Why vinyl sounds warmer

I agree. In the 1970's I sold hifi for the Audio Warehouse in Akron, Ohio. We had a turntable with two tone arms so the listeners could compare the sound of cartridges while paying an album. We are able to match the output of each cartridge so the volume was the same when compared. The differences in sound characteristics were VERY noticeably different in frequency response, channel separation and dynamic range.

As you were talking about vinyl in this video I kept saying "it's the cartridge, Paul" and you finally heard me. So to speak. I agree. It's the way phono cartridges translate vibrations into sounds. I find streaming very convenient. And, I like the wide range of music available at a moment's notice. But LPs are like comfort food for the ears.

I quit vinyl for the same reasons as most: convenience and sound clarity. Up until recently, I've been listening to music through iPods and now Hi Res portable devices through speakers of any kind. One afternoon I saw a record store and got in, I saw a title I liked and the owner offered to play it for me. He had a Stanton turntable, a mixer as preamp, an old amp, and speakers. I cannot tell you how amazing music sounded through that cheap set up. A whole world I've been missing all these years and that got lost in the digital era. It wasn't nostalgia, it was just how better music sound like in vinyl. So I'm back to Vinyl when I swore I would never come back. I suppose the quality of audio has been sacrificed in the altar of higher resolution and digital components.

I have learnt so much from this gentleman and his channel, to the betterment of my set-up. Many thanks ! (UK fan)

You're spot on about the cartridges: The reason that vinyl sounds warmer than digital, is the same reason why regular tube amplifiers sound warmer than solid state: In the case of the tube amplifiers, it is the output transformers that add second harmonics. In the case of playing vinyl, the vast majority of pick up elements use magnetism, and add second harmonics. Some years ago I used the Stax electrostatic cartridge, via OTL amplifiers connected to ESL loudspeakers. So, no magnetism anywhere in the audio chain. On that set-up, there is not much difference anymore between the same recording played back from CD or LP.

Thanks Paul, have watched many of your videos. I have been an audio repair tech for nearly 50years. It is so nice to hear honesty when a CEO or rep talks about products they sell/ manufacture.. Once again Thank You!

The vinyl will sound different than a digital counterpoint due to phono cartridges (like Paul stated) because there are resonant frequencies and harmonics produced by the mechanical nature of vinyl playback which are not produced by playing a cd or digital file.

This from musician, recording engineer Michael Connolly: “I want to emphasize again that distortion is not necessarily a bad thing! I like the sound of analog distortion and the warmth it adds, as do many listeners and other audio professionals, and I take active steps to add it to recordings that I produce. In the 70s, distortion was an unavoidable side effect of using magnetic tape, vacuum tube equipment, and mastering to vinyl—but it added musical qualities to recordings that are still aesthetically valued today. In my digital recording studio, my recording system exhibits extremely low distortion, but I often take additional processing steps to add it for musical effect. Engineers often refer to using special equipment to “warm up” a sound source by adding this distortion”

The cutting head doesn't change, it is the pitch of the lathe that changes. When there are high levels, the pitch is increased so that the cutting stylus does not cut over. When the levels are low, the pitch is decreased to obtain longer recording times. This can be done manually as Sheffield Records did on their Direct to Disc Analog recordings.or it can be automated with a delay, but this would require a tape or digital transfer. If you left the lathe with a constant wide pitch, you would only get about 4 minutes on one 12" record side.

I lived next door to Jan August, a pianist who had success with his versions of Miserlou and Babalu on 78 rpm records 1946. When he moved approx 20 years later he put the master disks out on the sidewalk to be picked up by the garbage men. My 12 year old brother scooped them up along with lots of regular 78s. The masters were thick and heavy. The surface looked gold (more like champagne) and the outer edges were very rough and irregular. They played perfectly on our parents’ Zenith console. And no, they haven’t survived the 55 years since.

Very thorough and gradual explanation to get to the conclusion where the difference could actually be. I have enjoyed in this particular video very much.

