# Are You a Vinyl Virgin?



## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

How many of you out there have gotten the actual experience of listening to music on vinyl LPs? Meaning on a good system, with good vinyl, and a good turntable?

I was just wondering. listening to music on LPs is a different experience, and undertaking, than listening to CDs or to files. Sure, vinyl has its drawbacks: pops and ticks, noise (minimized if your record is in good shape and taken care of), dust and care, turntable cost and maintenance, storage, to name a few. But the reward is worth the effort: there is a lack of harshness in loud and bright passages, and voices are reproduced exquisitely.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I used to have a serious number of LPs, decent equipment too. I was never happier than when CDs came out; the smile is still on my face.


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## stevens (Jun 23, 2014)

Me to, I have lots of vinyl, today I never listen to it. I try to sell my vinyl and cd:s.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

Nope. I'm a seasoned vinylist, never got rid of my kit in the eighties when the CD made its inroad! My LP's are very clean, very few pops and click's as I regularly wash them an a purpose-built dishwasher!
About 50% of my listening is Vinyl!

/ptr


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

KenOC said:


> I used to have a serious number of LPs, decent equipment too. I was never happier than when CDs came out; the smile is still on my face.


Me too; but it took a while for CD sound to achieve a decent fidelity. Remember those first CDs that they just slapped the mix onto CD? Neil Young was dissatisfied with the CD sample rate from the beginning (his archives are now on DVD audio and Blu-ray).

Still, there are notable exceptions, which proves that careful mastering still matters. *Sessions' Symphony No. 1* with Igor Buketoff conducting still sounds better, much better, on LP. There's a lot of stuff out there that could use a good remastering. And the Robert Craft,Columbia Schoenberg recordings have still not made it to CD.

Which leads me to wonder, is this the golden age of CDs, meaning "44.1 sample rates?" I would hope that we could move on to higher resolution discs permanently.








The CD








The LP...


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

Mine went to library land.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Yes. Where I can find some vinyl hookers in order to become a man*?

*by this, I mean, of course, a mature and experienced classical music listener and audiophile!


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2014)

I got one of those turntables that can be used to convert vinyl to MP3, and I have it hooked up to my home stereo system - an LG home theater all-in-one, with 5.1 surround. It gets good enough sound for me, but I am converting everything to MP3. Mostly I like it because of the ridiculously low prices for LPs that I have found at a used everything store near me - 25-50 cents/album. For that price, I can live with the snaps, crackles, and pops. Still, 95% of my music collection is from digital downloads or CDs - still preferred for the sound quality.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I used to have a lot of LP's. They probably all got melted down and re-formed into dirty bombs for ISIS.

The Law of Conservation of Matter, I guess.


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

I have all my ~500 pre-1989 LP discs, and still play many (jazz and classical discs) regularly. I have a Linn LP12 turntable which was my pride and joy back in 1986 when new, but it's been in dire need of a service for a few years and doesn't get much use. 

I bought a second, more robust turntable (a ProJect 1) about 8-9 years ago when my daughter wanted to be able to listen to my old collection of rock 45s (it's not easy to adapt a Linn Sondek to play at 45 rpm). This is now in regular use both to play and to digitalise LPs via a Behringer UCA202 A to D converter. Certain LPs do still sound really good - I've seen this explained in terms of 'good' harmonic distortion. 

However, I haven't bought any new vinyl since 1989 - last LP purchase was Mahler #2 / Rattle, CBSO on EMI. Which sounds just great.


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## ClassicalListener (Oct 17, 2014)

I listened to vinyls many times on a decent though not extravagant system many years ago. One thing I cannot stand about them is the limited dynamic range. Particularly in the case of classical and orchestral, music sounds too flat for my taste.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I love vinyl & still play lots of LPs.

Here are some of my records in my basement listening room:


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## Radames (Feb 27, 2013)

I still have lots of vinyl. But it's been so long since I've used my turntable.. not sure I remember how it works.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I grew up with LPs and had a sizable number of LPs and a sound system that cost more than I can believe now. There is absolutely no way that the cost and all the pain-in-the-butt effort needed to maintain this system is in any way worth it after the development of the CD and digital. But there are those who still kid themselves that it somehow sounds better.


