Why I don't think I'll ever return to vinyl - brief rant

It can be frustrating purchasing new vinyl. I’ve purchased quite a

few defective albums. The key is to buy from a store that will

allow returns of defective LPs. Rhino Hi Fidelity are excellent 

choices as are Mobile Fidelity. To the person that said to give it

up because there was one click or pop that’s not what this forum 

is about. Go to instagram with your rant. He’s genuinely asking 

for good advice not a sarcastic remark. I’ve purchased LPs

that had incredibly load pops throughout the LP that made it

unlistenable. I have never had any problem, returning them and

getting another copy or credit.

It can be frustrating purchasing new vinyl. I’ve purchased quite a

few defective albums. The key is to buy from a store that will

allow returns of defective LPs. Rhino Hi Fidelity are excellent 

choices as are Mobile Fidelity. To the person that said to give it

up because there was one click or pop that’s not what this forum 

is about. Go to instagram with your rant. He’s genuinely asking 

god advice not a sarcastic remark. 

@n80 Exactly my take as well. 15K streams sounds about right, depends a bit on platform with Spotify paying at the low end and Tidal/QB being "better" but still woefully low. 

Souldisco on YouTube recently did a video on it, worth checking out if you are fluent in German. 

@martymitch81 I have mixed feelings about a single pop. For me, with my low cost, low effort set up, a single faint tick really doesn't bother me. It might even give a hint of nostalgia from my childhood/ teen years. (I can still remember the occasional skip on radio station broadcasts.)

But even at my level of investment a loud repetitive pop is too distracting.

If I were heavily invested in vinyl equipment even the soft clicks and pops would probably drive me mad. That's a personality issue I suppose.

A $10k turntable requires you to stay engaged.

I agree completely. But for some of us, it’s part of the attraction. Tactility, physicality: it’s how most music is made. Too much is virtual today. Give me the embodied experience, whether it’s getting up every 23 or so minutes to cue the arm, or simply knowing the sound from my speakers originates in friction, things touching things. I like that. And I like taking an active role in the sound, improving it through skill, knowledge, attention to set-up details. This aspect is available with streaming, too, of course, but vinyl demands more of it, and that’s fine by me, especially because the payout, at least in my system, is far more enjoyable sound. But it is not a passive process, and the bar is high, and it takes a big investment of time and trouble and cash to get there. I think streaming is great, amazing even, don’t get me wrong. I have 3 Auralic streamers in my house. But vinyl for me is where the hobby lives. And the best sound. Were I to invest as much in a streaming rig as I have in vinyl playback, the sonic equation might well change. But I don’t think the hobby part would.