]

That's interesting. Will ponder.
I have an LP that sounds far better than any digital I have heard.
Maybe I ought to look at equipment that's out there. Hmmm........
Give me the name of a CD that sounds awesome to you.

[gchappel]

As I said earlier- if you are looking at how it sounds, with clarity as your goal- look for digital files.
The "best" I have ever heard are DSD files. If you have a Dac that can adequately handle the files look at DSD256 files. BlueCoast files are wonderful. By far the best I have ever heard on my system. Not my favorite music, not my favorite music to listen to- but definately the most pure.
The dsd 128 are nearly as good.
Some of the higher flac files also sound great.
All these sound better than CD's. But you need a really good dac.
At least what you spent on your turntable.
If you want to listen to music- stay with the vinyl. If you want to hear the purity and transients to enjoy the music I would go to the high end digital files. The high end downloads ( or supposedly the sacd discs although I have never tried them) outperform Cd's in what you seem to be looking for.
Gary

[Don Ro]

^^^
I'll have a look. Thanks.
.
Edit: OMG, been reading. A whole new frontier. So share some info on a good Dac, please.

[gchappel]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

^^^
I'll have a look. Thanks.
.
Edit: OMG, been reading. A whole new frontier. So share some info on a good Dac, please.

Lots out there- I like the Mytek group myself. I am presently using a stereo192 dac, discontinued. Like me, it is old. Still sounds great- for digital.
I auditioned the Manhattan I, I have not heard the Manhattan II.
The brooklyn got great reviews, but I have not actually heard it.
The Benchmark Dac's have always sounded glorious as well, I have not heard the latest version.
The sweet spot is around 2K, you can spend more but that is when I didn't think it was worth it.
Bluecoast has some free trial downloads- so you can listen some and see what your present equipment can play.
Have fun- it is a new adventure.
Gary

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

I recently bought a few LPs to play on my hot shot "record player" through my hot shot sound system.
Super disappointed...some sound only slightly better than AM radio.

I own 9 turntables.

You're doing it wrong. Your needle is probably shot, or the records you are playing are used up. Needles don't last forever. Or the weight on the record may be way off.

Well setup vinyl sounds clear and warm. Far better than AM.

[SCadaddle]

Originally Posted by Don Ro

That's interesting. Will ponder.
I have an LP that sounds far better than any digital I have heard.
Maybe I ought to look at equipment that's out there. Hmmm........
Give me the name of a CD that sounds awesome to you.

This was the first CD I ever bought, as I knew the vinyl version sounded really really nice. The CD as it turned out was just incredible. I still think it is one of the most masterfully recorded pieces to this day. As others have said, a nice cartridge, balance and anti-skate are the goals. Anything put out by the James Gang through the Eagles always sounded like garbage to me.