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Poll: Analog or digital music source:


Sk1Bum

Analog or Digital?  

18 members have voted

  1. 1. Do you prefer analog (vinyl, tape) or digital (CD, SACD, DVD-A, BluRay, steaming, flac, ...) for your music source

    • vinyl, tape, FM, other
    • cd, sacd, streaming, other


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Do you prefer an analog or digital music source?

 

Why?

 

For critical listening, I much prefer vinyl for the warmth, and for the sad fact that changing albums is about the most cardio exercise that I get anymore. 

 

For background music, I prefer digital most likely because I don't have a reel to reel. 

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When I sit down to "Listen", I prefer my analog (Albums) because of the sound. When I'm working, which is usually always, I go with the IPOD since I don't have to drop what I'm doing to switch. I don't even own a CD player but have a pile of CD's. Somebody gave me a NICE Sony Reel to Reel...  What the hell should I do with that behemoth???

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I prefer Digital, CD, SACD. Streaming Spotify and iPod for convenience when I have a house full of guests. I still have just over 400 LP’s that are stored in sealed bends. Turntable is also stored.

Edited by Maddmaster
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Convenience is a definite factor for me.  I have a Yamaha receiver that has a usb source in that I find so convenient.  I use the pre-outs into a C-1 and then into an m500tmkii. Even though I think that I might do better with an outboard standalone DAC, it is so convenient to just use the receiver to decode.  And I doubt that I could tell the difference in a blind ABX test.

 

So mostly I find myself using the usb stick to listen to music.  I listen to multi-channel as much as possible, but there is unfortunately so little content.

 

PhilDent

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3 hours ago, zumbini said:

I was an early adopter of CDs but I never stopped collecting vinyl. I'm old and lazy now so these days I listen to mostly CDs just because it's more convenient.

 

I bought a Yamaha CD-X1 in '83 when the price dipped below $500. I still have it--I think. I've not been in the attic for a while, but I don't recall getting rid of it.

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I nearly exclusively stream music from on-line sources.

I have 3 Sonos Connect devices in the house, in my Main Rig it runs through an external DAC.

When I want to just sit and listen, I connect my MacBook to the DAC and control it with my iPad.

I have a dresser full of cd's, loaded onto a NAS in FLAC format, and can stream those when a selection can't be found online.

 

My analog (vinyl) system is in the process of overhaul right now, so my preference may change.

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As for physical media, I have been through them all over the years.  Even 8-Track.  My progression has always been towards improved convenience and portability.  Hands down, CD's are my favorite physical media.   Like Zumbini, I moved to CD's early on.   CD's allowed me take music with me in the car or on foot (or on an airplane) with a walkman.  I still buy CD's today to expand my library.  Used CD's are cheap these days.   But in today's modern times I have fully adopted streaming.  For convenient access I have ripped all my CD's.   All of my files are now managed on my laptop with iTunes and an Apple Music subscription.  For portability I can carry my entire library with me on my modded 500GB iPod.   The Apple Music subscription also gives me access to my library plus new releases on my phone or my iPad.  Have I sacrificed "quality" for "convenience and portability"?  Maybe.  Probably.  But I still "enjoy" the music and that's what it has always been about.  

 

 

 

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Mainly digital, cd, dat, minidisc. But I like analog cassette too, prerecorded. Haven’t had time to clean and cut albums to tape yet. I want to because I like doing that.....grin

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Digital - Convenient, economical quality. 

If I had to pay for all the music I listen to, I couldn't afford my amp or speakers ;^)

Fortunately streaming is good quality and either free (with ads) or very economical to enjoy.

I carry a micro USB on my key chain so that I can listen to some favorites either in the car or the stereo at home (using a RaspPi with DAC.)

The only vinyl I still have are recordings of family members from years ago.

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I am pure digital. Analog is too noisy and unpredictable, and I never feel like I am getting the best possible presentation.

 

However, I like analog music recordings/productions. I listen to a lot of electronic music, but it's even better with vocals and acoustic instruments.

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This is an easy one....DIGITAL.

 

Vinyl surface had always bothered me (it still does) that trips to Tower Records on Sunset Blvd.

to exchange noisy lp's were a regular part of life... until '83. I still have my Sony CDP-302, which was preceded by one whose model number now escapes me.

Have since jumped to the oppo bandwagon with the 971, 981, and 83SE, all purchased well beyond their expiry dates.

 

Went through a platoon of portables I listened to at work until I bought  a couple of Creative Lab Nomad Zen Xtra mp3 players

for the convenience. Haah, no more bagful  of cd's to carry around.

Got an Audio Technica USB/TT just for the heck of it but vinyl is definitely now just for the nostalgia. Those were the days, my friends....

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