Re: Experience with ALESIS Masterlink? NAD C660?

[Arny Krueger]

"Jay Woodson" > wrote in message
om

> Thank you folks for your adive re "Which CD Recorder". I've decided
> to narrow my search. For a variety of reasons, I think a standalone
> recorder is a better fit for my needs. I am somewhat concerned that
> this may yield only "mid-fi" sound. Does any of you gentle readers
> have have direct experience transferring analog (preferably LPs)to
> digital using the ALESIS Masterlink 9600, NAD C660, or similar quality
> products? If so,what is your opinon of the resulting A/D transfer
> sound? Thank you.

I'm familiar with transferring LPs to digital using audio interfaces like
the LynxONE, LynxTWO, and CardDeluxe. I think that they perform on an equal
or better level than the ones you are interested in.

What's to say about LP transcription?

The most important parts of the system, the parts that do the most to set
the final quality level of the transcription, are the turntable, cartridge,
and the preamp.

It doesn't take a heck of a lot in the way of an audio interface to
outperform a LP and the analog gear used to transcribe it, by one or more
orders of magnitude.

One might think that the equipment I mentioned which has 17 to nearly 20 bit
resolution, would provide a strong sonic advantage. Regrettably, the law of
the weakest link has not been repealed, so the 12-14 bit resoltuion limit of
vinyl itself, and even high end phono preamps which fall woefully short of
16 bit resolution, are your weakest links.

Any of the audio interfaces I just mentioned will outperform your final
results by almost two orders of magnitude. Exactly how much overkill do you
need?

[Jay Woodson]

Hi Amy,

My experience with audio hardware is that there is often a
diappointing correlation between quality of sound and published specs.
This has been my experience with BOTH analog and digital formats.
The reasons for these inconsistencies would certainly produce a lively
thread, but I'd rather focus on the quality of sound, something which
is unabashedly subjective, yet real. I particularly like your
"weakest link" approach to a system. I gathered some info re Lynx
interfaces you use. My question is this: After transferring an LP
onto CD, does the CD sound like the record? Identical? V. similar?
Noticeably different?
Thanks. Jay

> I'm familiar with transferring LPs to digital using audio interfaces like
> the LynxONE, LynxTWO, and CardDeluxe. I think that they perform on an equal
> or better level than the ones you are interested in.
>
> What's to say about LP transcription?
>
> The most important parts of the system, the parts that do the most to set
> the final quality level of the transcription, are the turntable, cartridge,
> and the preamp.
>
> It doesn't take a heck of a lot in the way of an audio interface to
> outperform a LP and the analog gear used to transcribe it, by one or more
> orders of magnitude.
>
> One might think that the equipment I mentioned which has 17 to nearly 20 bit
> resolution, would provide a strong sonic advantage. Regrettably, the law of
> the weakest link has not been repealed, so the 12-14 bit resoltuion limit of
> vinyl itself, and even high end phono preamps which fall woefully short of
> 16 bit resolution, are your weakest links.
>
> Any of the audio interfaces I just mentioned will outperform your final
> results by almost two orders of magnitude. Exactly how much overkill do you
> need?

[Arny Krueger]

"Jay Woodson" > wrote in message
om

> My experience with audio hardware is that there is often a
> disappointing correlation between quality of sound and published specs.

That's primarily because:

(1) Very few spec sheets are really complete -and-
(2) Many specs are an order of magnitude or more below audibility.

> This has been my experience with BOTH analog and digital formats.

> The reasons for these inconsistencies would certainly produce a lively
> thread, but I'd rather focus on the quality of sound, something which
> is unabashedly subjective, yet real.

When I talk about specs I usually try very hard to talk about specs that
make an audible difference, but sometimes I do just talk about them like
they are numbers when they are so good that it doesn't matter if they are a
little better or a little worse.

> I particularly like your
> "weakest link" approach to a system. I gathered some info re Lynx
> interfaces you use. My question is this:

> After transferring an LP onto CD, does the CD sound like the record?

It can. Ironically, this is an outcome that many prefer to go out of their
way to avoid.

>Identical? V. similar? Noticeably different?

I've taken some very good converters, put them back-to-back, and switched
them in and out of a high quality analog playback system. I've done this
with both LPs and half-track 15 ips master tapes as the source. Results,
based on listeners who included musicians and engineers who worked on the
tapes, was random guessing.

[Arny Krueger]

"Robert Orban" > wrote in message

> In article >,
> says...
>>
>>
>> "Jay Woodson" > wrote in message
>> om
>>
>>> Thank you folks for your adive re "Which CD Recorder". I've decided
>>> to narrow my search. For a variety of reasons, I think a standalone
>>> recorder is a better fit for my needs. I am somewhat concerned that
>>> this may yield only "mid-fi" sound. Does any of you gentle readers
>>> have have direct experience transferring analog (preferably LPs)to
>>> digital using the ALESIS Masterlink 9600, NAD C660, or similar
>>> quality products? If so,what is your opinon of the resulting A/D
>>> transfer sound? Thank you.
>>
>> I'm familiar with transferring LPs to digital using audio interfaces
>> like the LynxONE, LynxTWO, and CardDeluxe. I think that they perform
>> on an equal or better level than the ones you are interested in.
>>
>> What's to say about LP transcription?
>>
>> The most important parts of the system, the parts that do the most
>> to set the final quality level of the transcription, are the
>> turntable, cartridge, and the preamp.
>
> You forgot one of the most important -- the wet-wash vacuum cleaning
> machine (VPI, Nitty-Gritty, etc.) that should be used to clean
> _every_ record before transfer. I would rate the importance of this
> device as anywhere from #1 to #2 (where the cartidge is #1).

IME they can't work wonders. I've heard a lot of claims, but I've seen
nothing better than manual cleaing with similar fluids and applications.

[Robert Orban]

In article >, says...
>
>
>"Robert Orban" > wrote in message

>> In article >,
>> says...
>>>
>>>
>>> "Jay Woodson" > wrote in message
>>> om
>>>
>>>> Thank you folks for your adive re "Which CD Recorder". I've decided
>>>> to narrow my search. For a variety of reasons, I think a standalone
>>>> recorder is a better fit for my needs. I am somewhat concerned that
>>>> this may yield only "mid-fi" sound. Does any of you gentle readers
>>>> have have direct experience transferring analog (preferably LPs)to
>>>> digital using the ALESIS Masterlink 9600, NAD C660, or similar
>>>> quality products? If so,what is your opinon of the resulting A/D
>>>> transfer sound? Thank you.
>>>
>>> I'm familiar with transferring LPs to digital using audio interfaces
>>> like the LynxONE, LynxTWO, and CardDeluxe. I think that they perform
>>> on an equal or better level than the ones you are interested in.
>>>
>>> What's to say about LP transcription?
>>>
>>> The most important parts of the system, the parts that do the most
>>> to set the final quality level of the transcription, are the
>>> turntable, cartridge, and the preamp.
>>
>> You forgot one of the most important -- the wet-wash vacuum cleaning
>> machine (VPI, Nitty-Gritty, etc.) that should be used to clean
>> _every_ record before transfer. I would rate the importance of this
>> device as anywhere from #1 to #2 (where the cartidge is #1).
>
>IME they can't work wonders. I've heard a lot of claims, but I've seen
>nothing better than manual cleaing with similar fluids and applications.

OK. But the point remains that wet cleaning followed by throughly
removing the contaminated solution from the record should always be the
first step in a serious vinyl transfer. How you remove the contaminated
solution is your call. But vacuuming is very effective.