2. analog
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Records are better. I actually heard it

Just went to a friend's house whose dad has a (somewhat low end) audiophile system. He had on a couple CD's in the background, but once we started talking audio stuff, he plopped on a record.

And I actually heard with my own ears how much better records sound than CD's! Granted, maybe his CD player was crappy, but really so was his record player. He bought the table at the swap meet for like $50 (supposedly great for bargain tables and records as well), and added a $200 MC cartridge.

But the music, oh the music. I had always just assumed it was going to take a ridiculously expensive system for me to be able to hear the difference. But no. The music was alive. Like it was right there, that's the only way to describe it. And it flowed. The highs seemed effortless and non-fatiguing. The record even had some scratches or whatever in it so that it crackled and popped a bit, but even with this I still preferred it.

I need to find a way to make room, but I don't think I'm going to be able to hold off on getting a turntable for very long. Is there anyone who thinks it would be a big mistake to follow in my friend's dad's footsteps and buy an old table at the swap meet for $50 and add a nice $200 MC cartridge to it? He's picking up records at the swap meet for $1-$2 apiece. That's an entry cost of like $300 for sound that appears to kill CD sound.
matt8268

Showing 2 responses by dirtyragamuffin

dirtyragamuffin
213 posts
 
Don't know why this thread was resurrected, but here's my angle.

I'm 22. I come from the digital generation--all those ones and zeros shoved down our throats, you'd better believe it!

There's a vast wasteland of people my age slogging through their days with MP3s buzzing through their gangrenous heads, and, whether consciously or not, they're wondering where the music went.

Me personally, I found it eminating from the grooves of the first record I spun on the AR ES-1 that I rescued from a basment only a year and a half ago. It had been pretty badly beaten, but it had a Linn Basik tonearm and working suspension...and so I took it in like an orphaned kitten. I fed it a saucerful of TLC and even gave it a Shure M97x to help lift its spirits (later they'd be lifted further with the appearance of a Clearaudio cart).

Flash forward a year and a half. I now have a Michell Gyrodec gracing my living room--amped by the warm regards of glowing vacuum tubes--and my LP collection--as well as my friends' collections--have swelled undeniably. Our digital collections? Notsomaaaach ;) In fact, in some of my friends living rooms, you'll find a big ol' box with an arm and spinning platter filling space once occupied by a spaghetti mess of cheap zip cords attatching all kinds of beeping, shiny doo-dads and digi-whatsits.

Hey, we may have been branded the digital generation, but we still have ears...and some of us know how to use 'em! Our numbers are small but growing all the time :)
dirtyragamuffin
213 posts
 
Hey Audiotomb,

You know, to be really honest, a significant chunk of my collection is post-1989, though my tastes are all over the place. I do have my share of Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Primus, Tool, Tori Amos records and so on--even a some punk and metal! It's the music I grew up with so I'm partial to it, even if it's not the most brilliant stuff in the world. In fact, in the pics of my virtual system, the record sitting on the Gyrodec is an AIC record ;) I'll say that most of the new vinyl I buy is modern music--I'm suprised at how much is available these days!

However, I do have my share of 50's to early 80's music as well and love that too. Some gems are my original Tommy and early pressing DSOTM (I also have the newest 30th edition Dark Side and it sounds incredible), an old Pink Floyd 3-LP bootleg set that may be a Dark Side-era German bootleg, Miles Davis Quiex pressing, Janis, Lou Reed, Sabbath and so-on. I have my eyes out for some good quality Joni Mitchells and early Santanas lately, and more Lou Reed/Velvet stuff too.

I've noticed that alot of my friends' collections are mostly older, pre 80's vinyl. They have some gems, original Led Zep, Floyd and Beatles records and so-on. Cliche but good nonetheless...especially for us "digital" kids ;)
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