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## Haydn man (Jan 25, 2014)

KenOC said:


> I used to have a serious number of LPs, decent equipment too. I was never happier than when CDs came out; the smile is still on my face.


I'm with you 100% there


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Bought my first Turntable in the mid 70's Never stopped listening to vinyl, even though I have embraced CD and Mini Disc. I play LP's every day. Just bought a new Amp. The Rega Brio -r There's going to be some serious vinyl favourite spinning in the next few days.


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

Still have my vinyl and turntable both redundant. Nostalgia maybe but during my life I sold record collections before and regretted it. The really dumb thing is that all of the L P's have been replaced by C D's anyway and the favourites have been converted to MP3 for my player while on walkabout.
Who would have thought that an old cynic like me was sentimental.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm not, but my collection is small. It's growing, however--my dad bought me a really nice turntable for my birthday this year and I've been collecting classical records, most of them Deutsche Grammophon (and various opera records). I also bought a speaker set on eBay that sounds excellent. I hope to have several shelves full of records, even if CDs are always going to be my preferred format.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

i'm not a vinyl virgin, but would be if I was buying new LPs now.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Radames said:


> I still have lots of vinyl. But it's been so long since I've used my turntable.. not sure I remember how it works.


1. Put the LP on the platter. 2. Engage Start. 3. Then gently place the arm with stylus and cartridge to the beginning of the LP. Disregard 3, if automatic.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Vaneyes said:


> 1. Put the LP on the platter. 2. Engage Start. 3. Then gently place the arm with stylus and cartridge to the beginning of the LP. Disregard 3, if automatic.


You forgot to fiddle with the anti-skate, adjust the stylus pressure, use your little microscope to check for needle wear, mess with the strobe, check the belt or idler, and half a dozen other things that need to be done before you can even *think* of playing an LP. Oh, and taking care of dust (if such a thing is possible).


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

KenOC said:


> You forgot to fiddle with the anti-skate, adjust the stylus pressure, use your little microscope to check for needle wear, mess with the strobe, check the belt or idler, and half a dozen other things that need to be done before you can even *think* of playing an LP. Oh, and taking care of dust (if such a thing is possible).


And do make sure the unit is plugged in.

You're referring to troubleshooting. One doesn't need to do any of those things to play an LP.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Vaneyes said:


> And do make sure the unit is plugged in.
> 
> You're referring to troubleshooting. One doesn't need to do any of those things to play an LP.


:lol: No, when I had a turntable I considered all these things necessary before a listening session! Well, maybe not the microscope thing...


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> And do make sure the unit is plugged in.
> 
> You're referring to troubleshooting. One doesn't need to do any of those things to play an LP.


Ha! Ha! Reminds me of the glory days when my window air conditioner wouldn't switch on so I called the AC repairman who promptly inserted the plug in the socket and charged me $75!


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> Ha! Ha! Reminds me of the glory days when my window air conditioner wouldn't switch on so I called the AC repairman who promptly inserted the plug in the socket and charged me $75!


We've all had those punch-yourself-in-the-face moments. Well, maybe not Ken.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Vaneyes said:


> We've all had those punch-yourself-in-the-face moments. Well, maybe not Ken.


Yeah. There's one on every forum who the rest of us secretly wish we could be.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Vaneyes said:


> We've all had those punch-yourself-in-the-face moments. Well, maybe not Ken.


Contrary to what some say, I was *not* the guy who complained to tech support that his computer's cupholder broke off.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Believe me, if I am ever going to be executed in the electric chair, possibly for excessive pithiness, I at least now know to check the damn plug and make sure it's already in the socket. I'm not going to look stupid twice!!!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Just ran into this: A short BBC documentary on the last LP manufacturer in Australia. Interesting!

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29628063


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2014)

Put me in the mood to listen to one of my great LP finds - for $2, about a year ago, I found the Yevgeny Mravinsky/Leningrad PO recording on DG of the 4th, 5th, and 6th Symphonies of Tchaikovsky. Listening to the 5th while converting it to MP3. Next will be the Arthur Rubinstein recordings of the Chopin Ballads and Scherzos.


