Part 3: Analog vs digital - can vinyl ever sound better than digital? 

I bought my first turntable when I was 19 years old (I am 65 now). It was a Thorens TD 160 with an Ortofon element. I still own it. A love affair with vinyl was born. I have a very extensive collection of records and I love to listen to them. I have a very nice Soundsystem and have all the modern gadgets to listen to digital music, SACD, CD, Flac files, streaming services. I have it all. But in my heart I still enjoy listening to vinyl the most. When I listen to my music I am not objective. And I don't care about measurements. To me it's all a matter of emotion. And in that regard vinyl hits me the hardest (in a pleasant way).

That was the coolest and most wholesome take-away message in this debate of analog vs digital that I have ever heard. Thanks for the video!

An absolutely brilliant, informative, and personally endearing chat. I think you very much for this. And I’m certain, just from listening to you talk, that your audio equipment is absolutely wonderful; I hope I can experience it in person someday. Thank you for a wonderful RU-vid channel. It’s intelligent, artistic and articulate people like you that make this world worthwhile.

All master recordings nowadays are digital. Transforming a high quality digital recording into an analog vinyl recording means nothing but quality degradation. A high quality DAC does a much better job. It is possible that the low dynamic range of vinyl makes people think that it "sounds better".

Well said!!! Just relax & enjoy the music. No matter the format.

The reason I sold all my vinyl and bought cd was the static, the noise, the dust, the scratching, but I miss the fantastic cover designs.

The best explanation of dynamic range I've heard and now i understand why we're in the middle of a loudness war. Also, it's so nice to listen to someone sit,talk and explain without there being an edit every ten seconds. Excellent.

Setting aside the technical advantages and deficiencies of vinyl LP recordings and Compact Discs, I have two go-to demonstrations that I use for doubters who come into my living room. I have an LP of a Brahms Violin/Cello concerto that I have had since 1960. It is a limited edition still in excellent condition. I had first copied it to cassette and later to CD for portability. One day I discovered a re-release on compact disc that included other recordings. The compact disc in just about every subjective and objective assessment is far superior listening experience. Sound not perceptible on the LP is revealed on the compact disc. Besides the absence of surface noise, the channel separation and dynamic range brings the listener closer to being there as opposed to sitting in the cheap seats. That brings me to the John Mayall ‘Turning Point’ recording. It was recorded at the Fillmore East in New York City 12th July 1969. I was there and four days later Apollo 11 left Earth for the Moon. My LP has suffered being borrowed so it has acquired a bit of distortion especially in the inner grooves. Later on I found an AAD Compact Disc release of that recording. There again we have an analog recording and mastering recording on CD so for me that demonstrates the advantages of the same recording on vinyl LP versus Compact Disc. No contest. I can close my eyes and almost imagine being at the concert. Playing the LP there is no way I can get past the audible cues reminding me of listening to a recording. If that has not convinced my guest skeptic, I pull out a few other well recorded LPs and then stream the same tracks for which I don’t have CDs. I have found some truly awful re-releases on CD where the LP is sonically better, but when I got around to streaming the tracks, the recording was better than the original LP. I have recorded live sessions on reel to reel tape at 15 IPS so I have an idea of how good the sound could be. Modern digital recordings using high sampling rates and bit depth in the right hands has to result in a better experience from the first playback and each subsequent playback sessions. I have played records on wind-up Gramophones and growing up with LPs, mono tube amps and kit speakers. Digital: Don’t fight evolution.

