Why vinyl

@audphile1 

Thank you Sir. Also, thank you for all of your knowledgeable input on the forum. I’ve learned a lot from your contributions.

I have through experiences had shared a similarity to your own Journey in collecting recorded music, especially the Vinyl LP and progressive journey of experiences with creating a Audio system.

I am confident we share similar perspicacity about a Source for producing recorded music replays, as I have both Analogue and Digital used as a Hard Medium and am increasing my experiences of becoming experienced with a Data Source supplied as a Streamed Medium.

In your post it is not intimated that there is a care for the Vinyl Medium activity actively practiced, which is fine, as it would drift from the posts context.

Throughout my owning Vinyl, I have always periodically cleaned my Vinyl LP's with a solution purposely produced for cleaning and have had a US Tank Cleaning method as well.

Recently I was introduced to the following Linked document which is a thorough educational directive on Vinyl Care.

PACVR-3rd-Edition (1)  

Having learnt from this directive and subsequently putting in place the supporting equipment and substances to create a solution, after the first cleaned Album I was Jaw in the Floor impressed. 

The stimulus was set and I was off, Albums no longer played due to not being usable and having concern for the Stylus when in use was no longer to be. Such Albums are as welcome to be used as the most recent purchased.

Relay a Newly Purchased Album and then clean it with this method and it will be like a alternate and improved Album is in use.

I am also of the view all previously used cleaning solution had remaining residuals that were over time detrimental to replay experience for the Vinyl. The solutions designed in the PAVCR have removed all residuals and returned Albums to their better than ever before condition.

If not familiar with what I write above, and even if other cleaning methods are used. I strongly urge the use of the manual cleaning method.

I not too long ago had to discuss a sensitive cleaning requirement in relation to my professional activities, where a method proposed has stuck with me for a while and I will put out there now.

Maybe Neil Anting the Author of the PAVCR will see it and inform on there being any value to the method.

UST Cleaning is working using the Cavitation Process as the means to dislodge and lift contaminant from a LP Groove, as a result of a implosion of a micro bubble in contact with a micro contamination.

Dry Ice Blasting is working using Sublimation, where the CO2 converted from a Solid to a Gas, with no Liquid stage during the conversion. When becoming microscopic Solid converts to being a Gaseous CO2, the explosion of the microscopic Gas particle dislodges and microscopic contaminant it comes into contact with. Zero CO2 residual or Contaminant residual remains as the result of the cleaning process. 

If the Vinyl Material and Groove Modulation are able to withstand the the Temperatures and the Sublimation occurring, the cleaning process seems one that can be considered ??

@gjfalls 

@gjfalls I am in the same age category like you, got my first LP in 1962 and kept collecting until a few years ago. Moved from rock, soul, pop, to jazz and classical. I have 1000s of LPs (and also many CDs). What helped was when everybody dumped their records I could buy classical and jazz records for ridiculous low prices. Always considered LP sounding better than CD or streaming. But since a little more than a year I invested in a great streamer and DAC (Metronome DSS end Le DAC 2), I am not so sure anymore. Just like you, I cannot say one is better than the other. This Sunday morning I listened to a Fauré violin sonata by Arthur Grumiaux (excellent Philips pressing, like all Philips pressings of that period). It sounded great and warm. After that I listened to the Qobuz version. Also great, maybe less warm but definitely more detailed. But I need to hear LP and streaming side-by-side to hear the differences. Both are perfect to listen to, and no need to choose.

But getting older, I tend to listen primarily to Qobuz, and only occasionally to LPs. For me, convenience has become more important than good, better, best. I assume that will the case for many of us at that age.

@gjfalls thank you for the kind words!