I had never listened to a vinyl record before a couple of years ago. I pulled my dad's 45 year old system out of storage on a whim, and I'm still in disbelief at how good they sound. I've listened to records every day since. Maybe it's just me but when the music is literally spinning there in front of you I can feel some connection to the music.
Yeah I agree I used to have a really crappy family all in one and 2 years ago I played an old record with my new system and it’s sooo darn good! I could not get enough of it.
*Plus* The One thing Records can do that no other media can, is they can be played without Electricity! It's what makes ANALOG Unique among the many advancements. IF ELECTRICITY Disappeared, it's possible to make mechanical Players that will PLAY what is on the RECORDS and I hate losing MUSIC because I didn't have cash for everything in life!
@@keplermission4947 You'll have to excuse me because I honestly don't know much about audio at all. I just really like listening to music. My dad's stuff (it's mine now, I guess? lol) is a Marantz 2220B and a JVC QL-A5 turntable with an Empire 400TC cartridge. Super old, but it sounds great to me! And it was free!
@@keplermission4947 If you listen to Rolling Stones from that time period it will have the same F.R. no matter what format. The limitation was the tape decks of the time. NOT vinyl! Vinyl itself can go out to 60Khz as used for CD4. Try to get that F.R. on a CD or any digital format. And those electric parts inside you know from the '70's that the Voyager spacecrafts still use? Yes parts CAN and many DO deteriorate. But to claim it is 100% and you have to be lying to claim it still sounds good? SAD! Now please explain how stereo separation can only be artificial when it is actually being heard.
Interesting video. To counter: Top 5 Reasons to Get Into Vinyl 1, You are off grid, nobody knows what you are listening to 2, You own your music 3, Artwork/Lyrics 4, You listen to a whole record as it was intended 5, Record shopping and hunting for wants is part of the whole vinyl experience and an instant memory is made when you buy them.
Agree in album art etc but will stick to my massive collection of cds and multi ch SACD DVD A AND Blue Ray music. I still own that and off grid. I only stream to seek out music I want in my collection. Nothing like a top loading vacuum tube cd player and my legacy focus se powered with my iV 2 AMP AT 1000WPC @ 4 ohms!
I started vinyl a year ago because I got fed up with myself and Spotify. I couldn't handle having all that choice. Rarely did I listen to a full album on Spotify. It's always skip skip skip. Vinyl is almost like meditation. Love it ❤️
I do not want to participate in digital platforms exploiting artists and profiting massively from it. The explanation for the Apple logo can be found in Genesis chapters 2 and 3.
As a retired individual. All of the #3 reasons he listed are exactly why I am enjoying my vinyl now more than ever. The steps it takes to enjoy playing an LP "force" me(just figuratively speaking) to slow down and enjoy the moment. I don't always want to be in "hurry-up" mode because everyone is. It's my time to just...relax!
I got out of vinyl in the late 80's and thought CD's were the end game. I then thought that creating playlists and streaming was really "it". Now.....I am back to vinyl and just love the whole experience of listening to an LP. I love to experiment with different phono preamps, cartridges, etc. I enjoy the music better listening to an entire record vs skipping to my favorite songs. Researching and buying new music on vinyl, as well as 1980's and 90's reissue LP's is just fun. It can definitely get expensive. I know that my wife has no idea what I spend on certain records......
Same here, all of it. Never.thought I’d be back but here I am. Additionally, sound bars are so good now I am moving away from home theater systems to pure two channel music systems.
Last weekend I setup a fanless NUC pc with "Daphile" open source streaming software running on Linux in bit-perfect mode. The real-time kernel and dedicated PC finally makes my Schiit Bifrost sing. Tidal finally sounds good, really good! The music just hangs in the air, black background. It exceeds anything I could get out of my vinyl. I took down my Kyocera PL601 W/ Shure 94(?) off the wall and put away my 100 or so albums. I'm done. Digital never sounded better and I'm walking away from my beater vinyl that served me well when CD's cost 15 and albums were 9. I had to be thrifty in 1984 and they're all used and beat up. Moving on!
I was the guy, back in the 90s and early 00’s, accepting everyone else’s record collections. They were literally giving them away, and even though I still had a big move ahead of me, and I wasn’t necessarily even into their genre, I happily loaded them into my trunk and added them to my collection. I’ve got so much more Willy Nelson, Country, and Bob Dylan than I’ll ever need, but I like having access to those alternate worlds, right on my shelf. I enjoy putting on my guest’s favorite music when they stop by, so they can hear how warm, lush and musical their favorite music can sound.
