Amplifier Experts?

[Jonny Hart]

My Dad is a classical ‘buff’ and used to record a lot of stuff from radio straight to cassette. He must have 10000 or so tapes. He setup was put together in the 80s, a Nachamichi Dragon and everything else is Quad including the ESL 63 speakers.

He didn’t much appreciate me playing Blue Cheer, MC5 and my funk records on his hifi!

I switched to buying CDs in the 90s and now mostly stream music. I recently started DJing at a ‘vinyl only’ bar once a month which has got me buying records again.

I have found that many of my CDs have degraded / delaminated on the outer edge meaning the last few tracks won’t play. They have never seen any moisture so this is very bad. Meanwhile, records that I had in slightly damp conditions play perfectly well after a clean.

[gridgway]

That's interesting. When CDs came out there were questions about how long they would last. All of mine have been ripped and are up in the loft. I wonder if any have degraded.
Graham

[Ashley James]

My CDs are all okay, but unless I fire up a computer I haven’t used for years I can’t play them. I don’t even bother with a DVD player now.

[neilbardsley]

Got the LP last night and played it. The quality wasn't good. When all were singing together with lots of sound from the orchestra either the amp or the speakers were distorting. I tried turning off direct and upping the loudness but not much better. Maybe I need to turn down the bass or treble. I'm going to play with my set up a bit but the CD has to be better.

[Ashley James]

Vinyl is hugely profitable for record companies and product placement is first class, but they’re still crap.

[gridgway]

Got the LP last night and played it. The quality wasn't good. When all were singing together with lots of sound from the orchestra either the amp or the speakers were distorting. I tried turning off direct and upping the loudness but not much better. Maybe I need to turn down the bass or treble. I'm going to play with my set up a bit but the CD has to be better.

Are you sure it was the amp or speakers? Sounds much more like the needle/cartridge/deck to me. Or as Ashley says, the album is just crap.
Graham

[neilbardsley]

Got the LP last night and played it. The quality wasn't good. When all were singing together with lots of sound from the orchestra either the amp or the speakers were distorting. I tried turning off direct and upping the loudness but not much better. Maybe I need to turn down the bass or treble. I'm going to play with my set up a bit but the CD has to be better.

Are you sure it was the amp or speakers? Sounds much more like the needle/cartridge/deck to me. Or as Ashley says, the album is just crap.
Graham

Could be the needle/cartridge/deck. I recently replaced the needle because one had broken. I'm aware that I have a lower spec deck but it should of been better than. Many I need to go on a forum and ask for him with selecting a new cartridge to try.

[gridgway]

Or get someone to play it for you on another system and just see if it's the record or not?
What deck do you have?

[neilbardsley]

I think it's the lp. I played it again last night and some bits where great then the quality started to suffer later on. Like you said although I need to play it on another system to be sure.

[KS]

[Ashley James]

And being a Hipster? Whatever that is.

[KS]

By the same logic – and I do accept there is quite probably an element of tongue in cheek pot stirring going on – it makes no sense to drive an old Porsche. They're all crap. Even a Carrera RS is crap compared to a modern GT3 RS. It's slower, has brakes that are borderline, doesn't handle as well, will get thrashed round the Nürburgring, uses more fuel, has terrible lights, etc etc. But the majority of people on here would argue in favour of the RS given the choice between the two cars. Modern cars are accused of being too perfect and lacking in soul (one reason why I sold the Cayman), but I can remember when CDs first came out that the music industry accused them of being soulless, too – too bright, too intrusive (you could hear every scrape of fingers on strings, every breath taken between lines). For me the delight of turning to vinyl every now and then (TBH I don't listen to half as much music as I used to, and then it's usually CDs or calling on 'Alexa' for background music over dinner) is the experience: I love vinyl albums, their cover artwork, the lyrics or words about the band printed inside, the thrill of lowering the SME onto the record and waiting for the music to begin. It's a far greater joy than pressing a button and listening to audio 'perfection'. But I'm old, so stuck in the past, trying to relive my youth, relying on a record deck I dreamed of when I was at school. Sigh...

[Lightweight_911]

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My sentiments exactly (apart from the bit about 'Alexa') ...

[Bootsy]

You've summed it up KS

[KS]

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My sentiments exactly (apart from the bit about 'Alexa') ...

Not much wrong with Alexa in my eyes...