NIN: The Downward Sprial - Double 180g Vinyl

[aardvark baguette]

MUSICDIRECT - NINE INCH NAILS - THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL (180g 2LP)

9/9/08

[postjack]

fuck yeah!

[postjack]

yeah, you told it before, but its a good story that bears repeating.

[deepak]

sweet. did i ever tell you guys my story about finding a sealed version of the original vinyl version of The Fagile for $6 at half priced books, and then selling it on ebay for like $120? well, i guess if i hadn't told it before, i have now, because that's pretty much it.

You senile motherfucker you mention that everytime I list The Fragile as what I'm listening to

Jacob

[LFF]

sweet. did i ever tell you guys my story about finding a sealed version of the original vinyl version of The Fagile for $6 at half priced books, and then selling it on ebay for like $120? well, i guess if i hadn't told it before, i have now, because that's pretty much it.

No shit! I did a transfer of that and sold the transfer and LP for $40.00. I had no idea it was worth so much!!!!

LOL!

[LFF]

Yeah. The one I sold was open but it was in minty condition. I rated it as NM.

[Akathisia]

How does "The Fragile" sound on vinyl compared to CD? It is my favorite NIN album by a long shot, never gets old. "The Great Below" is incredible.

[aardvark baguette]

Well the transfer to digital from the vinyl I heard was an all-around improvement. Though sometimes I missed the extra bite the commercial CD offers, but rarely. Only on a few key places, like the opening to The Wretched.

[deepak]

How does "The Fragile" sound on vinyl compared to CD? It is my favorite NIN album by a long shot, never gets old. "The Great Below" is incredible.

I prefer it on vinyl. We did a shootout against the CD and my vinyl on a really pimped Aries3. The vinyl has more presence, that's the best way I can put it. The bass on the track The Fragile is simply unreal on the LP.

[Akathisia]

I have always felt that of all the artists I like, Trent Reznor probably has the most control over the final sound on his records, and does not take it lightly. The Fragile is an incredible album (Sound Q and Music Q, IMO) and you guys really make me want to hear the vinyl version.

aardvark baguette said that the vinyl transfer seemed to lack a bit of "bite" (I'm reading as impact and attack?), something I have heard when people are talking about other vinyl transfers as well, I wonder if this is just a common byproduct of the process, or an attribute of vinyl in general?

EdipisReks, your comments on the intros and outros makes me really want a vinyl transfer of this CD now I am really curious about the song lineup since it seems to run together so naturally as is on CD. With the exception of "StarFuckers", which could have been left off the album.

deepak, I doubt I will never get to own a $4000+ turntable rig accompanied with many other high end goodies. The added presence comments soom like they could go with aardvarks comment about slightly less bite - like trading some fast attack and impact for a more "airy" over all sound. I bet it didn't hurt that it was also being played on an amazing rig.

Well sorry to post a bunch of blah blah blah here, but the response quality is appreciated over another place, and it's hard not to get enthusiastic

[deepak]

I have always felt that of all the artists I like, Trent Reznor probably has the most control over the final sound on his records, and does not take it lightly. The Fragile is an incredible album (Sound Q and Music Q, IMO) and you guys really make me want to hear the vinyl version.

aardvark baguette said that the vinyl transfer seemed to lack a bit of "bite" (I'm reading as impact and attack?), something I have heard when people are talking about other vinyl transfers as well, I wonder if this is just a common byproduct of the process, or an attribute of vinyl in general?

EdipisReks, your comments on the intros and outros makes me really want a vinyl transfer of this CD now I am really curious about the song lineup since it seems to run together so naturally as is on CD. With the exception of "StarFuckers", which could have been left off the album.

deepak, I doubt I will never get to own a $4000+ turntable rig accompanied with many other high end goodies. The added presence comments soom like they could go with aardvarks comment about slightly less bite - like trading some fast attack and impact for a more "airy" over all sound. I bet it didn't hurt that it was also being played on an amazing rig.

Well sorry to post a bunch of blah blah blah here, but the response quality is appreciated over another place, and it's hard not to get enthusiastic

If it's the Oink transfer he's talking about I think it's just because that really wasn't done with a great setup. Playing the actual vinyl there isn't any lack of attack.

It sounds great on my modest vinyl setup as well.

[aardvark baguette]

When I'm talking about bite, its not really impact or attack. In this particular case, I mean that the CD has a different tone due to (afaik) distortion and being recorded 'hot'. It is a more etched sound. Grain. Usually the last thing I want in a recording, but thats part of NIN's charm sometimes. Its really difficult to pinpoint or describe accurately (at least for me).

Still, if I could have only one version, it would be the vinyl transfer, no doubt about it. I forget the origin of my copy of the vinyl transfer, because it was given to me. From someone possibly reading this very thread

[LFF]

When I'm talking about bite, its not really impact or attack. In this particular case, I mean that the CD has a different tone due to (afaik) distortion and being recorded 'hot'. It is a more etched sound. Grain. Usually the last thing I want in a recording, but thats part of NIN's charm sometimes. Its really difficult to pinpoint or describe accurately (at least for me).

Still, if I could have only one version, it would be the vinyl transfer, no doubt about it. I forget the origin of my copy of the vinyl transfer, because it was given to me. From someone possibly reading this very thread

You're not alone. I often hear this from people too (though rarely from audiophiles). I played a remaster for a friend of mine a while back. His comment was "wow, it's really quiet and to me, it has lost all the detail and soul". I think it's a legit comment but one I fail to explain. To me, the remaster sounded much clearer, better defined, more dynamic. The person I did it for spoke wonders of the remaster. Yet to my friend, it sounded quiet and lacking in detail and soul. Best explanation I have is that there are simply different strokes for different folks.

My father often prefers the loud and over-compressed stuff you buy in the stores. Why? He says "because I can hear everything". Note that he plays this stuff in the car and on a cheap night stand stereo made by Sony.

Maybe the over-compressed sound is just a part of some musical genres and a part some people tend to prefer. Beats me.

As for The Fragile, I prefer the vinyl version as well.