Fifty Grand, One Room, and One Format: What's Your Choice?
If you had sixty-four grand, one listening room, and had to build a system and collection that plays only one format, what would you choose? Vinyl, tape, CD/SACD, or High Rez Music File?
Personally, I'd spend forty grand on the system and twenty-four on a primo record collection, close the door, and ignore the future innovations of audio...
Discussion started by Dean Seislove , on 809 days ago
Dean, I love your discussion topics.
This past CES I was sitting in the MIT/Magico room chatting with Paul Stubblebine about his tape project. His Nagra deck was playing some awesome direct-from-master-tape music. I think it was Duke Ellington. Anyway, when Duke was finished playing Credence Clearwater began and Alon Wolf said to Paul that he hated the song and wished he'd (Paul) never put it in the mix. So Paul had them switch the source over to their crazy good music server and went to work splicing together some tracks from various tapes that he thought Alon would like better. He stood there for about 30 minutes cutting, taping, switching reels, etc. And I have to share that it was like watching Mozart compose. That guy has a serious talent for working with tape.
Anyway, after listening to music from the Tape Project for three days, I have to say that I've never heard a better source than that. It's my only reel (pardon the pun) extended experience with reel-to-reel tape. But it has me sold.
So what would I do with $50K? I'd invest in a nice tape front end, keep what I have for amplification, vinyl front end, loudspeakers, power cords/conditioning, speaker cables and interconnects, and I'd spend the rest on music and rabbit proofing (my daughter's house rabbit keeps me on my toes).
This past CES I was sitting in the MIT/Magico room chatting with Paul Stubblebine about his tape project. His Nagra deck was playing some awesome direct-from-master-tape music. I think it was Duke Ellington. Anyway, when Duke was finished playing Credence Clearwater began and Alon Wolf said to Paul that he hated the song and wished he'd (Paul) never put it in the mix. So Paul had them switch the source over to their crazy good music server and went to work splicing together some tracks from various tapes that he thought Alon would like better. He stood there for about 30 minutes cutting, taping, switching reels, etc. And I have to share that it was like watching Mozart compose. That guy has a serious talent for working with tape.
Anyway, after listening to music from the Tape Project for three days, I have to say that I've never heard a better source than that. It's my only reel (pardon the pun) extended experience with reel-to-reel tape. But it has me sold.
So what would I do with $50K? I'd invest in a nice tape front end, keep what I have for amplification, vinyl front end, loudspeakers, power cords/conditioning, speaker cables and interconnects, and I'd spend the rest on music and rabbit proofing (my daughter's house rabbit keeps me on my toes).
I agree with Gavin about analog tape offering the best possible sound, and Paul Stubblebine being one of the best at his profession. However, I would choose vinyl as the best all-around format. It's easier to store and set-up from recording to recording, less susceptible to the environment and wear, and has great artwork. Most importantly, vinyl offers the best cost-to-fidelity ratio.
If I only had $50k, I'd spend about $10k on the system (about 20% of that would be towards acoustics) and the rest would be on the vinyl. But that would only give me about 1/10th the vinyl have now. Maybe I couldn't do this!?
If I only had $50k, I'd spend about $10k on the system (about 20% of that would be towards acoustics) and the rest would be on the vinyl. But that would only give me about 1/10th the vinyl have now. Maybe I couldn't do this!?
That's tough. Considering what good vinyl costs these days, if I had to start over I'd probably buy a Sooloos, a Devialet Premier-D, a pair of Verity Audio Rienzes, a used Porsche Boxster S and borrow all my friends CD's....
Or, Grab an AVID Volvere/SMEV (not sure what cartridge), Used CJ PV-12 and MV-50 (send them to CJ for Teflon cap upgrades) a used pair of MartinLogan Aerius and my 1000 favorite albums.
The tape thing is really fun, but there just isn't any software to make it viable. It's a great concept in theory, but no music to listen to.
It would depend on the room I had at my disposal.
Or, Grab an AVID Volvere/SMEV (not sure what cartridge), Used CJ PV-12 and MV-50 (send them to CJ for Teflon cap upgrades) a used pair of MartinLogan Aerius and my 1000 favorite albums.
The tape thing is really fun, but there just isn't any software to make it viable. It's a great concept in theory, but no music to listen to.
It would depend on the room I had at my disposal.
I would set up a recording studio, hire some musicians and start making some music with them - forget the format, for this money you could do something original.
Kevin
Kevin
After browsing the bins at Amoeba and seeing how much new pop music is being released on vinyl, that's the format I'd pick.
Out of my thought league really. Need to check the software first before considering hardware. How much does a golden ear transplant cost?
@ Dave, I don't know about that. I have many fine LPs that have yet to see the light of laser.
I was thinking more of a system being purchased from scratch. Yes, I also have many LPs, but I suppose if I was new to this and had 50k and loved music that is where I would go.
The choice for me would be vinyl by a wide margin compared to other formats. Second choice would be analog tape playback on my ReVox B77 MKll & last CD/SACD playback on my McIntosh MCD500.
Dean, after screwing around with computers, servers, etc. this week, I'm leaning more in your initial direction!!! :)
But if one goes with Dean, what you have is what you will always have and for me, I want new music - to continue to evolve and grow. Yeah, what I have from years past is great, but I find myself always moving forward musically.
True, Dave, and I share your sentiments about new music, but there are plenty of undiscovered artists and albums out there--at least for me. Moving forward musically doesn't always mean newly recorded material, because I'd hate to be stuck playing the same albums I've memorize note by note. I suppose, at some point, I'd run out of things to find, but I don't think that will happen for the money given in the original question. Also, at this point, I prefer the sound of vinyl to even the best computer based playback, so I'd rather explore new music on vinyl. Now when computer based music can equal or better the sound (again, for me) than there's no question, because the tactile experience of playing a record doesn't mean as much to me as it might to others.
I get your point, but then I am thinking long term... more what lies in the future, plus the type of music one is after will also steer one, one way or the other. Sure good vinyl is great, but much of what I WANT is not on vinyl....
I love vintage. Not just in hi-fi but cars, houses, furniture ... I just like classic design. HOWEVER, I'm probably with Dave on this, in that if I was starting from scratch I'd definitely go with high resolution digital files. I will never part with my treasured classic pieces, but I'm excited by the possibilities that lie ahead as this technology matures.
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