Hi all,

I just want to share my latest findings.

I dont know if it is a midlife crisis, the hearing fading away or simply an nostalgic trip, but the last five days I have been glued to my system (or at least to the music). The simple reason is that I got the chance to borrow a Lyra Helikon (thank you Erik) to top out my, a bit unorthodox LP12, (Precirkus/Afromosia/EkosII/LingoI/Linto/No baseboard/3M-feet). And guess what? It simply rocks :D

After ten (or so) listening hours I am still stunned how good vinyl is. There is absolutely something missing with CD (or any digital media) to my ears. The problem is that I can´t pinpoint what. But in my view the analog source is superior on voices and strings and more true to a natural sound. But what is missing from digital? I know I am lazy and do not like to skip songs on a vinyl records due to the work needed to move over to the deck but one side of a LP is more interesting than half side of a CD. Difficult tracks gets interesting. And most of all; the CD versions sounds flat and boring. I know some of this could be due to bad transfer but if I compare my records and CD´s as a collective I would say that more CD´s gets boring quicker :?

And take drums, one very important aspect for me, you simply can´t compare them between my sources. The LP offers more slam, drama and speed. Sure the CD is cleaner in the lower octaves and offers a bigger soundstage but LP rules in the long 24/7.

I am starting to think the whole digital era is a marketing hype for the record companies to sell and produce music in a simpler and quicker way 8) I mean, who wanted the CD from the beginning? I know, compactness, no surface noice and all, but isn´t it just a way to resell part of the catalog in a new format :?

Back to the analog sound. I think that all the microdetails, the ability to put things in the right perspective, and that the sound actually is analog lets the brains focus more on the music than trying to understand what it is hearing. This gives the analog source a headstart to digital. Listening to analog radio share these things with the vinyl so the D to A conversion must have something to do with this.

Any thoughts of this :|

Regards/ Jesper

Question, what cartridge were you using previously?

This is nothing new Jesper,but I think you're just enjoying music again...and you ARE going thru a mid life crisis

Lego wrote:This is nothing new Jesper,but I think you're just enjoying music again...and you ARE going thru a mid life crisis

Ok, glad you could tell the diagnosis so quick... :lol:

Vic, regarding the cartridge, I have not used the deck in nine months, but used to have a good condition Troika before.

/Jesper

Hi zeedje,
I love vinyl, but not only because of the music - I like the involvement of putting on records. I enjoy browsing the charity shops for bargains.

Until I heard the Akurate CD, I hadn't come across to a CD player I thought I could live with (although I haven't heard the CD12). I can just never relax properly with CD. If I hear CD and then go back to an LP12, the tension disappears and I can enjoy the music.

I did briefly hear the Klimax DS though and that was not like hearing CD or Vinyl - something in between and I didn't notice any of the digital downside I mentioned above. Interesting product and stunning Hi-Fi too!

The real test for me is when the CD or LP finishes. Do I notice a slight sense of relief to have some peace and quiet or do I have a feeling that something is missing so that I want to hear more.

Zeedje, when did you go pre-Cirkus? Didn't you have a Cirkus'd LP12 before?

I am quite curious about the Helikon. I heard another Lyra cartridge a while back that I wasn't very impressed with, but the Helikon seems to have gotten the details right with it's magnet system, boron cantilever, copper coils and dual elastomer. At least the way I believe things should be done.

But I am avoiding your question. Analogue sound? Yes, I think I agree with you. I also agree with Charlie in that the sound of Linn's DS machines is somewhere in between vinyl and CD. It's rather interesting to note how much better the 16 bit 44.1 kHz PCM (CD standard) tracks sound when played through the DS. In the past, many enthusiasts were convinced that this standard was too low for quality reproduction. Now it's getting pretty close to vinyl.

But I still think vinyl has the edge. At least with a good LP12.

lejonklou wrote:Zeedje, when did you go pre-Cirkus? Didn't you have a Cirkus'd LP12 before?

I am quite curious about the Helikon. I heard another Lyra cartridge a while back that I wasn't very impressed with, but the Helikon seems to have gotten the details right with it's magnet system, boron cantilever, copper coils and dual elastomer. At least the way I believe things should be done.

But I still think vinyl has the edge. At least with a good LP12.

Fredrik, the Cirkus is still in the new box... :oops: But the deck worked so good this way back when I had the massive Mana-stack so I did not bother back then.

The Helikon is great! Some would surely think it is too detailed but I find it intereresting and it definately keeps my attention. Musicality is really good. It is not as good as an Akiva (I would guess) but it is alot better than a Klyde for the same cash. This is my impression, I haven´t dona any direct A-B comparison.

/ Jesper