Vinyl vs Streaming

Setup: Initial costs and setup efforts for quality streaming or to be able to play LPs with above average equipment can be a lot of work, and cost.

Although just to play some LP’s, to determine if you will like/stick with it: something like an AT120 TT and it’s internal phono EQ will get you playing quite easily. I had one for years with an upgraded cartridge.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120XUSB-Direct-Drive-Hi-Fidelity-Anti-Skate/dp/B07N3S4X3P/ref=sr_1_1?sr=8-1

Content: I imagine buying LP’s is higher cost than Streaming, and considering what you might risk money on, far more limiting, and can be a downright failure like the Ocie Elliott LP I just received (could understand only 2 words per song), or a Melody Gardot LP I simply disliked the content and gave away the next day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset_in_the_Blue

Then there is the ’hands on’ aspect of LP’s, which some of us like. We get personal satisfaction out of choosing; assembling the equipment; choosing and aligning cartridges; handling LP’s, the resulting sound our personal accomplishment.

You can imagine my pride and joy assembling this for just under $5,500:

SUT (out of sight) included, but subsequent alternate cartridge purchases are after the $5,500. 

@larsman 

I guess Kodak had one good engineer (Steve Sasson) at the time!

The reactionary antibodies within Kodak’s leadership rejected the digital camera, fearing it would cannibalise existing business. As Sasson later told the New York Times, “it was filmless photography, so management’s reaction was, ‘that’s cute — but don’t tell anyone about it.’”

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2016/06/leading-innovation-through-the-chicanes/

My audiophile buddies that I grew up with; those of us that owned "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on a 45 rpm single; merely say to each other, "I don't get it" referring to the record/vinyl craze.   We are the generation that went vinyl > cassettes/8 track tape > CD's >  streaming.  We would spend so much time trying to take care of our beloved records using a "Discwasher" with every play.  Sometimes using special inside album sleeves.  Being sure to try not and put any finger prints on it, etc.  Yet scratches, ticks, and pops would persist.  Tapes would literally become twisted or caught up in the internal mechanism of the tape player.  Digital is so much better.  The only issue with digital, is lousy recordings (plenty of them) sound even more lousy the higher one travels up the equipment chain.  Now this is not to minimize the nostalgia often associated with vinyl as nostalgia as an important place for all of us emotionally.

Having owned a decent streamer (Moon 280D) for over a year, I appreciate digital more. I have also heard more expensive streamers at my dealers. They sound good and I could live with just streaming. However, when vinyl is good, it's better. No question about it in my mind. Over time I have to replace my favorite albums that have become worn out, but that's not a huge expense.

I have had a turntable all of my audiophile life. I'm old enough when that was the only way to play music, aside from radio. I developed a record collection of several hundred records. When CD came out, I played mostly CDs because my turntable, cartridge, and phono preamp were bottom rung. I was about to get rid of my albums when I read a column by Michael Fraemer giving a few hints on how to improve my analogue experience. This is thirty years ago, so you have to excuse my ignorance. First, he said, get rid of your free RCA cables and buy some decent ones. Following his suggestions and upgrading a bit, my analogue system began to sound better.

Fast forward to today. I have put about $25K into my analogue front end. And I own a thousand records. And I spend money on new records or replacements. Would I suggest an audiophile who is into digital to also get into analogue? No. Too much work and expense. 

I am not a religious person and do not go to services. My stereo and my expesnive espresso maker are the alters at which I worship. So, I don''t mind hassling with records a bit. For anybody who has nurtured the analogue habit for many years, you will know that the rewards are worth it. Nothing sounds as immediate and detailed and alive as a good record on a good analogue rig. And, by the way, I go to live classical, jazz, and rock concerts, so I have the real thing to compare it to.

But digital will just keep getting better and for those not into analogue, I think it makes no sense to begin.

"...just wondering if you ever feel if it's worth all the extra work."

Nope.