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## Dave Whitmore (Oct 3, 2014)

There's something comforting about listening to something on LPs. I guess it takes me back to my childhood. I was given a few classical LPs a couple of months ago. Only trouble is we don't have a record player. I'll have to look out for one.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

My wife saw all my old LPs sitting on the shelf and bought me a turntable for my birthday, so I'm getting back on the horse. 

I noticed that Barnes & Noble is selling LPs again. There is a die-hard coterie of vinylists in the Nashville area.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I used to work in a record store (remember those?) in college in the 1970s. The quality of the vinyl was terrible; about a third of the classical sales would be returned as unplayable, and probably half as much Rock and Jazz. I remember that Angel Records (EMI in the U. S.) was the worse, with records looking like Ruffles Potato Chips.
What cracks me up about vinylistas is that when one tries to buy lps at a second hand store, they are buying those same lousy records, pre owned, 40 years or older, and probably after years of sitting in basements, attics, or garages.
Good luck with that.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

There's something oddly seductive about LPs and the gear. I keep checking Amazon for good turntables, preferably ones with quality cartridges and USB output. And I don't own a single LP!


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2014)

Manxfeeder said:


> My wife saw all my old LPs sitting on the shelf and bought me a turntable for my birthday, so I'm getting back on the horse.
> 
> I noticed that Barnes & Noble is selling LPs again. There is a die-hard coterie of vinylists in the Nashville area.


I think there is a McKay's store there in Nashville - I go to the one in Chattanooga, and I know there is also one in Knoxville. They have great used vinyl for dirt cheap - 25-50 cents each. I have found some great albums, without looking very hard. I'm pretty sure they have a shop in Nashville.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I have a couple dozen records, mostly rock and roll. These I don't want to get rid of. How can I part with an old LP of Dark Side of the Moon? I didn't start buying classical until CDs were on the market. I have a turn table, but the belt has weathered away. How do you get such old equipment fixed?


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

senza sordino said:


> I have a couple dozen records, mostly rock and roll. These I don't want to get rid of. How can I part with an old LP of Dark Side of the Moon? I didn't start buying classical until CDs were on the market. I have a turn table, but the belt has weathered away. How do you get such old equipment fixed?


You can buy belts and other parts for a lot of turntables on ebay. Might check there. Also, look for an original or photocopied manual if you don't have one, for lubrication instructions.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

KenOC said:


> You can buy belts and other parts for a lot of turntables on ebay. Might check there. Also, look for an original or photocopied manual if you don't have one, for lubrication instructions.


Thanks for the information, but I have to confess I'm not terribly interested in firing up the old turntable. I'm not planning on playing Dark Side of the Moon anytime soon. Though I could have used it at work a few weeks ago as a demonstration.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

senza sordino said:


> I have a couple dozen records, mostly rock and roll. These I don't want to get rid of. How can I part with an old LP of Dark Side of the Moon? I didn't start buying classical until CDs were on the market. I have a turn table, but the belt has weathered away. How do you get such old equipment fixed?


Most metropolitan areas still have shops that specialize in audio equipment. There are a couple here in Atlanta. These types of shops usually offer audio equipment repair services.

And there's always the internet.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

KenOC said:


> There's something oddly seductive about LPs and the gear. I keep checking Amazon for good turntables, preferably ones with quality cartridges and USB output. And I don't own a single LP!


I bought this turntable for my teenage son a couple years ago. http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q

For a very reasonable price ($250, as of today), you get a complete table/tonearm/cartridge set up. Plus it includes a USB port for converting to digital AND a built-in phono amp, in case your amplifier doesn't have a phono input or you don't have an external phono pre-amp.

The sound is shockingly good too, considering the price point.

It's a great way to get (back) into vinyl for not much $$$ outlay.


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## hreichgott (Dec 31, 2012)

If I can't jump around while it's playing, that's a serious drawback.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

hreichgott said:


> If I can't jump around while it's playing, that's a serious drawback.


Sure you can dance -- if you set the 'table on shelf mounted the to the wall. 

If your subfloor happens to be concrete -- mine is, since my listening room is in the basement -- you don't even need to do that.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I have wonderful memories of the "good old days" of vinyl, but then the "good old days" always look better from a distance. I know that if we had not advanced beyond vinyl LPs my listening time would be about 5 percent what it is now. So the convenience of CDs and especially MP3s = much more listening time. A very worthwhile tradeoff. I gave away much of my LP collection which was not very big to begin with.

