Streaming Is To Audio What Red Plastic Cups Are To Wine


Unpacking and going through my vinyl collection, it occurs to me that vinyl is it, whereas streaming is Audio’s red plastic cup.

The best wines taste low-shelf in the red plastic cup. Yes, the red plastic cup is cheap and convenient, just like streaming. Wine should feel the same regardless of the vessel - it’s the same wine - but it does not. So should music - but it does not. Streamed music may sound (nearly) as good as vinyl, but it feels... disposable. Vinyl does not. Vinyl is the thing. Vinyl is it! Just my opinion, of course.

devinplombier

@devinplombier 

Thank you..

It’s difficult to have a calm discussion with you, while this other distracting stuff is going on in the background..

@newton_john 

In fairness to @mahler123 , his post started pretty strong but turned out quite a bit more nuanced:

I frequently rail against vinyl but I have to admit when it’s done properly it sounds pretty good.

The OP in this case prefers vinyl because of the ritual that is involved in playing it. That was not clear from his OP but emerged after thread give and take. Personally I view the whole vinyl ritual as a refined torture, but one man’s pain is another man’s pleasure

He has a point there, besides he has every right to disagree with anything I say. 

Speaking of nuance, I probably could have dialed more of it into my original post. Next time 😉

 

He's got previous, but can be ok when he's in a good mood. 

I.guess we all learn by our mistakes.

What if listening music we forgot about the format ? (my experience because music is inseparable of sound but is not sound and can be distinguished from it)

What if  any impeding limitations trade-off of any format is let behind because our soundfield become immersive and let music be?

What if the fixation on any format is also an indication of our fixation on some sound  acoustics factors trade-off and resulted from our  perception and gestures  habits ?

 

 

 
 

 

 

@devinplombier +1

I'm with you, sometimes streaming works best for me and others the sound of a well-pressed record is superior. Each format has its own positive and negative attributes which can extend beyond the sound waves-its an experience. What's best depends on mood and subjective preference. To me, its about the most enjoyable experience and no one has yet found a singular "best" for everybody.

I can understand, for example, that the warm glow of tubes in the dark adds joy to the experience separate and apart from the current they produce. This week, I stumbled across a first pressing of Dusty in Memphis that, when cleaned up from years of neglect, sounds pristine. That, too, adds to the experience. 

Debating which format is "best" has no foreseeable end, but  some enjoy the debate for its own sake-nothing wrong with that as long as civility prevails.

Enjoy the music.