As an older audiophile I had many large systems with reel to reel, 8 tracks, cassettes and of course many different turntables. As a Sound Engineer and a Theater Technical Director I have tuned analyzed and listened to Multi hundred thousand dollar systems for a living. As a DJ and music lover since the 70's I've never been a fan of records due to skipping, noise and general hassle using them. Once I got a good Marantz cassette deck I transferred my records to cassettes, eventually getting a 3 head Teac deck with DBX noise reduction. Was a big cassette fan, even had DBX in my car. Once CD's came out I never looked back. I did finally buy a Pioneer DJ turntable with a decent cartridge a few years ago and my old albums are in great condition as I barely played them. Some of my old albums aren't available on CD or streaming so I occasionally play them. I prefer smaller simple systems now, Have a Yamaha R-100 receiver, Marantz CDR510 CD player, TeacV2RX cassette deck, Pioneer PLX-500 and ADS 710 speakers. It's by no means the finest audiophile equipment available and most of it is way over 20 years old. Good records on a great system sound good. For me digital sounds better and is way more convenient so yes, I agree with your 5 reasons and have a few of my own as well...
Its not for me anymore, but I still love the type of harmonic distortion it provides so I love the sound. BUT - there's a reason my 35 year old Roksan Xeroxes' rosewood turntable remains sitting in my attic, in fact several. As I've gotten older and lost my heath and mobility, finding the music you want, putting it on and then getting up to change it is so much effort I listened to less and less music. My 2000 LP's take up so much room its impractical to keep them in my room. Now I use a Naim Atom and I have access to just about everything in the world, I've never enjoyed music more and myself and my wife have gone back to spending most evenings just sitting down and listening. Digital has made me get my hi fi mojo back.
"Harmonic Distortion"? You mean, LP has LESS of it than digital! Digital distortion increases A FULL ORDER OF MAGNITUDE for every 20db drop in the recording level. Loud sounds within 20db of the "0 VU/db" maximum recording/output level have less THD in digital formats, true. But at levels below -20db, LP's, cassette tape for that matter! have LOWER DISTORTION than 16-bit digital. That's why low-level sounds literally "disappear" in digital formats, & why LP's, EVEN OF DIGITAL RECORDINGS(!), have more detail & sound far more realistic. What has 0.005%THD @ 0VU has 0.5%THD @ -40db. Feh! Analog format distortion drops dramatically with decreases in level AND KEEPS DECREASING whereas with digital it KEEPS INCREASING (-60db is 5%THD with 16 bit digital !!!😛). Even LP will have like, 1/100th the THD at those low levels! Which may approach the subliminal at that level, just barely above the noise floor. But God is in the details. No wonder digital sounds SOULLESS! You have chosen convenience over fidelity. Enjoy!
@@joerosen5464 what an extraordinary rant, I had no desire to trigger anyone. Whilst I can see you have a strong preference I do wander why you are so vitriloic in your opposition for what is the recording medium of choice for the vast majority of commercial studios. I just enjoy excellent music and dont begrudge anyone enjoying music their way.
I thought I was out, but vinyl pulled me back in. I put away the turntable in the mid-'90s. I didn't want to be that guy who was always yelling at his kids over stuff. A few years later I divested 90% of my album collection. But CDs were never a passion for me. They did not sound right, did not feel right. No emotional connwction.. The kids grew up. Four years ago my daughter gave me a suitcase record player and the remastered Led Sell debut album. It all came flooding back! I now own twice as many LPs as I did in my heydey. I'm running my vintage Demon DP2550A with Micro Seiko MA505 arm and a Pioneer PL41 set up for mono. I can't quit you, vinyl, and I will never try to again.
@@keplermission4947 Happy to share. Main System Gear · Denon DP2550A turntable with Micro Seiki MA505 tonearm and Audio Technica AT450 cartridge (connected to Schiit Mani) · Pioneer PL41 turntable with Audio Technica VM610MONO cartridge (connected to SA3 internal phono preamp) · Schiit Mani phono preamp · IOTAVX SA3/PA3 amp stack (dual mono configuration) · Triangle Borea BR03 standmount speakers · Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC · Chromecast Audio streaming device (optical to Bifrost 2) · Lenovo Windows 10 PC (USB to Bifrost 2) w/ 15 Tbs for audio/video files · Massdrop THX AAA 789 Linear headphone amp · Massdrop Alex Cavalli Liquid Carbon X headphone amp · TCL Roku 42” TV (optical to SA3 internal DAC) · Sony DVD/CD player (coaxial to SA3 internal DAC) · Morrow Audio interconnects · Software:: MusicBee, BubbleUP, Spotify Connect, others · Headphones: o Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX balanced o Thinksound ON2 o Dekoni Blue by Fostex o Massdrop Koss Porta-Pro X o Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR o SIVGA SV006 o Status Audio OB1 o Status Audio CB1 o Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid ANC wireless o Avantree Audition Pro aptX Low Latency wireless o An equal number of IEMs (Status Audio, Thinksound, Hifiman, etc)
Great post. I turned 60 earlier this year and decided to upgrade my Hi-Fi system. I haven't played my vinyl collection for over 20 years so after some deliberation I made the decision to add a new turntable that would allow me to reconnect with my collection that's been stored in the attic. I have no intention of buying any new vinyl at today's crazy inflated prices, this is simply a nostalgia trip. I settled on a Technics 1500C not cheap but not crazy expensive. It's a decent no nonsense deck. I've been amazed at some of the nonsense I've seen and heard on Y Tube and the various snake oil gizmos that are being punted to the audiophile community. Us old timers survived in our analogue world for decades without half this stuff and we certainly didn't cook our albums in the family oven or slather them in PVA glue. My twitch has returned at the thought. As for the term VINYLS... NO NO NO! I've enjoyed reconnecting with the best of my collection and the pops clicks etc don't sound anywhere near as bad as my memory had me believing! Yes it's fiddly and a pain in the a*se to get up after 20 minutes to turn the disc over. I still prefer digital- CD, SACD and my tentative steps in embracing streaming (I still prefer to own a physical copy of the music along with the case, cover art and notes etc). Playing vinyl will only ever be an occasional event- even then I've had to force myself at several points in order to validate the expense of my investment in the new turntable. I'm happy to live in my multi format bubble.