As for equipment, I had (still have in storage) a Yahama component system from 1979 with a 65 watt per channel stereo amp and the entry level Yahama turntable, with New Advent loudspeakers that sounded quite wonderful for $100 each in the day. The whole system cost me around $2000 back in the day, which was a LOT of money considering my '77 F150 pickup was only $3500 brand new. Would love to set this system up and spin a few discs as well as connect a CD player to it, but no space, no time.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I still have a LP turntable as well as a dual cassette recorder/player as part of my audio setup at home. It also has a 5 disc CD player as well. 

I grew up on LP's - that was all there was. I recall the days of balancing the tone arm and adding just enough weight (grams) to the stylus so that it would track properly. My LP turntables over the years have all been single play, totally manual operation. 

I do enjoy the creation of CD's ... makes it much easier to have recorded music in the car. One of my eventual projects though is to make digital copies of all my LP's. Most titles of my oldest LP's are no longer available, but they are in pristine condition and stored properly in a controlled temperature environment. 

Kh ♫


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

There are those who love machines and gadgets and tools and tinkering and brushing and cleaning and fiddling around with stuff and talking about it with other people who like all of that. 

Then there's me. I just want music to appear when I push "play."


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

I never relinquished use of my turntable. I did upgrade to a quality turntable a couple of years ago, from a SONY direct-drive table from the 1970's to a VPI ScoutMaster. I've always used pretty good cartridges. For many years I utilized the SHURE V15s, but now have a ClearAudio Maestro Wood installed on my ScoutMaster. 

And, of course, a good pre-amp helps.

I still play vinyl, several times a week. I never gave up my vinyl collection, even when I started purchasing CDs (which I started to do before I ever had a CD deck). I now have many more CDs than records, but I have a lot of vinyl records. And I still buy new vinyl. I recently picked up the Beatles mono discs. Previously I purchased the "remastered" Beatles on vinyl (in stereo). These add new vinyl to my old vinyl Beatles discs (from the 60s and 70s), most of which still sound great even after years of play. (Again, having long used fine equipment helped preserve the records' quality.)

For me, there remains a magical quality to vinyl, a "jump factor", that I never get from CD. It's hard to explain, but the playing of vinyl has provided me with more "Wow" moments than I can recall ever getting from CDs. With CDs I find I simply listen to the music. Not a bad thing at all. But only vinyl provides moments of absolute stunning "Wow" -- sort of like having a musician step into the room with you for a moment.

Vinyl still works for me. And that's all that really matters.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I haven't played any vinyl for a couple of decades. I can't be bothered messing around with turntables, cartridges, record cleaner, etc... CDs are so much easier.


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## scratchgolf (Nov 15, 2013)

Reading this thread reminded me of purposely jumping to make my father's records skip. It seemed a good idea at the time. Honestly, who really wants to listen to Colin Blunstone and Joni Mitchell anyway?


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I have all of Joni Mitchell's albums on CD!


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

scratchgolf said:


> Reading this thread reminded me of purposely jumping to make my father's records skip. It seemed a good idea at the time. Honestly, who really wants to listen to Colin Blunstone and Joni Mitchell anyway?


My own memory: My father, by no means a wealthy man, could only afford maybe a half dozen LPs. When he was at work, I used to play them on the old wind-up Victrola, holding the tone arm down so I could watch the little curlicues of vinyl come up off the surface.

I told him about this in later years, when he was elderly. He just looked at me and said, "I always wondered why they wore out so fast."


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

I actually fell for the Vinyl bug around 10 years ago and bought a Project turntable, whatever their entry model was at the time. I bought some lps but realized soon what the problems were. I did have some "ah" moments when comparing some lps to their CD reissues. I ultimately bought a better txt and phono amp but I rarely listen to it now.
Why? I think digital has gotten so much better. A great DAC for $500 to $1000 will improve your CD collection and increase your overall pleasure much more than a similarly expenditure in vinyl. And high res Digital, such as SACD or Blu Ray,sounds analog like without the disadvantages of vinyl. Vinyl can sound really good, but the 'software ' is limited, cleaning storing and caring for records is a hassle, and imo you have to spend a lot more to get good results than you would for good digital sources.
Different strokes. Vinyl can be fun and rewarding. It is the music that counts.