I matured as a teen where vinyl was the top music format for consumer listening. I adopted the CD by 1984 and sold off my analog rig and LP's by 1987. The sound revolution of the CD was that impressive and yes CD's if properly mastered were always superior to any vinyl copy I had Fast forward though to 2003 and the internet as well as eBay and online shopping. I just delved into the analog editorials online which led me to renew buying a turntable and begin shopping thrift stores for vast choices of used LP's real cheap. My nostalgia to play records again along with being able to buy lots of used vinyl for cheap got me back into vinyl. I also fell into all the online forums stuff and stopped thinking but became a bit sheep like drinking the growing expanse of analog discussion or Kool aid drinking on line. I began spending more money than I should have buying more expensive turntables, phono cartridges, phono preamps and accessories. Not to forget buying ever more new LP's with increasing prices to near absurdity. I chose by mid 2000's to believe analog was better than CD because I see now of how I just wanted to fit into the vinyl community. Move on to 2020 and taking stock into my now 17 year obsession with analog. I first saw near 1000 LP's cluttering up my a/v room shelves , knowing that I only listened to maybe 40-50-60 of those albums regularly. I saw this was nuts. Then I started to add up all the money I spent on this analog stuff for 17 years and I was shocked and sickened at how much money I had spent. Now I also began a re-engagement of listening to my CD's which I stopped playing except for car audio for near 17 years. I renoticed that my CD's had that explosion of sound out from a dead quiet background noise, had a clarity of fidelity and yes ease of use. No carbon fiber brush cleaning, no stylus cleaning , no record washing machine needed and I refound the peace and peace of mind I had back in the 80' s when I first started in CD playback. 🤔 I began doing listening tests between my CD and LP copies in a/b switching in real time the fidelity. Every repeat every case if I was honest with my ears the CD was better than the LP, especially as the LP gets closer to the inner grooves where fidelity is more compromised. My most memorable example was Fleetwood Mac, Tango in the Night album. My analog copy was pristine and I had a 1987-88 original CD too. Syncing up both in playback and switching between both in real time at first they both sounded pretty good, the LP having more noise floor though, but once the LP got past mid point I noticed the drumming of Mick Fleetwood was becoming duller, less lifelike and as if he was in another room far away from the rest of the band's music, whereas the CD his drumming remained dynamic and lively. This was when I knew my 17 years overspending and infatuation with vinyl was ending. Today all my analog stuff and 1000 LP's are gone and I have zero regret doing so. I deep dived on every aspect of digital recording to know digital is superior and CD or 16/44 is all encompassing for playback. Yes, 24 bit for recording is best as long as it's properly used and mixed down to 16/44 or CD playback. 17 years of sheep like addiction to LP playback only cost me vast sums of money that could have been saved and or enjoyed on other life choices.🤔

I do some streaming when, I’m in a lazy mood, when I’m in a very casual mood, when I want to preview a album for possibly purchase. When I’m in my serious mood, I go to my vinyl. You see, I’m 75 and truly a child of vinyl record. I love the process, or the ritual of listening to vinyl ❤️

Thank you very much for this video. The contrast should not be between analog versus digital. Is compressed versus uncompressed. To record analog (vinyl, tape, even radio broadcasts) compression is a must. In digital recordings compression is a (bad) side effect: "hey why don't we crank up everything so it sounds LOUDER?". So many audiophiles have become obsessed with frequency response that have forgotten about dynamic range.

I watched a great video recently by Rick Beato, where he talks about the value of music and intentional listening. It made a lot of sense to me as I'd consider myself a "consumer" of high res digital music and I often listen casually, as I do other things like working or driving. I love music, I really do, but I would struggle to talk about my favourite artists, their catalogue, why exactly I like them, largely due to how I listen. For this reason I'm about to start my journey with vinyl, about to buy my first turntable and I'm going to start from scratch, buying a few albums of my favourite artists and start setting aside some time each week to really listen. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for your videos.

I'm guilty of being one of those who launched a long discussion in the comments to episode 2. I don't feel the need to do so this time. Harley, how masterfully you've tackled such a convoluted and complex topic; this video should become the reference point in any future discussion of the subject. Thank you for what is obviously a labour of love and thank you (and the artists) for sharing those recordings for us to enjoy.. ahem.. digitally. 😉😊

I still play my Sheffield Labs direct to disc LPs from many years ago and they still sound great.

