Too often, I’ve been asked what makes good music in an all-analog sound system. Is there a single component in the analog audio chain that produces such a magical effect in music? There’s none of course. The audio system is like a team that performs at its best only when every single part works well with other components.
But if you ask me what sets an analog system apart from other formats, I could name a few things; but my answer may be subject to spirited challenges from those who believe that a digital system reigns supreme in music reproduction.
I will not deal here with which format is better. I would rather discuss some factors as to why analog is still preferred today by hundreds of thousands of audiophiles who refuse to embrace the changes brought about by the digital age in music reproduction.
Vinyl records, for one, can be technically at par with (and even better than) CDs and other digital media. On an LP, it is possible to attain a signal-to-noise ratio (the difference between the loudest and the softest sounds that can be recorded) of 70dB (3,000 times).
Also, a record can have a frequency range that extends from 5Hz to 45,000Hz giving it wider latitude to faithfully reproduce the entire perceptible range – from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. It’s not an exaggeration to say that vinyl can reproduce every heartbeat of music. From the first to the last track, whether soft or dynamic, every note and every beat can be as engaging as live performances. Those who brought us to the digital age often claimed that records had a relatively high level of distortion, failing to reckon that a well-recorded and well-cared-for LP has little or no distortion at all.
The cutting of a vinyl record is a rigorous process requiring nano-precision. Here lies the great secret of the “magic” so often mentioned by audiophiles worldwide: A perfect cartridge is needed to decode all the information embedded in the record groove.
A hi-fi system is analogous to a chain that is only as strong as its weakest link. It may be factual to say that loudspeakers can set the bar for the quality of sound achievable in a system. But what if the sound that is picked up from the record groove is near dismal? Not even the very best loudspeakers can improve on this, right?
Since the cartridge has been considered as a fixed part of the turntable, budding audiophiles purchase their turntable inclusive of the cartridge, too often disregarding the role of the gadget in sound reproduction. Price-conscious salesmen are of no help either. Keeping up with competition, they reconcile the prices of their turntables by compromising on the quality of the cartridge. Budding audiophiles are left with no other choice than to use cartridges that do no match that of the tone arm/turntable or the rest of the system with which it will play a big part.
A cartridge that is unsuited for the tone arm and the turntable itself will result in poor sound reproduction, no matter how good your speakers and amplifiers are. The problem cannot be solved by buying expensive cartridges either. Recent research done on the electro-acoustic interplay between a tone arm and a cartridge revealed certain conditions before the “vinyl magic” can be heard without missing a heartbeat. (To be continued.)
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For comments or questions, please e-mail me at audioglow@yahoo.com or at vphl@hotmail.com. You can also visit www.wiredstate.com or http://bikini-bottom.proboards80.com/index.cgi for quick answers to your audio concerns.