there is only one file here btw
Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
- Thread starter Joe Mac
- Start date
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Ooops. Try the OP now.
Lee Newman
Frothy
My Ort did better.
. (Maybe a difference in the level, I have not tried any with the blue 3 yet, I feel some Yo-Yo Ma will get some time this weekend - I’ll probably hold off though... the Black took a while to handle bluegrass and was always a little bit of a let down in the classical realm)i'm liking the audio technica cartridge... only the ye song was really bugging me (but thats probably because the mastering on the vinyl didn't give the guitar enough punch.. and loyalty but thats because the loudness wasn't enough to truly get the impact.. i replaygained every single one so they are all equal loudness).. though the wonder is if the punchy bass is because of the cartridge or the headphones
i'll have to see how my grado sounds and see.. i guess i just want to join the world of audiophile level amazingness (also the nude stylus of the audiotechnica has me tempted more than the probably bonded stylus of the 8Mz)
i just wanted to believe the fremer
i'll have to see how my grado sounds and see.. i guess i just want to join the world of audiophile level amazingness (also the nude stylus of the audiotechnica has me tempted more than the probably bonded stylus of the 8Mz)
i just wanted to believe the fremer
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
The AT is a different profile than the 8Mz as well — a MicroLine — it should track better, but is not recommended if you have a lot of uncleaned grimy used records. Depends what you want out of the upgrade. I would also factor in the arm of the U-turn which may mate better with the Grado.
BTW, the goal of the hip-hop folder was to just for me to capture the sonic disparity between HH releases. The OutKast ones sound amazing, and the Rakim, Tribe ones sound pretty good too (those are OG US pressings) while the Kanye ones don't so much. Joe Nino-Hernes cut that ye record and IMO it sounds as good as it can considering the source is totally clipped and unsuitable for vinyl playback. The first full folder is more of an overview on stuff I think sounds representative of what the cart does well. I didn't really bother with any top-tier audiophile pressings as they sound good on almost anything. The goal of this was to just get more of a "real world" idea of what the cart can do vs just playing my best pressings. But I was lazy with the levels and such too lol.
but no fancy nude stylus with the 8MZ... but ML is.. im mostly just wanting to be cool... as i said im satisfied and i just want to spend money since its a good distraction and my setup isn't really audiophile approved (redacted does not recommend using a grado uturn for ripping they recommend the red or blue)
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
By specs alone, the nude ML outclasses the 8MZ. If tracking is your #1 priority that might steer you in that direction. If that's not what you're after it's going to be harder to tease out what you want. Grados are loved by a lot of folks, who can advocate for them better than me.
That publication doesn't do much than shill the products that pay for ad space. There's no right or wrong when it comes to recording vinyl, and there's many other factors like the quality of the audio interface that matter a lot as well. I think for archival needledrop purposes people usually prefer a good tracking flat sounding cart which the AT-VM95ML would be closer to than their pick, but I think there's plenty of times you could chose a cart for a drop specifically for a sound signature it brings to the recording, or just general performance with a record. Here's one last folder of drops I have, showing how 3 carts play back this OG Canadian Françoise Hardy record pressed on noisy vinyl. You can see how all 3 impact the overall sound signature, vocal tracking, and background noise of the track. Here I like the way the MP-110 handles the crackle, but hate how it tracks the vocals. You might prefer the opposite, again no right or wrong.
kvetcha
Well-Known Member
I remember in a blind needle drop comparison on Analog Planet I chose the Ortofon 2M Black and Bronze as my favorites even corrected for gain.
No accounting for taste, they say.
No accounting for taste, they say.
only 1 again
and tbh i dont know much about tracking and shit.. i just wanna sound good
zombie.modernist
Well-Known Member
Try again. That's just a particular example I have where I kind of feel like any cart choice is a double edged sword. There's no right choice, and it's all going to be down to taste which there is no accounting for as @kvetcha says. As for tracking, to over simplify it, the smaller the stylus, the lighter and more nimble the cantilever, and the better the match to the tonearm is, the more accurate the playback is empirically. You can hear in the samples how the MP-110 and VM95-C are mistracking Françoise's sibilant vocals.
tbh i just looked at that and literally when i replaygained them i heard basically no difference... maybe i just have bad hearing.. (the ortofon was SLIGHTLY brighter but it all sounded the same)
this laptop either has a very very horrible DAC or i cant hear anything and im a filthy normy
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displayname
Well-Known Member
Once again, if you can't hear a difference just invest in music and enjoy yourself.
but then why do i own vinyl when i cant hear a difference
did i waste money
am i a filthy normy who should stop spending all this on vinyl
why did i sell a copy of pet sounds that was fine just because i wanted a more expensive audiophile copy when its not needed
displayname
Well-Known Member
First off, there is not such thing as a "filthy normy." We don't need to be throwing around words like that pretending certain people are above others.
If you enjoy the vinyl hobby, it's not a waste. If you find it stressful, expensive, and unrewarding than it might be time for something else. Sound doesn't need to be the only aspect of the hobby. I have a lot of audiophile friends who are die hard digital only. Some who are die hard CD only. They occasionally ask about getting into vinyl, and I let them know my views on the costs associated, but more importantly that I view it as a somewhat separate but overlapping hobby with audio. Vinyl has the collector factor, the unique pressing factor, the style factor, the audio factor, the physical ritual factor, the art factor, the investor factor, the precision mechanics factor, and probably more. You can enjoy vinyl for any or all of those factors. As we see with many members on this forum, you can be VERY into vinyl and not very into audiophile elements of the hobby. You can also be VERY into the audiophile parts of the hobby, and focus all your vinyl purchases purely on sound quality - less of a regard for the actual music.