Great talk, very much appreciated. i have a reasonable system and have done what I can with my listening room to optimize it. I have a lot of vinyl that I bought 40 or 50 years ago along with those i picked up at yard sales. Most of these recordings were compromised by the quality of the gear used at the time they were pressed but despite the compromises the sound is still glorious to my ears because I can still remember the first time I played some of them when i first got them on my old AR turntable. I have better recordngs of some of these pieces but as good as they are it's just not the same. I also have hundreds of CD's and appreciate the clean sound they offer along with the convenience of not have to get up and flip the record but sometimes if I'm in the mood I'll search through the records to find my vinyl copy of that same production because that's the way I remember it. Some digital recordings (the first digital discs) could be very grating, the mastering wasn't done right. just are not as good as the old analog pressings. And now we have streaming so I can sit for hours and just select anything I want to hear and at my age that can be a blessing. It all comes down to what do i want to hear right now - if you love the music the format it's in just doesn't matter as much.

Thank you for making this video. It really is great to be able to find an enthusiast who speaks with such knowledge - particularly as I work in a field where nobody has any common interests. I’d very much welcome the wider availability of different mixes, dependent on what you are playing the music on, in the way you can buy two grades of Dr Martens shoes. Perhaps then we’d see the return of the Hifi shops to town centres? A friend of mine said “can you put [something he’d heard on the radio] on your system.” It sounded terrible - screechy, compressed and auto-tuned to death. He commented “so there really isn’t any point listening to this on a food system?” As a child, our music centre didn’t even allow us to hear the words on most music, so I love feeling closer to that experience when I listen to my old LPs - like getting closer to visiting an old friend. I now buy CDs for new material, mostly because I don’t have a streamer yet. I also spend all day on a computer, so can’t fully detach in their presence

Wonderful, wonderful orator. Thanks for sharing your wisdom !

The whole controversy ended for me when my friends and i did a test . We recorded a bit of a few favorite records using a nice quality DAC at CD specs, and then did a blind test to see if we could tell the difference between the actual record and the digital copy of it. We couldn’t. Seems mastering is everything. And records, due to their physical characteristics, have a sound to them that it seems record-aficionados like to hear.

What a quintessentially British commentary on music appreciation. The tea illustration worked for me. I instantly went home (in snowy and foggy Montana USA ) and made a pot of tea then I put on "Coming in from the cold" by Bob Marley☺️ I always marvel how remarkable vinyl can sound, even though I normally stream these days. That said, the restricted dynamic range and surface noise, wow and flutter are all forgivable on a good day.

Excellent wrap up at the end. I do feel amazed and privileged when I realize I am transported sonically to a live event from decades ago.

I'm 65 years old, I'm mostly analog, so many good old memories (emotive connection), lucky enough to have a unique and still functional Rega, Grace, Harberth, Meridian 101 (all 1983) that I bought at the time, for peanuts. Now on, I invest my time and money to go see and hear live (orchestra/classic). I love your conclusion, 100% agree. An audio system, a camera, a car, a rocket... the best is an endless discussion. Go with your vibe.

This is just a superb video. Great information, well explained, good pace. Just marvelous. Thanks!

Congratulations! This presentation is amazing… by far the best and most fair discussion I’ve ever experienced. I could listen to you for hours … and the way you described how the experience of one form of reproduction probably has a larger impact on our enjoyment than we might imagine.

That ceremonial vs urgent tea analogy was so spot on! 🙂👏👏👏

I'm disabled, and on stormy days (and today IS stormy) my limbs ache and feel 100x heavier than normally. This makes my concentration ability severely compromised..... it also makes me a grumpy cuss! But this series (assisted by Tori Amos 'Live In Montreux') has allowed me to be totally calm. BRAVO!

So many intense convos back and forth in these comments. People forget music is supposed to be fun or moving. It’s not supposed to be a place to argue. It’s all subjective fun. I love both vinyl and hires. I see the benefits of both. Like many things in life, it’s about what you focus on. People want clear answers when there aren’t always. Let it go. Bring out the passions in other music fans. Don’t use these things as a chance to set the record straight (no pun intended). It’s not about being right, it’s about bringing out a loving passion.

Another really excellent video. This is the most thoughtful and heart felt analog vs digital discussion I’ve ever heard.

A wonderful conclusion to the 3 part series. I really enjoyed it (and learned a lot), thank you so much for doing this.

I just came across your channel and I think your commentary style is great . Very relaxed and unhurried ! .. don’t change the format !