Vinyl v. Cd is a debate that will outlive most of us. At 68 years of age, I still play vinyl that I bought 50 years ago. Since my records have only been played on audiophile turntables, their sound remains extraordinary. I have two tables, a Rega P6 and a Rabco ST-8, each with hideously expensive cartridges. It is difficult to put into words the sonic beauty that comes from them.
I personally prefer vinyl. I guess because it’s not perfect. But I love CDs and their portability as far as listening in the car is a huge plus over cassettes.
I feel no need to join that debate. Each medium has it's time and place to enjoy it. I own around 2300 vinyl titles some of them I bought in the late sixties. And I still listen to them regularly. But I also own a serious collection of CD's and have a server with a huge collection of flac albums. And in my car I listen to Spotify.
Why would someone have two turntables? Why would you pay hideous cartridge $.Put a cd into a player, forget your hiss and pop, forget your interrupted get up and flip your black floppy vinyl over, take another sniff as you Vinyl heads get your kicks from, and enjoy the sounds. Yea right. Move on. We here at the real in 2021 world have a new idea. Put a CD into a tray, ahhhhhhh. Kick back and enjoy the whole album on cd. Light up and enjoy.
Yup, 69 years old and have had the passion since spinin’ records on my parents record player when I was 3 years old. No better experience. Nice video, Steve.
I left vinyl decades ago and have no intention of getting back into it. I certainly don't miss the hisses and pops that creep into the music over time, even with expensive cartridges. Some years ago, I transferred all my music in 45 rpm and in LP versions over to reel to reel tape then eventually into digital formats. Playing music in digital format is certainly much more convenient as any higher end tablet or phone can stream the music to a music system with Bluetooth or analog inputs. Your reasons for not getting into vinyl in this digital age are certainly valid. I appreciate the video. For those who wish to pick up the hobby, good luck!
We who have a real passion for music can get into it on either system. An album is a body of work that represents an artist at a particular point in time. Playing it in sequence from first track to last is a great connection to a band or an orchestra or a musician. The streaming paradigm breaks that level of connection. The tracks are isolated and some are never played or given a chance to grow on us. Albums and record players in their way, are such a great way of becoming musically knowledgeable. Your assessment is a good one. You have to install a record player and spend difficult moments trying to get it to accurately transcribe the signal whilst preventing the playback from degrading the signal with resonances and feedback. The tendency to try to find a sweet spot where the magic is can become a frustration that can’t be assuaged. Digital systems are less prone to outright failure in terms of maintaining ideal sound.
#6 ---?---> MOVING HOUSE with records. The last time we moved I was done. After 20 plus years in the same apartment my collection of vinyl was just too heavy & bulky to go to our new condo space, so I gave everything to a close relative who said "they'll always be with me if you want them back." Three years later all I miss are a few of the album covers; I'm thrilled my life got a lot lighter, & I adore rocking out to the moving pictures of youtube! Thanks for the great video, you're a lot of fun!
Picked up a mint Pioneer Pl 518 for $12.99...save the rotten feet. I purchased new vinyl copies of my favorite 50 Albums or so. I may never buy another record, but man I'm glad I made this abbreviated journey into vinyl. At 58, I'm not going to make music appreciation a hassle. Steve, you speak truth. Peace.
I listen to vinyl at home and stream on the go. I see streaming like a walkman. It is to late as in alot of old good records cost a fortune. Love your videos Steve
I will admit it may not be the thing for all newbies as vinyl costs 2 to 3 times more than it did in the 70's and 80's when I was growing up. I already had speakers and a pretty good vinyl collection so after 35 years I decided to treat myself to a turntable upgrade and bought a reasonably priced phono preamp. I'm a subscriber to Audio Advisor as I love looking at electronics but there is no way in hell I'm paying 1000 plus dollars for a phono preamp. At some point sanity has to come into play and you definitely want to save your marriage. 🤣
I am one of these few and I am happy to be 😀 sounds better than any other media (can’t talk about tape though) although one get get close to that enjoyment with really high end digital gear. But the best thing is that even an entry level turntable based system gives you that magic sound and is far more enjoyable than an entry level digital system that would sound lifeless and harsh in comparison.
