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Why do YOU love Vinyl/or hate vinyl

I just responded to the thread on how many sources do you have ( shotgunning tonight) and got me wondering why I love vinyl so much? Have a very good digital side on both my main system and my headphone system as well that was set up for Redbook playback (headphone system) only utilising my vast 1,000 CD collection, enjoyed it for about a year, added a turntable and haven't used it since. My love of vinyl has been with me for 55 years, buying and playing, setting up my tables , matching preamps and enjoying the fruit of my labor. I believe my love of vinyl is a simple one, it stemmed from the hands on, need to tinker and adjust that I was born with, it's a very physical attraction that I just can not resist, it satisfies a lot of needs for me and in some way is that mistress that I maintain. My turntable is massive and so easy to look at, I can touch it and get more out of it, I can read about the artist and get info while I listen to an album, I can swap out a cartridge and change the tone and in the day the album covers served as a rolling tray to roll a joint. I love vinyl, but absolutely understand while others don't. I also envy people like uberwaltz that have and use so many sources, wish I could. What say you?
tooblue

Showing 6 responses by mijostyn

mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
I still listen to records because it is a tinkerer's dream as tooblue suggests. There is some psychological thrill in getting it just right. Vinyl has a warm euphoric quality missing from digital. Digital is more accurate but in many instances vinyl just sounds better. When you get that almost perfect pressing there is that sense of wonder and awe that such a crude method can sound so good. And lastly I have god knows how many records which I can't and don't want to abandon. 
I rely on two sources the turntable and a 6TB hard drive and probably listen to both on an equal basis. I do not use headphones. I have a set which are dead flat and I use them to reorient my ears to make sure my room control system has got things right.  
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
Skyscraper is right about streaming although I think there are now a couple of sources that stream high res files the vast majority of it is compressed files which to every audiophile's ears sound crappy. But, if you download high res files to a hard drive it is a much different story. There are times where the computer sounds better than the vinyl particularly with digital recordings. You should hear a high res copy of the Trinity Sessions. 
I hate CDs. They are a crappy collectible with crappy cases that crack when you sneeze. Little paper folders you can't read that tear when you try to get them out. Records are a much different situation. The Record cover is a canvass for great art work. Just ask Neon Park (Weezles Rip My Flesh, Little Feat.) They feel great in your hand and you can read them easily. I think they look great neatly stored. Yes the price is high but in most cases the quality is much better than what we use to get (just stay away from Rhino records, terrible. Even the 180 gm ones.) I tend to buy analog recordings on vinyl, anything recorded before 1980 on standard labels. Then there is the cartridge rolling:)
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
Uberwaltz, thanx for the update. I have not paid much attention to it. I only steam Pandora in the office. It is free if you don't mind an occasional ad. 
Lalitk, I did not say anything about the sound, just that I don't like collecting them. All my optical discs have been transferred to the hard drive. I took them all to Bull Moose Music and traded them in for....Records! $1500.00 worth. How much fun can you have on a Sunday:)
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
rbstehno, It all depends on how you do things. Once set up I go a decade or more between cartridges changes. I use a dust cover and a conductive sweep arm. My records never get dirty, I never have to clean them. All my records sound as good as the day I got them. There is very little wear because plat time is distributed over thousands of records. 
I love flipping people out when I tell them they are listening to a record not digital. Yes, I am an old guy and I can not deny there is a lot of tradition and nostalgia in this. But, I am also a very early adopter. I was using DSP technology long before most people knew what they were.
I started using subwoofers in 1978. 
I guess I love everything that makes listening to music better and collecting easier. Now I am going to get a Reel to Reel and start recording streamed files:))) 
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
Latitk, I have absolutely no problem with digital. My front end is entirely digital. Has been for 20 years!  My phono amp even runs through a Benchmark ADC. I buy high res files from HD Tracks and Acoustic Sounds on a weekly basis. But, I collect music. To me streaming is not collecting. IMHO Records are a better collectible than hard copies of digital files. 
Here's one for you. You could get a Reel to Reel and record the streamed files in real time. Now you have me thinking....
mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,161 posts
 
rbstehno, I have not done anything illegal...yet. There is nothing the streaming services can do to prevent people from making analog recordings of streamed material and as long as people are not selling it to others I have absolutely no problem with it. 
Uberwaltz, do you sign any kind of agreement when you purchase streaming rights not to make analog recordings of the files? 
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