I have a personal belief that when we are young and can hear higher frequencies we would play to death our favourite songs / tracks. I believe this sound went deep into our memories so that is what we hark back to. As we grow older we retain that memory but our ears start failing us in old age and cannot reconcile what we hear today with what we heard in our youth. Its just my personal view of why music appreciation changes as we grow older for the songs of our youth.

I listen to podcasts all day everyday while working and I can say with truth that this is the most pleasant thing I've heard in weeks. Thank you for your passion and sincerity and nostalgic analogy. Absolutely bliss my friend.

Hello Harley, wishing you all the best in 2023. My Gilu CD arrived safely and sounds perfect. A wonderful performance from each member of the group. Special note: based on your review I purchased and have been enjoying my little Lyngdorf TDAI-1120. It sounds delicious good and is a joy to use. Thank you, Brian

I absolutely love, and ADORE Mr Hargrove! The entire DAC experience will n e v e r match the enigmatic, visual allure of spinning mechanisms playing the world’s greatest performances. Our very planet spins on its axis, itself, spinning beautifully around our solar source. The omnidirectional perfection of the circle that surrounds life itself. From the captivating turns of Studer’s reels, and the P10’s platter , to the last MA-R Compact Cassette TDK had, turning in Tandberg’s drop-dead gorgeous TCD-3014a. Analog’s intoxicating intimacy shall perpetually wind in this music lover’s heart to infinity. -thank you

Love your conclusion. Just enjoy it no matter the media or source.

Listen to the music, Enjoy the music, absloutely. I've been there with all the formats, loved them all. using streaming services is a great way to rediscover old favourites and and also discover new music. wonderful video. thank you.

I'm a bit of a sucker for watching a diverse selection of RU-vid videos about hifi, and I was looking forward to Pt 3 of this trilogy. I'd say it was the best of all that I've seen, full stop. Just brilliant, thanks to the passion and sincerity conveyed.

Excellent analysis, I share your reflections and the main thing is to enjoy the music (in digital or analog media). Looking for technicalities and differences that only musicians could appreciate, in my opinion, is only the power of a few people. I thank you and congratulate you for your videos. Greetings from Buenos Aires, Argentina

I have so little time to spare that I cannot spend time in the romance of vinyl. I grew up with vinyl and celebrated the arrival of CDs in 1983 (thats when they became affordable). No longer did we worry about breaking or scratching an LP, CD music sounded so much better and it was so easy to change track or album. I still have my CDs from 1983, Survivor and Police Zenyata Mopndata. I later transition in to digital and like many have an ample library that would never fit in my music room if they were physical media. The other day I tried playing Spandau Ballet LP, and it was good, but soon I started comparing to my Lossless 44k/16b track Cd Rip, and the later one was more punchy and louder. (yes as you said). Have not touched my table in months maybe a year. So, not going back to vinyl, not missing it one bit.

Amazing! Thank you so much for this three part series. I loved it!

Wow, what an interesting series! First, let me compliment you on the thoughtful way you presented this information. Super easy to follow your logic. I learned a ton and was intrigued by parts that i ordinarily would have skipped. I am new to high quality audio. Thanks for your presentation!

Awesome video. Fully agree with you. Now when i’m retired and have time I almost only listen to vinyls. As you say, it’s the whole process to play a vinyl. You have the cover, you listen to all songs because it’s not just to jump to the next one and it’s a certain feeling about it. At least for me.

Two words - Blue Train. Recorded in 1958 by John Coltrane. Remastered zillions of times both on digital and vinyl releases. When I play the vinyl I’m there, in 1958, hearing a great Blue Note recording that our parents related to. Or Kind Of Blue, same thing, a timeless vinyl recording that I must have some 7 vinyl versions of. Vinyl is as close to the real thing that there is. You didn’t say that, so I did. But don’t get me wrong, when you want a quick fix, digital is available. 😊

Harley Lovegrove, you and your channel are a treasure for audiophiles and music lovers alike. Thank you.

One of the best/clearest explanations I’ve heard about A vs D and dynamic range. Thanks!