I spent my youth playing records. I had hundreds by the time I graduated HS. I lost them all in a flood 20 years later. I am finally in a position to get a nice system again, and I am planning to get back into vinyl. I can't wait!
I started in Jan 2020. I mean, I had records as a kid, but never really had a ton of them. I had cassettes and CDs, and then moved to digital exclusively. I am very happy to be involved in it now. I love the ritual of playing and caring for the records. Also, we have elevated our system, which has even further enhanced the whole experience. It has also led me to new music, something that didn't happen for me with digital. I just stuck with music I liked when I was younger.
Been there done that and don't want to go down that road again for nostalgia's sake. My number one reason is that nowadays there are very few albums that I can listen to without wanting to skip a track(or two or three). With vinyl that's a major PITA. Having said that...if I ran into a large amount of cash I'd probably buy a turntable anyway.
In 20 years, people will be complaining of the PITA of having to line up a track in iTunes and pressing play, or choosing the song from a playlist. Or putting the cd in the tray, pressing play, or pressing skip button a couple of times to find their favourite track. People are idiots.
@@snakeobias Hopefully I won't be around to witness that era. I didn't switch from vinyl to streaming. I got rid of my high end turntable (an Oracle at the time) and vinyl records, then listened to radio and had friends make tapes for me that I would listen to on a very entry level system. Then one day I walked into an audio shop and heard some good jazz playing on a very nice system but couldn't figure out where/what the source was until the shop owner pointed to a tiny device called a Squeezebox. I ordered one immediately and subsequently my first high end system in over 20 years. I've since moved on but that little black box was responsible for getting me back into hi-fi and music like never before.
@@snakeobias dude iTunes IS a massive pita anyway... That's why I vowed never to use any computing device for audio ever again. I'm a record guy all the way
@@mikemcguinness1304 yeah, I won't disagree with you there. I think I need to get away from the iPhone/ipad hold Apple has over my listening habits. The new Music application is terrible
The whole thing is a complete pain in the arse and expensive. The whole ‘holographic stereo image realism’ thing is a load of bollocks as well - the thing is trying to reproduce two discrete channels of audio from one groove using one stylus - the sound people crave is just euphonic distortion. Bought myself a rather nice technics 110 a while ago to revisit my old vinyl and it’s seldom used. Have moved on from distortion, sibilance and most of all lack of dynamic range and don’t want to go back. New vinyl is also crap - suspect due to being brick walled for digital and just turned down for vinyl pressing. So what choice - worn out second hand old material or inferior new. I just want an age of hi res digital, with ganFET amps and active dsp to sort out my room - good job it’s already here (better start saving up!).
I've written about this. Back when CD was launched I blind A/B'd them against LPs. I didn't believe in CDs but they lived up to it so I was convinced and I converted. Today I have 2 simple reasons for not going back: 1. Too much palaver. You covered this. Its too labour intensive. 2. LPs are way too expensive and the money isn't going to the performers.
What's the percent that goes to the artist for either Vinyl or CDs? (I'm assuming it's the same for both formats but maybe not) From what I've read for Spotify streams it's around $0.003 to $0.008 depending on the artist.
@@garrybayford5734 I was talking about older records. The ones that original owners sold for pennies at a yard sale and which traders would now like to sell you for $200.
Very fair list. I’m pleasantly surprised you did this, tip of my hat to your integrity. A sub-point to your “technically better” point. The listener needs to understand what artifacts will unhappily “pull you out of the music.” For me it was always, despite my care, the occasional click of vinyl playback. I think the anti-digital listener’s complaint about digital glare or lack of soul is the flip side of my peeve about vinyl - it pulls them away from the music. I don’t regret dumping my vinyl , love my streaming access to so much music, and hope my vinyl collection made one or more of you vinyl hunters very happy!
Another reason for not getting into vinyl: the pairing of analog equipment is so very critical. So many choices of cartridges with different stylus shapes and output, phono preamps, the table itself, platters, tonearms, belt/DD, head shells, connecting cables. And throw in a cleaning regiment or machine to add even more time/cost/uncertainty to the mix. With all of that said, I’m currently cleaning and listening to hundreds of records that I picked up, and am enjoying it immensely.
