Streaming Is To Audio What Red Plastic Cups Are To Wine

Funny no one mentioned FM. Got a 200 wpc McIntosh and a tube Mac MR-71 FM tuner , some old restored JBL speakers. Visitors don't believe it's the radio. Live up in the mtns in the sticks one station 5,000W daytime and 500W at night.

I enjoy both vinyl and streaming. To my ears, a well mastered vinyl pressing sounds marginally better than streaming-but its close. I have 3 copies of Rumours, an original, a 45 high quality pressing, and a generic reissue. I've listened to these and tested against streaming from Qobuz and Tidal and only the generic loses to streaming-but its close enough it isn't a big issue.

I was listening earlier tonight to Hartman and Coltrane on vinyl-sublime, nothing beats that vinyl. And then there is the joy of the hunt. Not long ago, I was crate diving and found Ella in Berlin-1960 pressing. The cover was in tatters and the record was filthy and looked hopeless, but after a good cleaning session it turned out to be in great shape-a few pops but seems rarely played. Couldn't help but think for most of my life-through the Little League years, high school, college, raising kids, all of of it-that piece of vinyl has waited patiently in an old box somewhere, to bring Ella into my listening room-strange thoughts I suppose.

On the other hand, I was just now streaming Arooj Aftab's Night Reign. Its the perfect album for a dark listening room at night and about two fingers of single malt. This hauntingly beautiful music takes you to a peaceful place and rests your mind. Wonderful music. But for my Qobuz subscription, I would have never discovered this incredibly talented Pakistani artist, or dozens of others. I even find myself enjoying some classical, and I'm way too much of a hillbilly to invest much in classical vinyl.

If I could only keep one, it would be streaming for the gateway to a universe of new music. Since we are allowed to have both-that's what I choose.

Its all good music.

@billstevenson 

Still yawning Lol!!!  Happy listening.

“intentionality” resonates with me.  I often have friends over for bourbon/scotch sipping and jazz listening sessions, and it’s always vinyl.  Takes me back to undergraduate days: putting on a record to share with your friends was sharing a little part of your soul, being vulnerable, an expression of love, even.  The only thing I can compare it to in modern culture is inviting another couple into your home and cooking for them; that is an expression of love.  Very different from going out to a restaurant or getting takeout.  That’s what vinyl is to me.

I was watching a TV show tonight and the subject of Vinyl came up, just in passing, as having a warmer sound.  The response summed up the  whole thing for me.

"Vinyl lovers listen with their hearts.  Everyone else listens with their ears"   Have truer words ever been spoken?  Cheers.