Great video and format - from the recent influx of comments I suspect you are about to get big! I have a reasonable Hi-Fi system that I've pieced together in the last 8 months for myself from family leftovers, used purchases, thrift store pickups, and in the case of my Micca speakers, brand new equipment. Now that I'm in my own home and have the space, it's been an absolute joy to get it all set up and experiment with music on various formats that I've been collecting in anticipation for someday having a proper setup to listen to it on. I've got a TEAC turntable from the 90s and 2 CD players hooked up - both Sony units from the 90s/00s. One is a 5 disc changer and the other is a CD/DVD player with optical output. I enjoy both vinyl and CDs but I do prefer CDs for the convenience and nostalgia (that is what I grew up using). I still get the emotive connection you speak of when it comes to physically owning my music and listening on a physical format, but for me I get enough satisfaction from CDs that I don't exclusively buy vinyl. I also prefer the lower cost of CDs and the ease of backing them up to a HQ digital format like FLAC for on the go listening. Many audiophiles would scoff at my secondhand setup, but as you say, I'm certainly enjoying the music and love adding to my collection regardless of format. You may enjoy the writing and interviews of Ted Gioia, a music critic I've come to appreciate recently. Cheers!

As child of the 1960's I grew up on records/ lp's not vinyls and have had cassette, 8 track, CD's and now streaming and I prefer vinyl records. I have subscribed to hi rez streaming services but always unscribe after a short period time. I can't describe the character of the digital sound but I am almost always under whelmed. Now I have to admit I have heard fantastic digital recordings that were able to keep me riveted to my seat, but they are few and far between. Cheers.

I loved your presentation. The most successful I’ve ever heard to approach the emotional impact of the differing formats.

Dear Harley, I’m really enchanted by your wonderful lessons! You are turning me more and more passionate about music and HiFi systems. Many thanks from Italy.

Thank you so much for this learning experience superb work

Wonderful video Harley. Indeed yes enjoy the music. I too play Vinyl, CDs and Stream, and totally agree with your comments. Each has it's place and that's what's so wonderful. Streaming allows me to discover or try out new artists, is so convenient and enables me to create my own playlists etc. However, when I'm in another frame of mind, I'll enjoy the whole vinyl experience. With vinyl you definitely have a greater connection to the music - it also, to my ears at least, sounds more 3 dimensional, more "present" somehow. I know digital only fanboys will think that's crazy, but it's what I experience on most recordings. Thanks for the fantastic series.

This was my favorite of all your videos, Harley. The conclusion is beautifully stated. It’s all about the enjoyment. And yes, we live in a great time.

Your emotional connection was right on the money. I love handling the LP and reading the jacket.I find it more for filling. I think the difference between digital and analog is like food. Digital is like the individual vegetables and analog is like a stew. It just tastes better, seems to flow smoother. Thank you for a great lesson.

Perfect Analog/Digital Tea analogy. Id like to add that I downloaded the Aveline Gram sample and played it with Roon. It was truly beautiful, piano WAS in my room. Roon then played Streamline by System Of A Down 😲

Es ist einfach eine Gefühlssache. Als wir damals zum ersten mal CD hörten, merkte jeder sofort den enormen Unterschied zu LP oder Cassete. Später begannen wir, die Mechanik und das entspannte Drehen des Plattentellers zu vermissen. Danach kam das Streamen und heute kaufen wir schwere CD - Player für 1000de Euros. Und die meisten von uns finden Musik um so "räumlicher", je dicker die Frontplatte des Verstärkers ist - egal was die nüchterenen Fakten belegen oder widerlegen mögen. Der Wein schmeckt halt auch im Urlaub Strand besser als in der Küche zuhause ..

Harvey, your uploads are akin to both of those teas. To call this definitive is to diminish it; it is a creative triumph transcending the myriad puny debates on this topic- a stellar union of science and humanity.

Oh, my goodness, Harley. That uncompressed recording is just amazing. Thank you for this, and the pleasure and information of all your videos.