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

I never ridded myself of Vinyl because I have several thousand LP's, many with music that never have been re-released on any modern media, many from eastern Europe, hundreds of mono's (that I of course reproduce with appropriate mono pick-ups), hundreds of disc's from defunct labels that no one cares for today, and so on...
And on this I buy lost of second hand LP's as they, unless they are "audiophile desired", costs nickels and dimes!

/ptr


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Not a lot but I still have some...out of necessity more than anything. Not everything got transferred to cd.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

There is a "ritualistic" aspect to playing LPs that I find comforting. Jace's posting on p.1 is interesting; Ideally, I'd like to have an underground bunker, dust-free, for playing LPs. A friend of mine in 1970 wondered why my records were more dust-free than his; it turns out that I lived in a concrete-form house, and his was a wood-frame, which let much more dust in.
Yes, LPs are an alternative only, not the final word. But the advantages are, access to music not yet on CD, or poorly mastered; good sound in the mids and highs if you can get past the ticks and pops (actually, this makes records a "hotter" medium than CDs), and that great big cover art.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

If I was into vinyl, I'd get the new Passion Play double LP. But I opted for the 4 disc set.


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## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Here's a question, and you geezers have to be completely honest!

Really, what are the actual percentages of simply nostalgia, ritual, etc., and actual fidelity merit that can be assigned to the experience of still listening to music in vinyls in 2014?

I ask this in all honesty, I grow up in the 90s with the CDs.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

If you grew up in the 60s-70s and experienced that warm analog sound that is absent from most pop/rock CDs, then you'd understand. But even so, I can't afford 30 dollars a pop for vinyl albums. And I can't be bothered searching the used bins.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

aleazk said:


> Here's a question, and you geezers have to be completely honest!
> 
> Really, what are the actual percentages of simply nostalgia, ritual, etc., and actual fidelity merit that can be assigned to the experience of still listening to music in vinyls in 2014?
> 
> I ask this in all honesty, I grow up in the 90s with the CDs.


For me, it's probably 80%. When I started with vinyl, it was more like 99%. However, I just don't listen that much to vinyl anymore after my brief flirtation, so my comments should be taken in that vein


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## SilverSurfer (Sep 13, 2014)

aleazk said:


> Here's a question, and you geezers have to be completely honest!
> 
> Really, what are the actual percentages of simply nostalgia, ritual, etc., and actual fidelity merit that can be assigned to the experience of still listening to music in vinyls in 2014?
> 
> I ask this in all honesty, I grow up in the 90s with the CDs.


Honestly, I grew up in the 70s but I don't listen to my old Lps, most of them rare jewels of contemporary music (90 % Spanish) never re-issued on Cd, but I keep on looking for and buying those rarities.
Then, I listen to them once and ask a friend of mine to convert them to digital as he is doing with my collection.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

DrMike said:


> I think there is a McKay's store there in Nashville - I go to the one in Chattanooga, and I know there is also one in Knoxville. They have great used vinyl for dirt cheap - 25-50 cents each. I have found some great albums, without looking very hard. I'm pretty sure they have a shop in Nashville.


You like McKay's also? Yeah, they're great. I've been to all three. I'm there probably twice a week. Last week, it just hit me that now that I have a turntable, I should find where their LP section is. Yep, something else to torment me.


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2014)

Manxfeeder said:


> You like McKay's also? Yeah, they're great. I've been to all three. I'm there probably twice a week. Last week, it just hit me that now that I have a turntable, I should find where their LP section is. Yep, something else to torment me.


It isn't a torment, though. With LPs 25-50 cents a piece, you can come away with anywhere from 20-40 LPs for only $10 - the cost of a new album digital download! Guilt free! You just have to come up with more space to store them.

I only go to the one in Chattanooga - my father-in-law lives there. I passed through Knoxville once and stopped off there, but I'm in Alabama, so that doesn't happen as often. I'm also in Nashville only once a year.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

DrMike said:


> It isn't a torment, though. With LPs 25-50 cents a piece, you can come away with anywhere from 20-40 LPs for only $10 - the cost of a new album digital download! Guilt free! You just have to come up with more space to store them.
> 
> I only go to the one in Chattanooga - my father-in-law lives there. I passed through Knoxville once and stopped off there, but I'm in Alabama, so that doesn't happen as often. I'm also in Nashville only once a year.


