The Analog Kid
Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2021 10:43 pm
In the primaeval swamps of a far-gone age, strange and massive creatures ruled, swinging unwieldy tonearms from side to side as they rotated at 33 or 45. Their dominance was supreme and they had no cares or worries as they fed on the vast racks of vinyl that flourished in those days.
Then small creatures, the Seedee's, began to appear - round, silver shapes that vanished into secret drawers and span rapidly in a laser-beam shower of pristine, clear sound that was called 'digital'. A threat to the monsters and almost a cause of their extinction.
Even the existence of the Seedees was threatened, though, the world entered the new era of the Streamtaceous and physical shapes were no longer necessary. All forms became wireless amd ethereal, living in 'The Cloud' and called into action through tiny boxes and bluetooth earplugs.
But lo! A new acolyte of the true faith appeared; the 'Analog Kid'. Discovering prehistoric turntables left to rot in attics and cellars. Scraping dusty cobwebs from crates of forgotten LPs. A new sound was born (same as the old sound but of that the Kids were unaware). Vinyl was Cool. Vinyl was Hip.
Alright! Enough of foolish fantasy and back into the reality of my sitting-room system. Because I'm now only using that rather than the all-digi rig upstairs I thought it was time to try combining the best of both installations into one setup.
First move was to change the Metrum Musette DAC for the Denafrips Ares II. And what a revelation that is. The Ares just has that 'analog' feel. Music lives and breathes through that DAC in a way that is directly comparable to the Logic / Grado TT combination, the difference is in the warmth and fullness of vinyl versus the clear and crackle-free accuracy of the stream - but the sheer musicality of both sources is obvious.
I was using the superb Allo DigiOne Signature as the streaming source and replaced that with the medical-grade PC, Oehlbach USB reclocker and DHLabs Mirage cables. Again the sound took a quantum leap forward with a vivid, integrated soundfield.
Next up was adding the DH Labs Air Matrix interconnects from DAC=>pre and pre=>power amp. The 80's vintage NVA set really responded to these and became crisper, fresher with revitalised imaging.
Pondering now how I can go the whole hog and get the BMU and A40 monoblocks implemented. The equipment here is shoehorned into a corner and it is a puzzle to get additional boxes set up there. The Arcam speakers will be staying as their positioning is totally unsuitable for use of the Cubes.
So, my faith is restored in the Church of Digi - in a straight playoff against the turntable my streaming setup acquits itself with honour. But the return to the 'Old Ways' and the initiated path of the Vinyl has given my interests a new boost. It was the search for that intangible 'Analogue Sound' that lay behind my quest for the best digital performance and it looks like I can finally combine the two.
