Whats the deal Vinyl LPs?
May 3, 2003 at 6:26 AM Post #16 of 31
Quote:

Originally posted by TWIFOSP
Ok, I'm pretty young (21) so pardon my ignorance.

But what makes Vinyl records the best possible source? I see endless debates about this. Why does a vinyl record sound better than even the highest quality of digital formats?


After much listening on much high-end "audiophile" equipment (unfortunately, none of it mine), I can say these young semi-trained ears hear no real difference between the two.

But I am only slightly older than you and I think it's essential for a music lover to keep a good turntable around. Here's the reason: there is just so much great music out there on LP that people toss into thrift store bins after clearing out dad's or grandma's attic. You can buy thousands of hours of great recordings on LP -- some clearly never even played -- for mere pennies!

I have some of the finest opera and symphony recordings in the world that I got from a neighbour absolutely free. Most of these have never been remastered on digital, and those that have are incredibly expensive to purchase on CD. I have also collected lots of great classic rock albums, same story.

I also get a lot of wacky old stuff that is just fun to listen to or entertain friends with. I have almost an entire Tijuana Brass collection, hammond organ classics, Gregorian chants recorded in French abbyes, Mitch Miller sing-alongs, accordion favorites, the list goes on. It's like having my own little sliver of American pop-culture history.

So, go get yourself a good turntable!

--Chris
 
May 3, 2003 at 8:52 AM Post #17 of 31
because scratching and beat juggling cds is stupid.
 
May 3, 2003 at 6:31 PM Post #18 of 31
Quote:

Originally posted by redshifter
bright, thin sounding


That's exactly why many of us don't like CD's. I'm a vinyl man myself. I prefer the musicality of vinyl. It gives the music a warmth that can not be explained, only heard.
 
May 3, 2003 at 11:13 PM Post #19 of 31
Quote:

Originally posted by TWIFOSP
Perhaps I should stay away from vinyl so I can save money!
Slaves to audio.... sigh...



Absolutely not. I can often pickup around 10 or so Vinyl LPs for the same price as a single CD.

Dependent on what music you want. If like me, you like classic rock and older stuff from say the late 80's and earlier then Vinyl can be a great way of getting some great music for very little money.

If you are choosy and only pickup vinyl that has been looked after you can often get LPs that IMHO sound as good as and sometime better than CDs. Not to mention the albums that aren't and never will be available on CD.



I don't think Vinyl is particularly cool these days but it's damned good and addictive.



Sound As Ever
 
May 4, 2003 at 2:49 AM Post #20 of 31
God bless the dollar vinyl section at amoeba. There's good stuff in there, you just have to dig. Got the 9 Beethoven Symphonies on 8 LPs for a dollar today along with a grip of other records. Eugen Jochum and the London Symphony Orchestra, don't know if it's any good yet but hey, one dollar.
 
May 4, 2003 at 8:12 AM Post #22 of 31
Quote:

Originally posted by TimSchirmer
Amoeba is okay. Although, for my type of music, I prefer vinyl fetish on melrose.


I'll have to check em out next time I get a craving.
 
May 4, 2003 at 8:21 AM Post #23 of 31
Since adding a very good turntable to my very good system, I have barely listened to cds...if you have a good clean record (a nitty gritty vacuum cleaner is essential and TOTALLY changes even really bad old LP's) it just sounds better. The soundstage is much much wider. I can really speak to this, as a lot of the music I like are indie labels (thrill jockey, matador, drag city) that print on both cd and LP, and I made a point of picking up duplicates of my favorites. My cd player has a output level control, so I matched the volume with an LP, cued both up to the same tracks and did an A/B comparison. The vinyl consistently sounded better. It was not a subtle difference at all. The vinyl had more detail, a more natural sound (the only way to describe it...it was unveiled...real), and a much wider soundstage. The cd beat vinyl in terms of dynamics (soft to loud), but this is from the riaa eq that was mentioned. So for orchestra or a band like mogwai, CD's can be better, but for jazz, indie rock, chamber music and vocals, I think it is really really hard to beat vinyl.
As for my sources:
Cd: Conrad-johnson DV2b cdp, which is used, but originally retailed for about 2700
Vinyl: Music hall MMF-9 at 1700 retail with a monolithic sound phono stage.
The cd player was significantly more expensive, and does not come close in my mind for what I listen to...
Just my .02, I have very little understanding or care for the reasons behind this....you can all argue till the cows come home, I will just sit back, utterly convinced in what my ears tell me is better. Not that I don't like cd....
As for SACD, I heard a Sota compared to XA777es with identical recordings on a uber expensive system, and the Sota sounded noticibly better, that said SACD was EXCELLENT...it trounced redbook. Unfortunately there is almost no music I care for on it yet...Even with all that is in favor of vinyl in terms of sound, you can't take it with you...CD/SACD/minidisk/mp3 are certainly the media of choice for portability (hopefully they will make SACD portable someday...)
 
May 4, 2003 at 9:00 AM Post #25 of 31
no one prefers cds to vinyl. not even you minya.
 
May 4, 2003 at 9:02 AM Post #26 of 31
Quote:

Originally posted by minya
I prefer CD to vinyl. For lots of reasons.

- Chris



Before I have to consider ANOTHER format - please tell me why I should not consider vinyl.
 
May 4, 2003 at 7:56 PM Post #28 of 31
As I hinted at earlier, portability. Also it is a finicky format. It takes a long time to set up a turntable correctly, the components are delicate. The LP must be clean and in good shape to have the best sound. Even on MOST of the used clean albums there can be some background noise...pops and hisses. On new albums this is not so much of a problem. Scratches are more annoying than they are on CDs. You will need to buy a good phono stage if your amp does not have one (which many do not these days). You will also would be well advised to buy a vacuum record cleaner and a carbon fibre brush. So...those are reasons not to buy it. Those I think are quite easily trumped by the sound, above all, and also from the sense that good things require effort. Even on older records with lots of background noise, it is easy to hear that they have a more natural sound than CD. If you cannot deal with this however, you should probably not get vinyl.

edit: a few more quirks...you have to change the record's side every 2-5 tracks or so, depending on length, you also have to make sure you change it as soon as it ends, unless you get a little thing to lift the arm, otherwise it will potentially wear the stylus. Records die quicker than cds...I suppose. It all depends on your stylus of course. The better the stylus and the better it has been setup, the less wear to both it and the record. Cd's generally only die through handling, not use...
 
May 4, 2003 at 9:13 PM Post #29 of 31
Stuart, you're really freaking me out here, talking about listening to artists like Mogwai and Tortoise and Nick Drake on vinyl and I'm fantasizing about Constellation Records and mmmm
 
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