Vinyl vs Streaming

I'm old enough to remember my older siblings play Beatles albums, and later Chicago.

I also remember lots of pops, clicks, and skips. It got to the point where if I heard a proper recording, I'd be amazed at this items lacking.

So, when CDs became available, I was a big fan: Skip ahead with one click. Skip a track altogether. Etc.

So I loved the idea of streaming, and my current system is set to optimize it using Qobuz.

That said, I went into my high-end dealer, slightly older than I, and he is starting to stock really good turntables and albums. I listened to a few tracks and was startled he was using vinyl. It really did sound excellent!

If one likes to sit down and enjoy an album, I can see vinyl being a wonderful overall experience.

At this point of my life, I'm not going to collect the 60s / 70s albums I enjoyed, and add equipment I may or may not utilize well. I'm officially a streamer.

After years (decades) of resisting, the overall experience of streaming usually wins out. I still recognize the au4al superiority of vinyl but those 20 minute sides and cleaning routines are just ruin8ng the mood. Sorry......

@pprocter No need to be sorry. It’s perfectly ok for us to see things differently. It’d be a boring world if we were all the same as each other.

I like it when music comes in bite size chunks. For me, one of the downsides of CD was that they sometimes seemed to go for too long. Changing sides and cleaning routines are just part the sacred ritual of vinyl for mindful listening that we discussed in another thread last year.

I totally get that this can all be too much of a distraction for many people. Nevertheless, it’s comforting for me. In any case, the sound makes it all worthwhile. I hope I’m not coming over as dogmatic about vinyl because I am enjoying streaming music too. As I am now discovering, both have their sonic benefits.

I stopped spinning vinyl and now only stream or spin CDs/blurays.  I miss the album packaging and experience of reading the covers and any gatefold content while listening but digital sounds better IMO on my systems, is easier to access and the amount of content online is staggering. 

I only stream and listen to a lot of ECM jazz recordings. Recently I thought about buying a TT just for the sake of owning a cool piece of hardware but suddenly realized that almost everything I listen to isn't available on vinyl.  So I will continue building on the digital front end - better streamer and better DAC. Right now my Innuos Pulsar and Accuphase DC-37 DAC give me everything I need and like.