Is there any point to an "entry level" vinyl playback system?
Is there any point to an "entry level" vinyl playback system?
Let's start with a cost comparison:
Streaming services range from free to about $20/month. Generally you get what you pay for in this arena, but even the free services are of reasonable quality and have catalog's consisting of millions of songs these days. The highest quality services, such as Tidal and Qobuz, cost a bit less than one new record per month.
Records range from about $3 for less desirable examples at used record stores, if you happen to have one in your town, to upwards of $100. On average you can expect to pay $20-$35 for a new record at Target, Walmart, or Amazon.
Streaming music can be played back using your cell phone as a Digital Audio Player (DAP), a standalone DAP, a Digital Analog Converter (DAC) connected to a stereo system, or with a connected audio device such as those made by Sonos, Bluesound, Apple, Amazon, or Google. The prices of these products are all over the map, but suffice it to say that they are ubiquitous and even your cell phone is pretty good when paired with a quality pair of headphones. For reference, the $9 apple headphone dongle has a Signal to Noise And Distortion (SINAD) of 99db.
Records require a record player, cartridge, and phono preamp in addition to the requisite quality pair of headphones or speakers. An excellent starting point would be something like the $499 pro-ject debut carbon evo, which includes a well regarded cartridge from either Ortofon or Sumiko (depending on where you buy the turntable), you will also need a phono preamplifier, such as the $299 Cambridge Audio Alva Duo. If you are lucky you might be able to squeak out SINAD of around 50db... Oh, and lets not forget that stili are wear items requiring periodic replacement and records require cleaning, which all adds to the cost of ownership.
Since most people tend to listen to music at around 70-75db, the noise and distortion through a budget digital setup would likely be below the audible threshold, where with a budget vinyl playback rig it would likely be quite audible.
It's pretty clear that dollar for dollar digital is better in absolute terms. But what about perceived quality and overall experience?
From my perspective, physical media, such as CD's, cassette tapes, and of course records bring something very tangible to the listening experience. Rather than rehashing it, you can read more here: Why Physical Media for Music Still Matters
Perceived quality of digital vs. analog is a bit more difficult. There is something to be said for the "black backgrounds," pitch accuracy, and high dynamic range capability of digital recording and playback. But to some, myself included, these things can at times come across as artificial sounding...
To counteract that "artificial" sound, it has become common practice for recording engineers working in the digital domain to introduce background noise to recordings (often things like tape hiss) and of course to use dynamic range compression. Arguably their decision to use those tools is part of the creative process, and as such, digital allows the engineer to bring more of their own flavor to the recording. On the other hand, it could also be argued that these tools erase some of the potential upside to digital.
To me, much of the "is there any point to an entry level vinyl playback system" question comes down to what you listen to.
I personally find that much of the music recorded during the LP's hayday, lets say 1968-1988 is just better to listen to on vinyl, even when using a budget playback system... Perhaps it is because recording engineers mastered the recording with vinyl in mind, perhaps it's because the "loudness wars" hadn't yet been fought, but whatever the reason, the difference is real.
To be continued...
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