Is it me or the glass or 2 of red wine or the turntable that gives a sense of complete calm in these troubled times?
I find when listening to the turntable and the music of course that just looking at the arm and cartridge doing its sublime movement gives the magic of vinyl quite intoxicating to the point of calm.
Something that streaming or cd cannot deliver!
I say that as a user of both streaming and digital replay as well as so no bias here!
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I agree I do miss the vinyl all the more reason for selling CDS3 and going turntable. It’s the interaction with the turntable, cleaning the album and cuing the tone arm. Sitting back, and perusing the gatefold sleeve and artwork. Even better of course with most albums nowadays being on 180 gram.
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I try not to analyse the music whenever I listen, but I find that it’s far easier to just enjoy the music when listening to the turntable. I find there’s a warmth and a realism that just doesn’t come across from digital sources?
Maybe my cd player isn’t good enough to produce the same realism from CD?
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absolutely well put! perusing the artwork and the lyrics of the tracks and just the feel! In my career I was involved in the print industry and when the computer /digital availability became popular nothing could replace the feel and beauty of a physical book|! Just like a album cover. Have you been into a bookshop and felt the delight of feeling and looking at a book! Same emotion.
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Hi Granted
I have books are fabulous the interaction with something physical is a thing of beauty Waterstones being a delight to visit. The look, feel and expectation of what is to come upon reading is captivating, (don’t get that connection and engagement with a pad thingy) I have purchased some new double albums and they are a thing of beauty just so rewarding to look at and handle. I have never the same emotional connection with Cd even worse streaming so clinical no interaction. One Ive just bought is limited edition 1917 film sound track on flame vinyl its stunning to look at and engage with.
We were all sucked in with (perfect sound forever) by a TV program predicting the future and to ditch your albums. Big mistake
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Hi Omegaman,
You obviously have good taste and appreciation of the original and still the best in media! Albums and books. Vinyl brings so much more to music appreciation because it is multi dimensional, sound and feel and readability of the written word. Agreed big mistake to ditch your vinyl.
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Indeed, the physics of a Record on a Turntable is more human. We are mechanical and emotional beings after all is (‘digitised and streamed’) and done.
Though, we all crave convenience intellectually, some of us derive pleasure from tactile processes in life.
Vinyl forever…
PS.
Wine helps with the calm certainly.
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I would add to these thoughts…to me, vinyl is at the same time more relaxing and more captivating.
I think it must be the surface noise, crackling and low level noise from the phono stage that has a similar relaxing effect to a log fire or sea shore. If you have a decent vinyl setup the above may not apply!
You don’t need vinyl, you can get an app for that.
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In my experience vinyl and alcohol had a tipping point between pleasure then OH NO! I bust my cantilever! Roon radio and adnams ghost ship here 
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I’ve avoided knackering the stylus but I have dozed off and spilled beer/wine/whisky (take your choice) over the sofa and myself plenty of times.
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Hi Jonotron,
No it’s just watching the arm playing on the platter/record and the gentle movement of said arm -it just calms me and coupled with the music playing (no scratches) or surface noise on an RP8 through superline with a Dynavector XX2 cartridge so no unwanted noise - kind of hypnotic. Probably the wine!
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Your right of course Hifi -dog, playing with vinyl and red wine is a dangerous pastime and as marksnaim says the dreaded doze off and resultant stains are to be avoided but hey, lets live dangerously!
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Ooh very nice! I have a limited amount of vinyl from raking around in the attic and it’s mostly in pretty poor nick. Playing it on a 1970s RP2 with dubious speed stability is a tad more stressful. Kind of like being in a boat in choppy conditions it leaves you feeling a bit queasy!
That said, it’s still a lot more organic than bloody tidal grinding to a halt for no reason!
good on you Jonotron for digging out the old stuff and sailing in choppy waters! Speaking of which Tidal is pushing my frustration too but no others provide family members to be on the same account so
have to stick with the interruptions courtesy of either Tidal or the internet connections don’t know who to blame.
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No such calm here with mine being in the shop :-/
I still have under my bed a collection of treasured LP’s, but alas currently no turntable. Brings back memories just looking through them sometimes, and we all know the warmth and richness of vinyl compared to CD/streaming sound.
Not sure I am actually answering the OP but I had a very enjoyable weekend playing vinyl and am about to splash some cash on my turntable to balance it up a bit with the ND555. I am not sure what the attraction is, but there is something about playing records that I am rather attached to (despite the ridiculous current cost of vinyl and the terrible quality of many of my records bought in the 80s/90s)
I have had several years not really engaging with records due to my discovery that it’s my records that sound terrible but have recently turned a corner and am ready to enrich the Linn empire
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I agree. There’s something relaxing about seeing what’s going on; the stylus gently navigating its way along the groove. The tipping point for me is probably 4 glasses of wine, when I’ll switch to my NDX2 before I do damage to a rather expensive turntable setup. The devil-may-care attitude I have when flipping an LP over has only resulted in damage once. But it was a lesson!
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