but when one use the same turntable that is at home since 1974 in Africa then in late 75 at home in Portugal and several cds sound worse than the vinil record to the point of not even like the songs as released on cd with a high-end cd player to listen ,the dozens of lp´s that one took care off to the point of not hearing a single out of the recording sound i think that keep listening to the records i stoped buying in 1993 with perfect sound one should question if cds are that good that not being able to reproduce mainly analog instruments as most of the bands that play analog instruments kept recording till today in analog recording devices that most of the good studios kept using or they would decrease the quality of the recording . I really think that records are very good as in quality of sound not refering to the new releases of vinil that i bought one to substitute a late 70´s record and the first thing i notice was a hiss inbetween tracks but not all i also have hundreds of cds that i bought since 93 not earlier because when to choose to buy a lp in cd or two in vinil i kept choosing vinil and i do use digital but saying its bad , no just one more format but what was lost was the record itself had covers that one could see the work to doing that possible and reading the words of the songs that with cds i have them bought in early 90´s that still today i never took of the inlay pappers to read litle printed texts this not refering the lost art of having beautifull covers that some bands try to make the cds as atractive as all old covers but that´s only a couple of bands, i also have a technics turntable with direct drive and both since new have been working without giving any problem the maintenance is easy and made from more than a decade to decade, the stylus if used correctelly are also good for a lot of years as the belt for my 74 turntable , the 76 technics ,even i feel amazed with the quality of it no need for a new engine since 76, but for those who had high-end stereos and bought lp´s as they were coming out but after listening they put one on top of the other this on top of a speasker, for those cds were a real fantastic improvement but when damaged not one song they could listen while a record can sound worse but one can hear it not like cds but i teach some to clean those unplayable cds as if they were cleaning dishes and 90% of them would start to play again, just not one better than the other but both complement the problems of each format, it´s only my opinion i use all the formats released till today except the DCC ,the DAT i had the first sony at home but it´s expensive but without a doubt the best digital format for regular users but expensive as hell ,never bought one, also some new expensives turntables are a laugh, and when someone is spending a fortune in a new cartridge and stylus first i would try a amplifier with a good phono stage, that 99% of the 70´s receivers or integrated amplifiers have, so in reality not for lazy guys as other already comented mr.geddy geddy (Rush, also a band that their old lps are much better sounding in vinil compared to the cd) and basically resumes all i´ve said, regards
Amazing video! Love the angle you gave to someone trying to make the decision to go in now or not. You could also say that the vinyl technology continues to improve (both media and equipment) and it's never too late. But I agree 100% that you need to be passionate at this point as there're plenty of cons if you're coming from a 'plug and play' digital world.
There's a gag cartoon that says "the two things that really drew me to vinyl were the expense and the inconvenience", and that seems to be my case. I am perfectly aware of the technical and practical advantages of CDs over vinyl but still, CDs have never exerted the fascination that vinyl records did on me from the cradle. I started buying CDs just when I realized that I had to do it if I wanted to keep collecting music, when the vinyl industry died in my country in mid 90s. During that time, my lifelong vinyl fever remained in a hibernation state and, fortunately, I didn't make the mistake of getting rid of my LPs. My vinyl collection didn't grow on those days, but I never stopped taking care of it. As soon as I realized that vinyl wasn't dead, my fever returned stronger than ever. I appreciate CDs for what they are, but I can never feel toward them the same I feel about vinyl records.
Great video, Steve. I needed to hear the voice of reason. I was considering going back to vinyl but I sold all of my records years ago. If I had kept them I could justify buying a good turntable. At this point it would just be money wasted that could be spent on better components.
Great job! The fewer Gen X,Y,Zer... that learn to appreciate the superior sound of vinyl the lower the cost of them will be! The current increased interest in vinyl is driving the costs of them up dramatically!
I am a fan of CDs as I have the best audio quality in my opinion. However if there is a product that has only been released on vinyl then I get the vinyl. I prefer any physical product to streaming. It is rare for me to do digital downloads.
I still buy and listen to my records (CD's) everyday. I'll use YT, BC and my local community radio for sourcing new artists but never the streaming services. They pay the artists a miniscule amount and make a huge profits
Well said Steve and agree with all 5. Had my fill with distortion in the late 1970's and early 80's. Most of my listening is on a 1973 Kenwood w/ amplified antenna (analog) FM Tuner from a local commercial free Jazz station here in Long Beach Calif. and the sound is just incredible, streaming does not compare.
Up until the dawn of CDs I bought LPs. Having made the switch to CDs, and finally digitizing it all in .wav lossless format, I have no intention of going back to LPs. I gave my entire LP collection to a friend who did make that switch back to LPs. I also gave him my marble-based Kenwood turntable to enjoy the records.
+1 The same here. Last year i bought out of curiosity a Thorens TD160 with SME arm for comparison. Had my old Ahmad Jamal record Rossiter road still. Compared it to my ripped CD on a Topping DAC. It all came back why i switched to CD's esspecialy the quite parts an the whispers where more detaild an intimate than with Vinyl IMO. No intentions to go back to vinyl. The Thorens was sold in 48 hours to somebody that could appreciate the sound.
@@Ssection31 You can have both CD and records... I prefer vinyl most of the time... but CD is indeed a better choice for music with lots of quiet and soft passages... too noisy on vinyl. For example... I have some King Crimson records and CDs... the Cds are a better choice due to the many soft quiet parts. However.... I have both the CD and record of Ziggy Stardust by Bowie... vinyl record has nicer punch and works better for that kind of rock and roll music.
