Can digital get to vinyl sound and at what price?

[DasguteOhr]

I will be getting the 300B integrated amp later this week for an incredibly good price...perfect for my second system...if I can get it up into the room (it might be the heaviest 300B amp in existence at 64KG!).

Good choice. NEMs are different, built differently, with different materials, probably with cosmic radiation. In Novosibirsk, Igor had the idea: "Boss, for a 300B, a 120-core EL is enough. Oh, nonsense, use the 170-core EL. People want to hear real bass." Okay, boss. Everything's built to survive the next apocalypse. Congrats.

 

[morricab]

Good choice. NEMs are different, built differently, with different materials, probably with cosmic radiation. In Novosibirsk, Igor had the idea: "Boss, for a 300B, a 120-core EL is enough. Oh, nonsense, use the 170-core EL. People want to hear real bass." Okay, boss. Everything's built to survive the next apocalypse. Congrats.

I also like the idea that it is only 2 stages with interstage transformer coupling (Double C cores from the look in the box). My experience to date is that this generates the most powerful sounding SETs...this is what Aries Cerat uses and also what my lovely sounding Silvercore 2A3 amp uses (such a powerful sound from a 3.5 watt amp is hard to believe with my Hornings).

 

[rsrzr]

Digital sounding better than vinyl? That happened to me years ago, sold my $15k analog gear and 500 albums. You need to spend many times the amount of digital to get vinyl sounding good IMO, and even then it’s debatable. What’s not debatable is the maintenance needed and everytime you play a vinyl album, there is wear on it which starts degrading the sound over time.

 

[Audiohertz2]

Are we there yet …?

 

[Audiohertz2]

Digital sounding better than vinyl? That happened to me years ago, sold my $15k analog gear and 500 albums. You need to spend many times the amount of digital to get vinyl sounding good IMO, and even then it’s debatable. What’s not debatable is the maintenance needed and everytime you play a vinyl album, there is wear on it which starts degrading the sound over time.

Hahaha , it’s actually the reverse, but a poorly setup Vinyl rig can be bad for sure where Digital is plug and play …

 

[wil]

Hahaha , it’s actually the reverse, but a poorly setup Vinyl rig can be bad for sure where Digital is plug and play …

Definitely not plug and play, if done to the best level.

 

[Rexp]

Definitely not plug and play, if done to the best level.

The good news it doesn't have to be at the best level to smoke digital...

 

[Mike Lavigne]

The good news it doesn't have to be at the best level to smoke digital...

depends......on the digital.....and the actual pressing. so many levels of each......a great pressing on a decent tt yes will smoke any digital. but a pedestrian pressing on an ultimate tt will have a hard time surpassing tip top digital. it would be close.

 

[Al M.]

The good news it doesn't have to be at the best level to smoke digital...

Hehe. Haha.

And the discussion is back where it started 2 years and +200 pages ago....

Just great.

Regardless, the passionate zeal of some vinyl advocates is remarkable. It is matched only by the zeal of some much rarer techno-babble digiphiles who want to convince us of analog's alleged inferiority purely based on technical specs and parameters...

 

[DasguteOhr]

I also like the idea that it is only 2 stages with interstage transformer coupling (Double C cores from the look in the box). My experience to date is that this generates the most powerful sounding SETs...this is what Aries Cerat uses and also what my lovely sounding Silvercore 2A3 amp uses (such a powerful sound from a 3.5 watt amp is hard to believe with my Hornings).

Yes double c core had word-finding difficulty there
I know the DAC with germanium transistors, the intregrated 300BSE, and the hybrid amp AI50. I've never heard the bigger stuff. But it was all top-notch. Uncanny musicality with the force of the Russian hammer (flag).

 

[andromedaaudio]

Look im a WADAX fan , but the FMA beat digital so bad im afraid digital will never recover

 

[Rexp]

Hehe. Haha.

