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When do you choose vinyl over digital?

For those who play (and buy) both vinyl records and CDs (or digital downloads or CDs ripped to a server), here's my question:
When contemplating a new purchase, something that is available on vinyl and on CD, how do you decide which to get? For me, the choice is sometimes easy -- when, say, a longtime favorite artist comes out with a new album, I'll most likely get the vinyl, adding to my collection. Others, whose work I've mostly got on CD (or don't have much of in any format) might lend themselves to picking up the shiny disc. But sometimes I can't decide.
One example: I've heard (and enjoyed) some Vampire Weekend and felt like giving them a listen. I can pick up their three CDs for a bit less than $30, or could get the trio of vinyl recordings for not quite twice that amount. I haven't pulled the trigger because I'm not sure which way to go.
When in similar straits, which way do you lean -- and why?
Thanks.
-- Howard
hodu

Showing 1 response by mapman

mapman's avatar
mapman
21,838 posts
 
Similar to Elizabeth. I have many CDs and lps also but probably not as many as her.

My preference generally is CD for easy rip + play via music server.

Lps are more time consuming to get/keep clean and play, so I tend to buy those only when dirt cheap and then often many at a time or when there is something that I must have on lp only(rare cases these days).

Also I will buy lps when I come across something that I think will just plain sound really good for whatever reason, especially on certain classical labels know for good sound.

Also on occasion, I will buy an lp mainly for the album art and sometimes put it up on the wall in an lp frame.
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