[melomaniac]

http://www.cepro.com/article/non_audiophiles_validate_audiophile_opinion_analog_is_better/
 
"based on our results dealers that do include analog products in their system demos could ultimately find themselves selling more vinyl-based audio systems because the differences are so dramatic to even those who profess they are not audiophiles will prefer the quality of analog sound"

 

[Tangster]

I don't like Vinyl. Does that mean I'm not allowed to be an audiophile?

 

[billybob_jcv]

Bah - I'm old enough to have been buying vinyl albums in the 70s and I played them on good mid-priced turntables & stereo systems. Any perceived increase in dynamic range or whatever in an analog source is completely overwhelmed by the incredibly annoying pops, clicks, warping, tracking errors and all the rest of the cr@p that comes along with even the best cared for albums & systems. The purists can have all the vinyl albums - I've been there and done that - and I ain't going back!

 

[thoughtcriminal]

Perception bias is a wonderful thing

 

[wink]

 

[Douger333]

Hi folks, great thread! Tangster, the only person who can tell you you're not allowed to be an audiophile is you!
I am a recovering audiophile who has gotten off the merry-go-round and simply enjoys the music. My system is not the best, and certainly not the most expensive, but does well...  Nottingham Analogue Space 294 TT, 12" Anna arm, Grado Gold1 cartridge with moderate damping.
Emotive ERC-2 CD player, Musical Fidelity DACM1, AVA Transcendence 8+ preamp, Decware Zen Torii 3 amp, Tannoy Canterbury SE speakers, Grado phones from SR60 through PS1000's, missing SR80, 125, and GS1000's, HiFiMan HE500's, Denon 2000's and assorted others.
 
Vinyl does sound better all other things being equal...   That assumes utterly clean records, tt being properly set up and sufficient quality, and
to make it worthwhile you need a lot of records, or be able to buy used and clean them, or have deep pockets for new ones.
Records still only give you about 22 minutes per side playing time, and keep them clean (Don't touch the grooves) so they are a bigger PITA.
I am happy to listen to albums sometimes but listen to CD's more often, and sometime I will start streaming as funds permit.
Enjoy the music!

 

[vid]

Not much of a validation. Only one song, participants told beforehand which version they would hear, and the two versions were from different releases (in time) and played from different sources. "Informal" and "non-scientific" are indeed the right words to describe this - they've gone to lengths far beyond what their research would allow in making their conclusions.