My father-in-law lives in Chattanooga too. Whenever we go up there, I try to "sneak away" for a while so I can get to McKay's!


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## Guest (Oct 21, 2014)

JACE said:


> My father-in-law lives in Chattanooga too. Whenever we go up there, I try to "sneak away" for a while so I can get to McKay's!


Damn you!!!! Don't you dare take anything I might want!!!:scold:


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## Declined (Apr 8, 2014)

I have a Beatles compilation album, a few Led Zeppelin albums and a Rolling Stones album on vinyl. They sound very good, except for the occasional scratch.


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## MoonlightSonata (Mar 29, 2014)

Unfortunately the only records I am able to listen to are those owned by my piano teacher.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

millionrainbows said:


> There is a "ritualistic" aspect to playing LPs that I find comforting. Jace's posting on p.1 is interesting; Ideally, I'd like to have an underground bunker, dust-free, for playing LPs. A friend of mine in 1970 wondered why my records were more dust-free than his; it turns out that I lived in a concrete-form house, and his was a wood-frame, which let much more dust in.
> Yes, LPs are an alternative only, not the final word. But the advantages are, access to music not yet on CD, or poorly mastered; good sound in the mids and highs if you can get past the ticks and pops (actually, this makes records a "hotter" medium than CDs), and that great big cover art.


Of course, dust and scratches can plague CD play. One must occasionally clean the laser lens in the CD deck or dust buildup can bring the music to a halting silence ... or worse -- scream-like noises. And sometimes CDs simply won't load or play. I've had several new discs that behaved like this. Sometimes I could get play by switching players. (I currently have two operating CD decks in my system, one with SACD capability, the other a 5-disc changer, useful for assorted random music playing or an uninterrupted Wagner opera or late Mahler symphony. Both are quality machines, and I run lens cleaners regularly.

LPs should be dust free prior to playing, and often a swipe with a record cloth or a brush (like the SONIC BROOM from audio-technical) will be enough to alleviate problems. Turntables generally have dust covers, but one might prefer to play records with the dust cover up or removed from the table. And of course the needle and cartridge must be kept lint free and clean. But that's not so much of a bother, really.


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## bigshot (Nov 22, 2011)

I have tens of thousands of records, but most of them have been replaced by CDs. Even my best Living Stereo LPs don't stand up to the recent CD remasters, and many things, like the Columbia Stravinsky Plays Stravinsky box sounds HORRIBLE on LP compared to the CD. The records that get the most play around here are the oldest... acoustic opera records that I play on my Victrola. Other than that, I am trying to go all digital on my media server.


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## nightscape (Jun 22, 2013)

I was a child of the 80s and grew up on a steady diet of 45s (we didn't have a CD player until about 1990). Once CDs came out I never revisited LPs in any serious way as an adult. I don't own a record player. I know that vinyl re-trends every now and then but I never feel compelled to revisit or make a sentimental gut-purchase on equipment that I don't need.

I know there are audiophiles out there that endlessly debate each other over the qualities of vinyl against modern formats, but I can't count myself among them.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

The music industry's first mistake was making a format that's near indestructible. I don't think I've ever had to replace a cd. You would have to leave it in the sun or use it a frisbee to wreck it.


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

TurnaboutVox said:


> I have all my ~500 pre-1989 LP discs, and still play many (jazz and classical discs) regularly. I have a Linn LP12 turntable which was my pride and joy back in 1986 when new, but it's been in dire need of a service for a few years and doesn't get much use.
> 
> I bought a second, more robust turntable (a ProJect 1) about 8-9 years ago when my daughter wanted to be able to listen to my old collection of rock 45s (it's not easy to adapt a Linn Sondek to play at 45 rpm). This is now in regular use both to play and to digitalise LPs via a Behringer UCA202 A to D converter. Certain LPs do still sound really good - I've seen this explained in terms of 'good' harmonic distortion.
> 
> However, I haven't bought any new vinyl since 1989 - last LP purchase was Mahler #2 / Rattle, CBSO on EMI. Which sounds just great.