Thank you Harvey, I enjoyed this talk and glad to see you didn't come down on one side of the debate or the other. My listening is split equally between digital and analogue, and I have no particular preference. However, given that most vinyl has come from a digital source for the last few decades, it would take some stretch of the imagination to believe that quality of the original digital source will somehow improve by taking that digital source to cut the lacquer, then from this stamp the inverse father copies, from each of these stamp the mother copies, from each of these stamp the child copies, and finally from these stamp all the retail copies. Even the so-called one-step recordings require 3 of those steps. There is only one direction in which quality will go. Even recording direct to the lacquer will often mean using a digital cutter to give the variable groove spacing. If someone was to say they prefer listening to analogue, I would not argue with that - I might even agree because as Harvey discusses, there is an emotive connection. However, if someone was to say that analogue is better from an objective point of view, then I would question their judgement given the points made above. I listen to both and so, like Harvey, will happily sit on the fence and enjoy both.

Your’s stories are amazing and argumentation great!!! Thank you very much!

Ive gone back to playing my old lp's in the last couple of yrs. I have a Technics sl d2 i bought in 1980 and it still plays like new. When i put the first album on, i realised that i missed the crackles and pops. The sound to my ears is more pure than digital. I enjoy the layed back conversations here. Thank you for the insight.

Really exciting! Thank you so much for this discussion. All that is missing is the crackling of the flames in the fireplace and no doubt a cup of one of those excellent British teas. Musically yours.

Analogue has always been my preference. I am 77 years old and in India we grew up with vinyl discs, Garrard turntables, Quad amplifiers and speakers which we built ourselves. This was in the late 50's and 60's. Today, I would still love to listen to Pink Floyd and Dire Straits on an Analogue system. Digital has made things simpler but to my mind it does sound a little too synthetic.

Interesting story. I agree: choose whatever you like, but even more, listen to the performance you like. Regardless whether it’s on an analog or digital medium. That said, I did a simple experiment (almost 30 years ago). Start with a digital recording cello/piano (Schoeps microphones, Tascam DA-30 recorder). Copy it to analog tape (Teac 35-2B). Copy it back to digital. The copy on tape sounds analog. The last digital copy sounds analog. That’s telling. Conclusion: the analog sound is distortion. And I’ve made several recordings of which people who said they never liked digital recordings, had to admit they sounded great… My personal view is that the recording industry was so happy they could extract more detail and made the sound more brilliant with digital recordings, without the distortion you typically had with record players (most people had a poor one and they do distort a lot), that the norm became over-detailed and over-brilliant. And then suddenly an LP sounds more natural, at least when played back on a decent system. Edit-added: Given fantastic musicians, to me it is the sound you’re after when making the recording and doing the mastering, what makes or breaks the sound. Regardless of the medium.

You can combine the different methodes of listening. Streaming when you're outside of want to discover new music right after you've red a review. An vinyl album or cd of your favourite artist when you're at home. The miracle is that this is all posible today.

It's true what you said....Most importantly how to handle the dynamics while recording and playback is the master key....

Glad I found you, Harley. Fabulous video. On top of it all, you’ve got a great speaking voice. Keep’em coming. Gonna check out Chasing the Dragon Records.

I downloaded the sample, sounds incredible even through my modest hifi setup! I have a R2R Denafrips Ares II DAC in the chain and I compared the sound to the Node 2i streamer chip based internal DAC and there was almost no difference at all. Usually the Ares II sounds way better to the Node internal DAC, but it seems with very good recordings a better DAC adds incrementally far less to a budget DAC. Great video, very informative and eye opening.

I don't think there's anyone in the world who explains audio concepts as well as Harley. I've been watching his channel and I feel like I'm being schooled by a master in a classroom at Oxford. Spectacular content, sir, and I hope one day I'm lucky enough to get to hear the Sebellius speakers.

All three of these have been wonderfully informative. Thanks again.

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing. You cleverly avoided answering the actual title of your video... Your conclusion is valid though! If we consider only vinyl v digital then it's a pretty easy question to answer. Make a digital recording of the output of your turntable. Does it sound like vinyl or digital? (I don't think anybody would argue that they do in fact sound different) I've done this and to me it still sounds like vinyl. Indicating to me at least that vinyl is adding something that didn't exist in the original recording. Something nice and warm and euphoric but still a flaw if accurate reproduction of the original recording is the aim.

