My thoughts regarding some of the comments above are that if you find digital preferable to vinyl, you may not have an optimal front end. I buy new and second hand vinyl. I have virtually no issues with extraneous noise, despite many used records being up to 50 years old.
If available I will buy a vinyl copy of my favourite albums, including new discoveries from Tidal/Qobuz, in all but one case I have found the vinyl to be superior sounding.
I am a person who burns bridges as I did when I first got into CD’s in the early nineties, whereupon I disposed of my vinyl hardware and software. I would be more than willing to dispose of my vinyl set up if digital proved superior, indeed I would welcome it, as I prefer vinyl because of it’s SQ and not because of nostalgia. When/if digital betters or equals vinyl I will move on.
The same could be said other way round!
Vinyl has more inherent limitations to sound quality than digital. Preference of course is not necessarily related to sound quality.
And, importantly, the mastering can make a huge difference, with digital and analogue versions often mastered differently, while the so-called “loudness wars” did no favours to digital, destroying one of the medium’s benefits.
Hi-Fi is ultimately a hobby, so if you are curious then scratch that itch… dip your toe in… if you get hooked then build up. I would limit what you buy as you start out and then learn about the new format as you build up.
I found vinyl/phono quite interesting, but in the end it was for me too finicky for optimum SQ, and it felt like I was spending more time maintaining and preparing my records and system rather than listening… and I sold up… but kept my albums… however at least I scratched the itch and I might even return at some point.
From a SQ perspective and sheer immersive feel, vinyl replay is in my opinion ultimately inferior to a modern high performance DAC and digital chain, after all with modern vinyl, the TT system is part of the electro-mechanical digital to analogue reconstruction filter anyway, but it does have a charm as you say and a kind of aesthetic appeal to the sound (audio transfer function), no doubt helped by the groove modulation optimisation and RIAA eq. Some of the Uber loaded Linn Sondek setups can sound rather impressive.
So I would suggest you give it a try, you never know you might become an ardent fan.
Playback via my ND555 is indeed enjoyable and many albums can sound impressive, however, when comparing like for like I invariably prefer the vinyl source. For me digital sounds processed rather than the more natural sounding vinyl.
I agree Gerry. There is something undefinable that gives vinyl the edge imo. It just sounds more natural. Whatever side of the fence we sit there are great choices of kit available these days.
For me it was worth doing. A few years back I decided to buy a Rega Planar 1 plus. Clearly my NDX/XPS was going to sound alot better but that wasn’t really the point. I noticed that my local HMV had started stocking alot more vinyl and I quite liked the idea of spending a bit of time browsing and buying the odd vinyl album from time to time, probably for nostalgic reasons. I guess I might upgrade the turntable to higher end Rega if I build up a large collection but certainly have no intention of going down the Linn upgrade route again or buying a cleaning machine.
It’s a No from me!
My enthusiasm for records was recently raised at the appearance of a new second-hand record shop on the high street in my little town.
A fair number of purchases later it has subsided and resides where it once languished, my 35 year old turntable more or less unused once again. :0(
Record shop still seems to be there though!
The short answer to the OP’s question is “No”.
Like it or not, streaming is the way forward for the masses. And they are the ones that matter for “the industry”, not a few audiophiles.
And before you all start the flame wars, we have 2500 or so CDs, 700 odd LPs, and I bought my Sondek in '82, and it is still attached to one or other of our systems (currently the Naim).
Financially - probably not. In terms of pure VFM - probably not. Emotionally/for the pleasure of collecting and playing your music on vinyl - absolutely yes! Very subjective, of course, but I’m really happy I went back to vinyl (had kept some 200 albums IIRC). I also stream on Sonos and my Qb in the kitchen when friends are over, when cooking or when checking out new music. Still have all my CDs too, but never play them; they’re losing to the sound and nostalgia of vinyl and the convenience of streaming, and I tend to focus on one serious source at a time.
While true, how does it affect someone who wants to play vinyl? Not really, as far as I can see.
I disagree.
Streaming is marketing. It’s the new radio play. The pay is pitiful but it gets attention to an artist’s work.
Gig tickets and merchandise are the money spinners. (Well, relatively speaking.) For those who can get it, copyright use too eg in movies, online videos, etc.
Anyway, vinyl is a great opportunity to monetise content. And it can’t be copied. For as long as people want a tactile experience, vinyl will rule. The only pitfalls I can see are an inevitable backlash against the use of resources to make vinyl records and their environmental impact, but technology should be able to solve most of that to keep it attractive.
There are more;
- Storage issues where space is concerned
- Limited selection of music on vinyl
- Crackling, hiss or pops
- Inability to select or change tracks from your listening chair
- Costly cartridge replacement especially if it is a premium model
No. I think the great revival of vinyl is a marketing scheme from the former big recording industry to sell some more useless physical media. Sadly many people are falling into the trap.
If i were you, would have started digitizing my cds out of boredom. 700cds are alot of music, you can sadly losten one cd at a time. Being able to create long playlists, by just queuing many cds is really very enjoyable. You can listen to the whole discography of a band without ever standing up :).
And getting the punters to shell out each month to rent music they might already own isn’t?
My turntable remains my primary source component because if it ever breaks down, I can get it fixed, I don’t need a PhD in network administration to get it to work, and my LPs have all the metadata I need conveniently printed on the sleeve and on the labels.
But to answer the original poster’s question: If I didn’t already have a record collection to play on it, I wouldn’t start from scratch with a turntable now.
None of these is a new challenge. (Indeed, limited selection is becoming less of an issue.)
Yes … just a degree in mechanical engineering … much easier to than debugging a software issue
It doesn’t need to make sense. A hobby should be an emotional decision.
If you want the experience of vinyl, go for it. I got into it properly last year and I’ve had a great time sifting through used records in shops, buying records at gigs, buying from Bandcamp, buying new in stores. I can find it all on Spotify but, for me, it’s not the same.
It’s not about the sound quality or convenience. Streaming is easier and less susceptible to vinyl issues. But the issues with vinyl are part of the appeal. I like listening to a 22min side, flipping it and hearing the other side. I like hearing the record as the artist planned it. I like the risk that a record I buy might not be perfect, or indeed might work our better than I expected. I like sharing my records with my friends and sharing the cover, liner notes, etc.
All of this is possible with streaming. But the ownership I feel over the physical medium, for me, strengthens my connection to the artist and their music.
If this appeals to you, and you can afford the extra cost compared with streaming (both in terms of kit and the cost of acquiring the records) then of course, start afresh with vinyl.
It can’t be useless if someone finds use for it (which I do). I don’t think I’ve fallen into a trap, either. I’ve made a conscious decision about buying and listening to vinyl, weighing the pros and cons. That assessment is, of course, personal and subjective - but labelling the media as useless and saying people who buy it have fallen into a trap is somewhat pejorative.
From my point of view it is useless. But if you like it, more power to you. Nevertheless I am not going to recommend it.
Indeed, more power to me - and recommendations not wanted.