@@kevingoodwin5177 Hi Kevin Most of older recordings for Vinyl (especially before digital times) are made of a so called Vinyl masters at the time lots of record companies where using the vinyl master to produce there Cd's. Story go's that Roger Nichols (sound engineer Steely Dan) did recorded The Nightfly from Donald Fagen fully digital 48khz at the time. In 82 it was one of the first records produced fully digital. So he was listening to the just released Nightfly on CD. An was horrified by it sound compared to the Vinyl record the cd sounded inferiour. He Found out that the record company used the analoog vinyl master instead of the original 1602 digital master with it full dynamics an transients. Lately i got this original master Nichols referd to an the album is not harsche any more way more balanced an more dynamic. Nichols produced some years ago a surround version of the Nightfly on dvd you can find the 2 channel stereo original 1602 master version of the Nightfly on that dvd. Priceless But most important Digital or Vinyl enjoy your listening. The perceived sound is in the ear of the beholder. ;-) Rodger Nichols: The first project I worked on that became a Compact Disc was Donald Fagen's Nighrfly album. I couldn't wait to get the CD in my hot little hands and compare it with the original mixes. When the CD arrived, I ran to my audio system and threw the CD into my player. After about 30 seconds I was ready to throw in the towel. The CD didn't sound anything like the final mixes. Was I wrong about digital audio? Was the Compact Disc truly inferior to the vinyl disc that it was to replace? I started doing some checking with the mastering facility where we mastered the album. Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York told me that the record company never asked for the 1610 digital master that we'd made. Instead, they had requested a 30 ips half-inch analog tape copy of our digital mixes. They then made the CD master from this analog copy. No wonder my CD didn't sound like the original mixes. After we raised enough hell, new CD masters were prepared and new CDs were pressed. I compared the new one to the original mixes. It matched perfectly. Whew! This was in late 1982. I figured that there was a necessary learning curve for the record companies to get their act together and realize that digital audio Compact Discs should not be made from second or third generation analog tape copies. Isn't nine years enough time?
I never got into vinyl because i never had memories of playing with it. I grew up in the cd era and every time i buy a cd now, it still puts a smile in my face.
As long as you are happy is all that matters. The worst trap you can fall into is buying into the obsession of vinyl v CD audiophile debates, oh i better upgrade my cartridge, oh now I need a better this or that. First world problems. Enjoy your music. You haven't missed anything. I have heard both, grew up with vinyl. I don't miss it. Here is a fun fact. I also took part in many blind tests. Back in 2012-13 we orchestrated a vinyl v digital blind test. The digital file had been tempered with by my self to make it more analogue sounding, i did various bits of processing, the vinyl had simply been burned to digital beforehand, the equipment was left in the hands of capable engineers, whereas I did the software processing. Everyone failed the blind test, they couldn't hear the difference. Digital is good enough such that with the right equipment it can fool the ear into believing it's good old vinyl. I would have happily invited Mr Guttenberg to lend his ears too, I can guarantee you he'd fail the test too, despite what he believes, or not.
I have been enjoying music for seven decades. What I hear and feel when playing VINYL is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experience I don't have with digital Hi RES files. I enjoy digital music just not the same feeling as analog especially open reel tape playback.
There aren't many of us that are still using reel to reel...I agree...there is something physical that touches you with analog, that you just can't access with digital..the closest I have to digital is a transport and a dac...don't see changing that anytime soon. I listen to analog, almost exclusively.
Couple of reasons why I just got back into vinyl: - The analog magic - it sounds great, different from digital. However in my experience you have to spend enough on the vinyl gear to get that great sound - I’d say at least $2K. As you go up the ranks, analog and digital start to converge again in sound quality terms - but they still sound different. - The physicality and engagement vinyl forces you into is great for music appreciation. - If you like gear - I am a gear-first audiophile - vinyl is heaven. - Cost? Yes. I have recalibrated. A download for $15 seemed expensive to me whereas an album for $25 sounds like a great deal! - As for why it is the BEST frigging time to get into analog: Streaming!!! I can sample before I buy!!! I have about 650 records accumulated over my analog years of the past and there’s probably 150 I really care for. Every record I buy today I know what I am getting.
One extremely important point and mistake those vinyl fans often make is: they compare expensive HighEnd turntables with cheap (a few hundred bucks) CD players and then assume that cd sounds inferior to vinyl…. LOL….ridiculous!
@@paultuerena …hm, ..strange . I once had a ProJect turntable from the mid 2000s and it was simply no comparison AT ALL to my CDP …so bad was it in comparison. After only two weeks of ownership I got rid of it. And as I only own about three or four dozens of vinyl records from the 80s and 90s I never looked back…
@@bikemike1118 well I guess the difference is you can just plonk a CD player down and it plays, you have to spend time and have the skills to set up a turntable so it can perform its best
My wife doesn't understand any of this stereo stuff. Just got my 1978 stuff out of storage and refurbished because our new house will have a back room in basement that I will be allowed to have my stuff. Love it. I can live with a few dozen record albums and 50 CDs. I am listening in storage room now. Wife listens to music streaming from her phone to ear buds or cheap speaker. You didn't mention cleaning records or cartridge every time or expense to have a separate room.
