[randyruiz]

I have seen an uptick on the Vinyl post around here lately. Seems like interest in this format is picking up. Any Head-Fier's looking to add Vinyl as one of your formats?

 

[tfarney]

Nah. Been there, done that. I like vinyl just fine. It has its strengths, I just happen to feel that they are outweighed by its weaknesses. A lot of good folks with good ears disagree, however.

Tim

 

[shallbehealed]

My main system is two sourced: a mono turntable (AR XB) and a stereo turntable (Sonographe SG). Sometimes I think about how nice it would be to have music going without having to exercise, but mostly I'm just happy.

 

[monolith]

As someone who works in a music store, there's definitely a very large upturn in vinyl sales recently.

I got into it a couple years ago, and I try to get new releases and old favourites on vinyl whenever possible. I prefer the aesthetics of the format and I love the ritual of playing them. I can always download lossless rips of the stuff I have on vinyl if I want digital copies anyway.

As a response to the growing sales, a lot of artists seem to be offering free downloads or low priced CD/vinyl packages with their new albums. Most everything that gets put out on Matador, for example, comes in beautiful 180g gatefold packaging with codes to download the audio. With that, you can't really lose.

Sad thing is I don't have a working turntable right now. I'm saving for a Technics SL1200 though. I like the idea of a turntable I can throw off a cliff and still have working, and one I can use for scratching if/when I decide to pursue that line of music creation.

 

[Fixcinater]

I've always been into the ritual of listening, my dad has slowly sold/given me his old setup (most of what you see in my signature) as I have grown and tastes expanded. I love the fact that you sit down to listen to an album and it's all very consciously about the music. It's not about background noise to ease conversation, it's not about just filling up the air with sound. It's about sitting down and stopping everything else and just absorbing it as 15 mins of art, or however long your side will play.


Sure, MP3 and CDs are convenient to transport/store, but there's very little "else" to the experience. Quality, versus quantity.

 

[gyrodec]

I have hundreds of hours of music on my computer and listen to that while working and while properly listening, but I also have a vinyl rig and wouldn't dream of chucking it. I haven't had a digital front end sound overall better than my records, including Meridian 506/508. Different, some areas of improvement, but not better overall.

I'm going to try doing high-res transfers to my computer and see how that sounds - if only so I can listen to my vinyl content as I work.

 

[tfarney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fixcinater /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've always been into the ritual of listening, my dad has slowly sold/given me his old setup (most of what you see in my signature) as I have grown and tastes expanded. I love the fact that you sit down to listen to an album and it's all very consciously about the music. It's not about background noise to ease conversation, it's not about just filling up the air with sound. It's about sitting down and stopping everything else and just absorbing it as 15 mins of art, or however long your side will play.

That's you, not the vinyl. Back in the old days, when the only portable medium was cassettes and great lizards roamed the prairie, plenty of vinyl was played as a background to cooking, cleaning, talking and lovemaking. It was a pain to interrupt the later to flip the record over, but I digress...

The moral to the story is the focus isn't the medium, it's the decision to focus, but if vinyl inspires you to do that, excellent. It takes a glass of wine and a pair of Senns for me.

Tim

 

[Uncle Erik]

I'm glad I got back into vinyl in December '06. I had a cheap table when I was in high school, but never knew how good the format was until I bought the Rega. I still listen to silver discs (and love SACD), but have put the most into a vinyl front end. It was worth it and I get a lot from it. I don't mind flipping discs, cleaning and the associated rituals, either. Also, second hand records have introduced me to plenty of artists and genres I would not have found otherwise.

 

[tcp56]

My old record collection is long gone, Traded away by mom and sis! Just can 't see collecting used (what must be hit or miss on quality) or new at $40.00 bucks a pop. there must be some other way people do it. buy somebodys collection at an estate sale or something?

 

[nikongod]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcp56 /img/forum/go_quote.gif buy somebodys collection at an estate sale or something?

you know it.

i bought someones old collection for $25 a couple times. sometimes i think about selling off the serialized white album, but then i say naah. 5 nice "who" albums, a few coppies of various jethro-tull albums i could continue... the list of VERY good pressings i pulled from those 300 records he seemed happy to be rid of after "you really want these" almost makes me shudder.

garage sales, and dumpster diving make up a small but good quality chunk too.

the scores of multi-thousand dollar turntables, and records that sell in the $300 range makes vinyl seem expensive but it dosnt have to be.

my record collection cost me as much as about 20 CD's. compare the price of a CD player that sounds "really close" to my turntable/related hardware collection, and it looks economically sensible.

space can be an issue. you must be very organized, or have lots of space. perhaps both. IMHO, a record cleaning machine is not an option especially with my garbage-record picking habits.

 

[flashbak]

The irony of it all. Without aging myself

, I clearly remember waiting and waiting for CD's to finally arrive! Hi-Fi mags were advertising their virtues for about two years prior to their release. I couldn't wait until I finally had a player and would no longer hear those damn pops and clicks.... I remember the ritual oh so well....carefully slicing open the album's cellophane wrapper, putting the album on the turntable, while using various cleaning devices and then going right to tape (reel to reel) on first playing in order to capture the pristine sound. Oh man, the first time I heard Pink Floyd Animals without all those pops and clicks was just wonderful!! I'm still thankful for the CD format! Oh yes, and I remember paying $650.00 for one of the first players (a Technics)

 

[recordcousin]

I still listen to my vinyl rig I put together in the late 80s. A new Ar turntable with a Shure v15 cartridge with a rebuilt Dynaco preamp, Hafler power amp pushing small maggies. When I get everything in the sweet spot, the music opens up and the speakers disappear. There is nothing better than this. Oh yeah the liner notes from a record are a hell of a lot easier to read than on a cd.

Eric

 

[Lazarus Short]

I have come to realize that an LP has the audio signal complete and entire, none of that sampling stuff of digital, though we are told the DAC restores it all. The DAC's would have to be prescient to pull that off.

I currently have six vinyl spinners, two of them not working. I think it's time to post in the FS forum.

Laz

 

[Solan]

Add? I never left it, man! I was in the naysayer crowd against the claim that CDs bested LPs from day one. Not that I dislike CDs per se, since they most certainly are more convenient than LPs, but LPs have the better SQ.

Ideally:

LPs for the music where the fine print of SQ really matters. A small LP collection for your elite music.

FLAC for the music where convenience matters, and you still care about SQ but not to the extremes that vinyl takes you. A big HD.

MP3 for scrubbing your hard disk. Ain't worth it for listening.

CDs as a transitory medium onto FLAC. Very discardable.

 

[ingwe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tfarney /img/forum/go_quote.gif snip... Back in the old days, when the only portable medium was cassettes and great lizards roamed the prairie, ...snip

Yep, I remember those lizards as if it were yesterday.

These days vinyl is reserved for special moods and such.