It's your journey. Everyone has their own journey. I don't know that we could possibly stress that any further.
But I do know we don't need to use any words demeaning anyone for what they do or don't enjoy.
debianlinux
Well-Known Member
The older I have gotten the more comfort I find in being average. I mean, I still strive for unaverage things here and there but the world is built for the average person and being in that sweet spot is generally privilege often taken for granted.
apholden
Active Member
Indeed. We should even avoid demeaning ourselves. Let me assure you, your experience is every bit as valid as mine, @displayname's, and even @HiFi Guy's! We all find our own reason to enjoy this hobby, and we all find our own aspect of this hobby.
Maybe you'll find a $20,000 turntable that sounds amazing, or maybe you'll decide that digital sounds perfect to you. There is nothing wrong with either option, or anything in between!
Maybe music is like meditation to you, or maybe it excites you. Maybe it brings back fond memories, or maybe it makes new memories. All of these are valid reasons to get involved.
If you want an example of what I'm talking about, I'll let you in on a secret: my reason for loving vinyl has nothing to do with sound quality. I love it because, every time I spin a record, my mind goes back to my childhood, watching my Mom play DJ all afternoon. She would put a single record on our Technics record changer (must be the changer spindle, not the single spindle). She would click start, watch the record drop, watch the needle drop, and then raise the cueing lever so she could select the one song she wanted to hear. While that song played, she would dig through her collection for the next record and cue it on the changer spindle. When the song finished, she would click stop, watch the tonearm return to home, and repeat. When the stack of records got too tall (usually a lot taller than the 6 records the changer was meant to hold), she would pull them all off, put them away, and start all over. Good memories (and sadly one of the few good memories I have of her, but let's not go there).
To take that memory to the next level, I first heard Ed Sheeran's "Supermarket Flowers" on my U-Turn. Here I was, remembering my Mom's amateur DJ routine when that song came up. When I realized what he was singing about, I broke down and cried, and I feel no shame admitting that.
I don't know if this helps explain how crazy some of our reasons for being here are, or if it's just a drunken rant. Hopefully it's more of the first. However, the bartender is asking if I'm alright, so I fear it's the second.
Admins, please feel free to move this post to the drunk thread if you feel that's where it belongs
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AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
There's a lot to process here, but @duke86fan , as it's been said you don't need to measure up to anyone in terms of what you have or what you enjoy. Find your happy place, even if that's a Crosley, and enjoy the music and the hobby on your own terms.
I'm loading the VM95ML vid at the moment, I'll post it shortly, hopefully it gives you a little insight.
I'm loading the VM95ML vid at the moment, I'll post it shortly, hopefully it gives you a little insight.
thank you... though i wouldn't do a crosley of course (even with my hearing i know the sound quality is super tinny and awkward)... i will see and compare it to grado (probably 8mz video) or the blue and yeah i'll see... i want to replace my cartridge because i want an upgraded new sound (and the cartridge is the only thing i can really upgrade on my uturn)..
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AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
Alright, I hope this helps more than just @duke86fan, if your on the fence on a cart this should give you a good representation of the Audio Technica VM95ML's characteristics. There are 4 track snippets (1/2 minutes), I think I covered highs, mids and lows along with different styles of sound, Hip-Hop, Rap, vocal, synth and so on.......
One note, the sound is on a direct feed to my camera, it's not an open recording of my speakers, so it's of good quality. That being said, this is processed through YouTube so take it with a grain of salt. Should be helpful though. Listed time stamps if you want to jump around.
Enjoy
One note, the sound is on a direct feed to my camera, it's not an open recording of my speakers, so it's of good quality. That being said, this is processed through YouTube so take it with a grain of salt. Should be helpful though. Listed time stamps if you want to jump around.
Enjoy
- !!!!!!!! / Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
- 1:22 No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
- 2:58 Slow Disco [Unplugged] - St. Vincent
- 5:03 1984 / Jump - Van Halen
Alright, I hope this helps more than just @duke86fan, if your on the fence on a cart this should give you a good representation of the Audio Technica VM95ML's characteristics. There are 4 track snippets (1/2 minutes), I think I covered highs, mids and lows along with different styles of sound, Hip-Hop, Rap, vocal, synth and so on.......
One note, the sound is on a direct feed to my camera, it's not an open recording of my speakers, so it's of good quality. That being said, this is processed through YouTube so take it with a grain of salt. Should be helpful though. Listed time stamps if you want to jump around.
Enjoy
- !!!!!!!! / Bad Guy - Billie Eilish
- 1:22 No Sleep Till Brooklyn - Beastie Boys
- 2:58 Slow Disco [Unplugged] - St. Vincent
- 5:03 1984 / Jump - Van Halen
thanks.. i especially am happy you used billie eilish so i actually can point for point compare it to my grado on my copy
all the tracks sounded great (but wow st vincent was just wonderful on that) but i decided to test my copy of bad guy by billie to see if i really would prefer the audiotechnica sound and i realized...
grado bass is fucking amazing... i'll just go with the 8MZ stylus and enjoy that.. i like the huge thump and wamth it had... if fremer or other hifi websites had put it on their "what is the best styli" (seeing as he did put in the gold but not the black in his gruvies.) i would have been fine..
the moral of the story is fuck peer pressure