Personaly this question never arised. Both are good enough to make listening to music a pleasure.

Your 3 part video is a revelation for me. I grew up on vinyl and my first turntable was a Dual (I forget the model but the year was 1970?) and it always, and still, thrills me that a tiny little piece of metal 'scratching' a piece of vinyl can make me cry, meditate, or be at peace. Sadly however, most of my vinyl library was lost to a fire and soon digital music came along and I hopped on it, albeit grudgingly. I have a huge cd library but whenever I switch from the analog source vs cd direct I do, often, rely on the source. Thank you for this musical journey. Happy listening.

You have brought to my mind great memories of 1957,'62,&1969. Oh and I must remember 1972,'Fiddler on the Roof.' To me Memories are like a 'spot of tea' or beer or coffee. We are so touched by the memories of the music,because of the Music. Totally enjoyed this. I thank you,& thx for the memories.

This is very educational 👍

If you want to listen to music of your choice - it’s going to have had multiple digital steps in it’s production. You probably can still listen to wholly analogue, but it will be 45 years old and knackered or expensive or some obscure shit that you probably wouldn’t have chosen to listen to. The ship has sailed - let it go. Besides the whole vinyl warmth and depth is distortion. It is a mechanical method and the turntable is supplying energy to the stylus creating all manner of spurious deflections in the manner of a ball being rolled along an uneven surface - it doesn’t track the bumps but bounces due to the energy of forward motion and thus adds to the signal. The stereo image and depth thing is also bollocks - there is one cantilever trying to reproduce two channels of audio. You can hear the magic ‘stereo image’ when you drop the needle on the lead in groove - it is simply cross talk - one channel cannot not have an influence on the other. Like holding a piece of hollow pipe in front of your head and tapping one end of it - you get all sorts of slightly out of phase resonances which give the illusion of depth. Vinyl sounds subjectively ‘nice’ and if you like it that’s fine, but don’t promote it as accurate sound reproduction.

Harley, even my wife who has no interest in audio equipment loves your videos. And I have gone and done it, now I can play my uncle's gift of all his vinyl. Videos are getting better and better, keep up the great work.

Wow Harley, really love listening talking about this topic. Very well explained and love it that you have background with recording techniques! Thanks a lot for your time & Passion!

Music is not a competition.

Totally agree with the bottom line and that is - have fun. For me though the issue of analog and digital was recently settled in a way that surprised me and and a little bit disappointed me as I figured vinyl advocates were really just used to euphony or a ritual. I have had a digital only system for 30 years. A month ago I almost grudgingly picked up a good turntable, put a solid MC cartridge on it and listened to some of my all-time favorites on vinyl. I have a good DAC, by the way... and I hate farting around with the vinyl "ceremony" implied. So there's nostalgia involved here.... With the turntable I have a whole new level of enjoyment. Realism, soundstage and emotional connection are a revelation. Don't know why and don't care. I am now bothering everyone for their unused records and nearly living at the local record stores. If you don't have a good turntable let me suggest that you buy one or borrow one and listen to your five favorite recordings on vinyl and come back here and tell me that you weren't elated. I thought I really enjoyed Linda Ronstadt's voice but I picked up a couple of records of hers that I was familiar with on CD and streaming and that's what hooked me. - the character of the voice and just the realism were a whole different level on vinyl compared to CD and streamed hi-res digital. I see what people say about digital seeming like cardboard cutouts on a soundstage too. In my opinion you will be impressed by the air and space around each instrument or each recorded soundstage object and the space between them. Just my hastily written .02

This channel is a nice discover. A real pleasure to listen to me!

I've been waiting for this one. I know I'm going to enjoy!

You can even compare this discussion a bit with an Analog vs Digital Camera , although they both have their pros and cons.

I accept the "different, not better" argument and, in particular, the emotive value of the physical vinyl record. However I do think that the Aveline Gram recording is a perfect example of when/why I prefer digital. I feel I am sitting next to the pianist hearing what she is hearing. Similarly, if listening to choral or organ music, digital helps me immerse myself in the atmosphere of the Cathedral, church or Chapel. In a concert hall I feel I get better spacial awareness as well as the sense of individual instruments. Note I use the term, "I feel"! I accept these are personal reactions. (One tangible advantage, I have 6,000 lossless tracks stored digitally and would need space I just don't have if they were all on vinyl)

Thank you for this post. My wife & I have is around 550 CD's as well as 450 albums and have our thoughts regarding CD vs digital. We enjoy playing music through a superb system and in the end enjoy the songs the most.