Just go ahead and break my heart, man. Break it.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

You vinyl whores are funny. Stop living in the past, man!


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Morimur said:


> You vinyl whores are funny. Stop living in the past, man!


If they have the discs, and the playback equipment, they _are_ living in the present.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

PetrB said:


> If they have the discs, and the playback equipment, they _are_ living in the present.


Stop needling him. It's very unstylus of you!


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## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> The music industry's first mistake was making a format that's near indestructible. I don't think I've ever had to replace a cd. You would have to leave it in the sun or use it a frisbee to wreck it.


Oh, I have. A stack of early (1989) CD's, apparently all pressed by the same plant, deteriorated after a few years and became steadily more distorted and then unplayable - the colour of the playing surface also 'bronzed'. Hyperion replaced theirs for me, but DG couldn't, having deleted that particular repertoire. To be fair, they gave me a new (unrelated) CD of my choice free.

It is also a myth that you can't destroy a CD surface by careless misuse...


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Neil Young is advocating that all music companies come up with a "gold standard" which would finally make all music sound good: a high sampling rate of 394 Khz!


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

millionrainbows said:


> Neil Young is advocating that all music companies come up with a "gold standard" which would finally make all music sound good: a high sampling rate of 394 Khz!


Sounds good to me. Get on it, million!


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

TurnaboutVox said:


> Oh, I have. A stack of early (1989) CD's, apparently all pressed by the same plant, deteriorated after a few years and became steadily more distorted and then unplayable - the colour of the playing surface also 'bronzed'. Hyperion replaced theirs for me, but DG couldn't, having deleted that particular repertoire. To be fair, they gave me a new (unrelated) CD of my choice free.
> 
> It is also a myth that you can't destroy a CD surface by careless misuse...


I still have plenty that have _Made in West Germany_y printed on them. The quality of the recording is dubious but the cds still work okay.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

millionrainbows said:


> Neil Young is advocating that all music companies come up with a "gold standard" which would finally make all music sound good: a high sampling rate of 394 Khz!


I've heard the guitar solo from _Cinnamon Girl._ Is it worth it, Neil?


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Love Neil Young...but low-fi is more his style.


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

Couac Addict said:


> I've heard the guitar solo from _Cinnamon Girl._ Is it worth it, Neil?


I've heard _A Man Needs A Maid,_ (from Harvest) with full orchestral accompaniment, too. Voices. And this is his art. Y'all need to read _Waging Heavy Peace._

Young wants this higher sample rate (392 kHz) to be "idiot proofed" as the overall standard, whether you want it or not. That way, all the subjective stuff will be out the window, and the sun can shine. Meanwhile, you're listening to music underwater, unless it's at least 192 kHz.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

millionrainbows said:


> I've heard _A Man Needs A Maid,_ (from Harvest) with full orchestral accompaniment, too. Voices. And this is his art. Y'all need to read _Waging Heavy Peace._
> 
> Young wants this higher sample rate (392 kHz) to be "idiot proofed" as the overall standard, whether you want it or not. That way, all the subjective stuff will be out the window, and the sun can shine. Meanwhile, you're listening to music underwater, unless it's at least 192 kHz.


Yes A Man Needs a Maid is a great song with the LSO. I read Waging Heavy Peace and thought it a very informative book. When you simply need some high energy noise that makes you feel good for a little while, there is nothing like Cinnamon Girl


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## millionrainbows (Jun 23, 2012)

When Neil Young plays acoustic, and all the voices on there, that's where the hi-fi will show up. Personally, I think his later stuff is somewhat embarrassing (his reaction to punk; that electronic album, etc.) The "retro" album he did was good, after he apparently came to his senses and started acting his age.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

I like him though. Im used to him on vinyl too. But then I'm just an old Vinyl ****!

:lol: I cant say 'Es El Yu Tee' here! :lol:


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

^^
Same here, just dug up 18 NY albums from the crates, including some pretty awfull ones, but I'll listen to them again for the occasion.
Vinyl virgin ? Promiscuous vinyl sl#t more likely !


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

starthrower said:


> I have all of Joni Mitchell's albums on CD!


and I have a Colin Blunstone album on CD-Say you don't mind and I don't believe in miracles being classic songs of the pre-Clash era!


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