Yes Paul you are right. Every phonocartridge (+preamp) has its own NONLINEAR frequency response. You'll need a TEST Vinyl Record (TEST LP) that has White Noise or Pink Noise recorded on it. Whenever I get a new Cartridge, I use the TEST LP and digitize the sound using Audacity. Then I pick the Pink Noise or White Noise portion and run a Spectrum Analysis. Once I get the Spectrum Analysis I can tell which frequencies need to be compensated for or fixed. Thereafter, whenever I need to listen to a record, I always EQ the sound coming out of the of the turntable preamp in order to adjust the frequency response est VOILA! The sound I get from Vinyl is IDENTICAL to that of the digital versions of the music in at least 80% of cases. The only difference in most cases is that the Dynamic Range of the music on Vinyl is larger (by 2 to 5 dbs generally) and that's because the CD and mp3 versions of songs have their Dynamic Range crushed by the sound engineers (to make them louder aka "Loudness War"). I don't know if you have tried a TEST LP to adjust the nonlinearity of the vinyl system. Once you do the adjustments you'll get the same identical sound. I've been doing this for years.......

When you go to an Arabic country such as Egypt it's useful to learn the number system. You can see how much things actually cost and won't get to ripped off.

This is an interesting discussion. I have always been aware of the unique sonic differences between an LP and it's CD version. However, about 15-20 years ago I bought a Super Audio CD release of a Carpenters collection album. Not knowing if I would ever be able to play the disc, I bought it thinking it would make an interesting collector's item. Some time later I learned that my DVD changer could play SACD discs. I must say the listening experience was very different than anything I had heard from a CD before and the most analog/vinyl kind of sound I have ever heard from a digital source in my home - very rich, enjoyable, warm, and easy on the ears. I didn't even play it on what I would consider high-end audio equipment, but I was still amazed at the difference. What I concluded was that in addition to whatever good sound engineering was employed on that particular recording/transfer, that bits & sampling rate must make a significant difference and that IT IS POSSIBLE to obtain more analog kind of sound qualities from modern digital recordings. Perhaps the limitations of the standard CD format has been the main issue?

I'm glad you got to that final point about the phono cartridge because I assure you that I was going to post that question...lol! Thanks for the lessons, always.

Personally, I've advocated Paul's position for at least a Decade, there's no war to start here - I was delighted when he went to "cartridges" - - it's iron & coils vs digital conversion - - simple - - the beginning of the two playback chains are two completely different approaches so of course they sound different, but it's no longer a "night and day" thing - I love having both, digital, imho, has come so far that it's totally enjoyable - when I want vinyl magic, I'm playing records - twice the fun.

I think that you are absolutely correct. there is no other plausble explanation.

You are genious . You esplain as a teacher do in class , is new for me . Thanks for your eford for make the sound better . I wish I can visit your studio and have a tour .

Thanks Paul. The dynamic range difference is really only useful when recording. Larger dynamic range allows for easier recording. But by the time it's mixed down, most music goes through some form of compression to make it more listenable. Myself, starting off in the days of tape, I usually compressed vocals by 3-6 dbs on the peaks going to tape. Then about the same on mix down if needed, as vocals can have huge dynamic swings. I don't think it's a dynamic difference that causes the warm sound.  What many have said regarding the mechanical physics makes the most sense. The sonic difference from going from the heavier moving mass of moving magnet cartridges verses moving coil was huge, and let's not talk about strain gauge cartridges, which I owned - Electro Research EK-1. The mm cartridge was warmer, slower, and less detailed than mc. At least the ones I heard. Both though, compared to digital, from what I can remember from long ago, gives more body to the instruments than digital and I think that is from a frequency response issue, as one can gain that type difference of sound via changing eq. youtube.com/@ronvaillant2234/videos

As Paul said, the warmer or less warm sound of the vinyl is given by the frequency response of the cartridge which can be extremely variable according to the brand and model while for the digital the response is always perfectly linear.