Oh, what a fun topic and hilarious and informative way you tackle it. I got into vinyl about 10 years ago and am way deep into the rabbit hole. It is more expensive and of course there are so many rituals involved so it takes a lot more time and effort, but when it all comes together it is by far a more heart and soul experience that brings you closer to the music. That said, I'll never want to move out of my house now because all this stuff is heavy!
If you are getting into vinyl, because you read about or heard about how amazing it sounds, please note that to achieve sonic bliss with vinyl, it is a time consuming and expensive endeavor. 1) You need a quality turntable. 2) You need a quality phono amp. 3) You need to isolate your turntable from feedback or any vibrations. 4) You need to dial in: -- the effective length of the tone-arm. -- the cartridge's weight. -- the vertical tracking alignment / rake angle. -- the anti-skating. -- the overhang. -- the offset. -- the zenith angle. -- the cartridge's azimuth -- although all of the above requires special tools, this particular setting requires tools that are not part of the usual turntable set-up kits. And after you get all of the above as good as your ears are telling you they can be, then there is the chore of finding quality vinyl pressings. 80% to 90% of vinyl pressings are between suck to decent. Perhaps 10% are very good. Only 1% or 2% have magical sound quality, and for only one of the two sides -- and often not for every song on the same side (the studios have different recording sessions, botching a track here and there, and it makes it to the side of an album where it pales in comparison to the other songs on that side). And you will also need a good record cleaning machine and cleaning fluid. If you are able to accomplish "all" of the above (and the rest of your stereo is very good), then you will be in for a real treat that few people have ever experienced. If you fall short on any of the above, you simply will not have great sound quality, and the problem is compounded if you fell short on more than one of the above items. With everything at its best, your record will probably play very quietly, and have outstanding stereo separation, and realism that has to be heard to be believed. If you did not dial everything in properly, and you did not painstakingly re-purchase the same album over and over, seeking out the best stamper codes, etc... ...if you did not do absolutely everything right, and you think that your vinyl playback sounds very good, then pray you never hear a set-up where someone actually got everything right, because you will then hear what your system is missing. Vinyl is fantastic, if 1) you know what you are doing, 2) you have the $$ to do it right, and 3) you have the time to devote to getting everything right. I am not dissuading anyone from this hobby. I am just letting folks know what they have in store for themselves, if they have their hearts set on hearing the best that vinyl has to offer. It is probably a much harder goal than many folks expect it to be. If the ultimate sound quality is not your goal, then by all means, jump in and enjoy! ----- By the way, digital is no picnic either, if you want to hear it at its best. Between jitter (yes, you have jitter -- unless you have a pricey transport to minimize jitter), and endless compressed releases from the record companies, finding the rare gems in the digital content offerings is hard work. That hit song you have is likely available on an original release, a re-master, a re-re-master, a greatest hits, a best of, an anthology, and several compilations -- and almost without exception, they will differ in sound quality (and, still, most of them will not be great). And note that when there is more than one re-master, then that is the record company admitting that the blew it on their first re-master. And they probably blew it on the re-re-master, too. But digital is far more convenient, and less costly, to get good sound quality. Cheers!
You're absolutely right about analog is more expensive then digital. Prime example ebay sales vintage mono lathe vinyl record making machines that cost alot of money, and the sound quality has no value unless you're willing do the restoration in order to make them sound good. The overall point in my opinion is that when using vintage analog while playing vinyl records sounds alot warmth with a richer sound quality 👌
Getting rid of all of my vinyl in the 1990s was a mistake. I regret it every time I purchase a record that I had in the past. My vinyl back then was in excellent shape. Makes me cry. I will say now, hunting down a great copy of that special record to replace has been a great part of the hobby for me. I am certainly very selective of what I buy and I think it makes me appreciate the music even more. I saved almost all of my cassettes factory as well as personally recorded. That was probably because of the cassette deck in my automobiles. I have also been enjoying that aspect of analog. I am impressed with some of the recordings I made that do sound incredible given the format and age of those tapes.
I've saved the cassettes I have bought "factory" but just don't listen to them on the Nakamichi ZX9 because they literally sound terrible and the tape they used were terrible and make a mess in addition to not sounding good. I mean sure in your car what the heck. I guess my point is that the old chrome particularly Maxell UDXLII sound great, the mechanism works great, they record great, and boo hoo the current maxell tapes suck hard.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk you´re right the last 90´s maxell cassetes were garbage but i have ur and older ul´s that today sound as perfect as in the day i recorded them and type I
CD's, Vinyl, and Cassettes are the best formats for audio. I've been at it for 40 years now. I kept all my stuff with no regrets. A good Nakamichi like the ZXL 700 or 1000 is a good as a reel to reel. Also, get your hands on a Revox B 215. They are just as good as the Naka's.