There's a whole generation out there that have only ever experienced digital and to them the word means "the best" and analogue means "Old fashioned, outdated" and all the other terms associated with a badly looked after LP. And they're not interested in being educated as to what can be achieved in the analogue medium. Thankyou Harley for an informative lecture.

Digital and Analogue are two distinct formats. Both have their plusses and minuses. One is not better than the other, they are both excellent when correct equipment is used. One is not better from the other, they are inherently different and therefore require equally discerning accompanying equipment. The argument is a misnomer. Thank you for your videos, it is good for discussion to be.

There is still magic in analog. There is just something about it that can still grab my soul. The clicks and pops of vinyl still has some comfort for those of us who can remember a simpler time. But if I am looking for the most perfect sound, I would go to digital. Personally, I record in digital. But many streaming services don't deliver the entire range of notes. For instance, "The Stroke" by Billy Squier. Listen to that on a quality "stereo" via cassette vs. what is on RU-vid. There are LOTS of notes in the lower register toward the end of the song that are not heard on RU-vid. The sad part of that story is that if it were presented in its entirety, the end portions of that song would be AWESOME in digital. Another issue I am experiencing is the dynamic range of the speakers usually used to play streamed music. I can play many digital songs through the speakers I use for live performances and they sound really good but through my little JBL bluetooth speaker they lack a significant portion of the entire range of notes that are played on the song. Everyone I know plays their music through one of those bluetooth speakers or headphones. I have tried my in-ear monitors for streamed music and they sound absolutely horrible. But when I use them on stage, they are some of the best sounding speakers available. I have an old (1920's) Sears tube radio that has an (1) awesome speaker in it. That speaker transfers everything that the radio signal is transmitting. But the digital radio in my car, with high-end speakers, won't deliver the same listening experience. Even when the car is stationary. I think as time and technology progresses, we will get closer and closer to the magic of analog. Maybe digital would be exponentially better than analog if we were able to slice the sound wave millions of times per second? The more times a wave is slices, the closer the sampled "wave" will be to the analog wave. If someone were to figure out how to get a constant wave from digital, they would quickly become very rich.

Thank you Harvey for these insightful series, thoroughly enjoyed it and learned so much from it!

Another fantastic and informative video, Harley. Thank you.

Spin up an SACD for audio nirvana!

Brilliant stuff. Thoroughly enjoyed it and .. never knew the Rega story. I'll look upon Rega in a whole new light !. Just one technical note ... Even £1k to £2k hand held spl meters struggle to measure below 30 - 35 dB. Up in the land of multi thousand pound (B & K or Gras) £10k - £20k will get you "close" to the "0" dB accepted limit of human hearing, so I'd imagine the app & smartphone combination is actually measuring it's own noise below about 35. If I'm wrong, and their self induced noise is around 20 dB ... let me know. So many of us want noise measuring capability down to 20 (or even less) without massive cost.

Excellent, I enjoyed all three episodes, thank you.

Thanks for this episode. Will checkout the record label you mentioned for sure!

Just a great and thoughtful piece. Well paced and nice anecdotes. One request, though - please don't call Dynamic Range "Bandwidth" - we know bandwidth is measured in Hz and represents the frequency response between the low and high 3dB points.

@5:10, the light bulb turns on and off at 100 times a second. Yes, during the positive half of the 50hz cycle, the light bulb turns on, then during the second negative half of the 50hz, cycle, it turns on once again. That's twice for every 1/50th of a second, or in other words, it is on 100 times a second.

A very enjoyable listen Harvey, thank you. I quite agree, both have their benefits, and both bring me a lot of joy!

So very insightful and informative. Thank you.

keep up the good work

Let the fight begin !!! :-))

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Great video once again.

I love this series.It's absolutely wonderful ! My respect