And the discussion is back where it started 2 years and +200 pages ago....

Just great.

Regardless, the passionate zeal of some vinyl advocates is remarkable. It is matched only by the zeal of some much rarer techno-babble digiphiles who want to convince us of analog's alleged inferiority purely based on technical specs and parameters...

Wow, I agree with you, used to think you were part of the digital mafia that churn out articles like this:

https://www.howtogeek.com/why-vinyl-doesnt-actually-sound-better/#thread

 

[bonzo75]

And the discussion is back where it started 2 years and +200 pages ago....

Amazing how much some people have learned since then

 

[andromedaaudio]

I always thought digital was better untill i found this product, Bebird , at only 66 euros a set

BEBIRD Earsight Plus Ear Wax Removal Tool Camera & Light Visual Earwax Cleaner with Cleaning Kit As Spade/Spoon/Pick/Tweezer Clean Ears for Family Ear-Scope Otoscope Wireless WiFi Connect 2025 - €66.37

I like this. Do you think I should buy it?

www.lightinthebox.com

 

[morricab]

Yes double c core had word-finding difficulty there
I know the DAC with germanium transistors, the intregrated 300BSE, and the hybrid amp AI50. I've never heard the bigger stuff. But it was all top-notch. Uncanny musicality with the force of the Russian hammer (flag).View attachment 152522View attachment 152523

Interesting that the DAC uses those old school transistors…surprised they could find some. How does the DAC sound?

 

[Al M.]

Wow, I agree with you, used to think you were part of the digital mafia that churn out articles like this:

https://www.howtogeek.com/why-vinyl-doesnt-actually-sound-better/#thread

No, I was never part of that digital mafia.

In fact, I have often and vigorously defended vinyl against those techno-babble digiphiles who didn't know how great vinyl could sound.

The fact that I don't own vinyl myself, and don't feel the need to, is not indicative of a lack of appreciation for the medium.

 

[DasguteOhr]

Interesting that the DAC uses those old school transistors…surprised they could find some. How does the DAC sound?

Review

NEM USB Mini 1

Darf‘s mal ein bisschen anders sein? Dann hätten wir da was für Sie: einen überaus spannenden D/A-Wandler – mal nicht aus den angesagten Hightech-Metropolen der Welt, sondern aus Novosibirsk

www.hifitest.de

The actual DAC is the green circuit board (simple is better); the rest is the power supply and output transformer (balanced output). It sounds like a cross between a Metronome and an Audionote DAC. Very beautiful timbres with 3D sound. It creates a beautiful soundstage in all dimensions. It's strongly reminiscent of Kiseki cartridge in terms of tuning. The bass sounds surprisingly good, rather on the fuller side.

P.S only usb input

 

[Audiohertz2]

Definitely not plug and play, if done to the best level.

None of it is , but thats academic

 

[PeterA]

No, I was never part of that digital mafia.

In fact, I have often and vigorously defended vinyl against those techno-babble digiphiles who didn't know how great vinyl could sound.

The fact that I don't own vinyl myself, and don't feel the need to, is not indicative of a lack of appreciation for the medium.

You have been exposed to some decent vinyl over the years, Al.

It is difficult to explain, but I have heard some digital sound fairly natural, and thus closer to the vinyl I happen to like. I have not really heard vinyl sound like digital. The mediums typically sound quite different to me. Especially streaming.

 

[analogsa]

Interesting that the DAC uses those old school transistors…surprised they could find some. How does the DAC sound?

Looks like most Russian speaking designers like the same stuff. Both Abbas and SWIX use the same P605 GE transistors in their i/v convertors as NEM. No idea who was first, my wild guess would put the blame on Abbas: sample circuits can be found on his site.

The low tech digital board and choice of delta-sigma chip surprise me more than the GE transistors. Perhaps a well executed PS, a little germanium and an amorphous core output transformer can turn even the output of an mp3 player into a satisfying musical experience?