Why vinyl?

Well, I question myself all the time after getting back into vinyl 2 years ago. Should I dump the Lp's and table, and just get some kind of higher end SACD/Cd player, as I have a bunch of both.

Then as the other day, I do a self test. Recently it was what was supposed to be the best CD version of AJA, mastered by Steve Hoffman vs. the newer Cisco LP of AJA. Yep they do sound different, but I just like the LP sound better overall.

Recently on another board it was mentioned that CD must be better as it is in the majority, and the majority buy it, so it must be better. Obviously a silly comment. But then it must be the majority that has caused death of what I'll call high end discs, such as the "gold" type remaster CD, and SACD/DVD-A, because these folks did not support them.

Yet vinyl is going crazy, Classic records, Speakers Corner, or guys like Steve Hoffman and a few others putting forth a large amount of effort and time in quality pressings on Vinyl.In the current Stereophile, in an interview with the guy who owns RTI, he has never seen such a request and backlog for vinyl pressings. They had a number of some 280,000 pressings of I believe just the 2 Led Zeppelin 4 lp boxes. This does not include all the other current pressings from Classic/MoFi or the new Warner Re-releases, and a host of others. Some of the best talent is working on Vinyl. Obviously enough people are buying to support the effort in this format!!!

So I'm convinced to stay with Viyl, and am looking at a TT upgrade. To each his own.

Tomcy6,

Vinyl lovers do not really disparage people who listen to CD's, many vinyl lovers also invest quite a bit in to CD's. But it has been vinyl being bashed since 1982 by hearing "PERFECT SOUND FORVEVER!" as buzz words. Many of us fell into the trap of CD sound and many of us came to realise that it was more hype than fact. I dropped out of vinyl in late 1986, not to return til 2003. I like a fish took the bait about what is not heard on CD's such as pops and crackles etc. We were told to listen to not what is their and many of us fell for it not realising that something else was not their or there but in a disturbing way, lack of soul and a steely edge to many CD's and cd players sound.

So yes some of us push back against the CD because we kept getting hammered by its hype.

Yes, one can buy some nice CD players nowadays and even some in the past. But the quality of CD or digital production today is on a declining slope and it's just sad that the industry is messing up what can be good in CD's to push the nonsense they do now in terms of production.

So same goes with lossy digital formats which truly are not hifi. I get sick of the nonsense too of satellite radio advertising it as CD quality sound. NO IT'S NOT! Good FM still sounds better than the over compressed garbage of sat radio.

Many of us who enjoy vinyl also DEMAND good sound and will accept good sound of CD's if engineered well and played on a good CD player. But it should not have to be so hard to get it. I know I will not be able to get all my music wants on vinyl, FINE! I am more than happy using CD's as a quality alternative. But I am tired of the hype of CD's for 25+ years and the industry pushes similar hype on lossy formats, GIVE ME A BREAK!

Those who want their music solely on MP3 or other lossy formats can have it. I force nobody to play LP's, CD's cassette tapes or whatever. If they want 500 Gigs on a hard drive of compressed MP3 junk it's their business just don't tell me it sounds good and tell me vinyl is not better sounding than most if not all other formats. SACD/DVD-A gives vinyl a good run for the money but is not as better, even if it was both formats are DEAD or close to it. Vinyl has a physical library through history going in to the millions of titles. CD's maybe a few hundred thousand.
I live happily with both formats in my system though I prefer vinyl first. I am also as noted in my previous post looking at getting back into audio cassette as another choice and fun aspect of recording and playback.

So in conclusion, I don't hear most vinyl lovers bash CD listeners, we just pick apart the flaws in the format and like to trounce the nonsensical hype of it over the last 25 years and we will do the same with lossy formats for as long as the industry markets said as a quality audio format.

Tomcy6,
I think we all know that most of what's said in here is said with tongue in cheek.
We all probably have digital in our systems but prefer vinyl, most audiophiles that really explore both - do.
High end digital player advertisements tout "sounds as good as vinyl". That pretty much explains it all.
I doubt anyone thinks a person is less because they listen to digital music. It's just a matter of taste and convenience.
My previous post said "keep the better formats alive". I didn't say keep the better analog formats alive.
I'm not into vinyl cause I like cleaning albums, or flipping them over or the nostalgia or even the cover art, I'm into Vinyl cause it sounds better.
Since I made the transition BACK to vinyl my listening session have become twice as long, the music is simply more enjoyable.

No, I don't enjoy the extra work but the sound, the music, that's what it's about.

Most of us are chasing something and for some vinyl gets them closer.

Les creative:
Really good post response and I agree. I've never left vinyl, being an amateur record collector since the 70's, basically a Rega man with a P-3 and now a P-9 for the last 5 years. I only got into CD's around 2001 with a used Planet. Now I have a Rega Jupiter 2000. Here's my thing: I have two separate and almost equal systems in two different rooms in different parts of the house; a cd system and a Lp system. I am not one to say the cd sucks; I have quite a few cd's I think sound great. I'm just not going to say "Well Lps are better and Cd's are inferior". They are different, and at times I can't pinpoint what it is exactly that makes them different. I guess I like the LP better but for classical I like the lack of surface noise and pops and clicks that digital provides; although I have many great classical LP's so good you don't notice or hear surface noise. Anyway I feel sorry for these current generations that have never heard a good stereo system or good music for that matter. Today's youth live in abject musical poverty.

What I'm wondering, is new music mastered from an analog source or is it digitally mastered and then pressed on Vinyl?

Wouldn't this greatly affect the sound.

I'm not overly technical and to tell you the truth don't know if I could tell the difference.

For example, I ordered a 200gram copy of Nirvana MTV Unplugged. Pressed by Simply Vinyl UK, which I've found out has (had) been accused of using CDs as masters, and it sounds not too great. Really compressed.

My analog rig sucks right now, so I'll wait to make final jugdement, but I assumed since it was an all acoustic version of Nirvana, it would sound great. The CD is really good.

Also, I started listening to music on Vinyl (34 years old) and kinda skipped the whole CD period. I've never really owned a CD player. Now, I just use a Macbook, iTunes and an Airport Express into a tube DAC... now that is convenience..

Great for parties/guests.

For the CDs I do have, I just use a 1st generation Sony Playstation that I bought for $35.

I figure if I really like the MP3/Aiff version, I'll buy the LP and use analog for "critical" listening.

Records are fun to collect and looking for them is a great way to kill and afternoon.