As all of us "original" (old) music collectors die off, all of our records have been coming onto the market for new collectors to snap up. It's not like the newbies are going to be able to buy mint vinyl for a couple bucks each like we did, but decent records in general are pretty easy to find and acquire. I realize you were being half-facetious when you said it was too late to start, but my nephew just started and he's having a great time finding the records and the equipment. I keep thinking that at 67 I should stop buying records (and CDs, and books), but it's still fun and too much a part of my life.
You can enjoy both. I do, all of the time. My 'go to' is vinyl, because of the ritual, collectibility, and exceptional sound of a great pressing (talk about a can of worms). Digital is convenient, consistent, and crystal clear (as close to 'perfect' as you can get).
My reasons for having a turntable….records do sound better (most of the time), storing records in your listening room provides decent acoustic treatment (even when I’m streaming), it promotes exercise (gotta get off my ass every 20-25 minutes to flip the record), it helps prevent ADD . I stay focused when listening to an entire album as opposed to jumping from song to song while listening to Qobuz and playing a record promotes a physical connection with the past. It’s simply not the same with streaming.
@@keplermission4947 maybe his records sound better because technically vinyl and analog are superior? As in vinyl has a higher frequency response than anything digital can touch. Is a continuous stream of data instead of chopped stair steps. And the music itself is not destroyed in the mastering process by slamming it against brick wall filters. Or then destroyed by running it through integration/ low pass filters on the output. S/N? With most rooms having about a 40dbSPL noise floor at best and Threshold of Pain, where ears start bleeding, about 110dbSPL, anything over 70db S/N is lost in most listening rooms. You can hear the tape deck being turned up at the beginning of tracks on my ttble showing it is again the quality of tape decks from back in the day. Not limitations of the vinyl as proven by some dead quiet Direct to Discs.
Great reasons! I feel the same. I actually think working with music playing on the turntable in the background is great because it forces me to get up every 20 minutes or so and stretch.
@@glenncurry3041 I'm not trying to be rude, but please do some more research. The best analogue reel to reel machines are excellent. Those are worth getting if you have the time and money for them, as well as the specialized calibration tools needed to maintain them. Aside from the best analogue reel to reel machines, digital is the best.
@@revokdaryl1 I get tired of reposting it. I need to do some more research? After a degree in electronics? Repping for Sony/Superscope selling their RtoR back in the '60/'70's? (I went to the PlayBoy Mansion with Joseph Tushinsky). I came in 2nd for National Service Dept Manager for Studer/ Revox because of my handwriting fail!. I lived in Nashville selling Audio to stores and studios. A member of AES. As a Rep I got the just introduced A/T mic line onto the Opry stage because the CE was a friend! I've had discussions about digital recording with Dr. Thomas Stockham. I repped Maxell and supplied tape duppers pallets and pallets of tape. (Can't talk about the limo rides with Gene LaBrie, Maxell's national sales manager in Vegas!) RtoR, especially anything consumer level, has a bad low end because of head bump! Laws of physics you can not get around! It has high end roll off, same reason. Being highly inductive, heads cause frequency related phase shifts. Each generation will lose 3DB S/N and hi end roll off...... So much for access to masters! Maybe 3rd- 4th gen copies at best? Direct to Disc has significantly better EVERYTING! Bandwidth Red Book can't even dream of! A measured S/N (lowest noise floor to highest level recorded) of over 120DB! And a complete lack of the digital artifacts that keep digital from sounding as good as analog!
@@glenncurry3041 Thank you for replying. You certainly have more impressive credentials than I do! I suppose why I'm frustrated is because my favourite music wasn't recorded direct to disc, as far as I know. The majority of it was recorded to 24 track tape.
I get into vinyl recently, or, in other words, I got into hifi recently. I have been growing up in the days of CD, and soon MP3. I think you cannot bypass vinyl if you are in the world of Hifi. The reason of listening to vinyl is a different experience, and respectively, different set of equipments with listening to streaming. I am with Tidal and vinyl both of them now and they are both satisfying. And most of the time I found vinyl gives me more feeling from, and out of the music. For example, the art of the sleeves, the introduction book in the sleeve, and sometimes the feel of the time that people spent on the records (for used one), which is definitely amazing. You touch, see, and can even smell it.
Even thought I was a Technics dealer in London in the 1970s & 80s I still have some fantastic turntables. Starting with an SP10 Mk 2 and three other Technics Decks I have had to give up on Vinyl and settle for digital due to old age and disability. My wife won't let me get rid on the turntables and my record collection. If I could list it on eBay I would but even that is beyond me now. I still have a couple of SACD players and a large collection of CDs and SACDs so I will stick with digital. Thanks for your video Steve.
I'm in the middle at 41 years old. I got into vinyl due to the simple reason that a lot of expense in digital is converting that back to analog with a good DAC, with vinyl it's all analog. So, if I absolutely love a album, I'll get the vinyl. Not a ton, but roughly 40 records after 3 years.
The biggest reason for me to get into vinyl is that some pressings, especially before say 1985 are indisputably better. They were cut all analogue from the original master tapes. Many times the master tapes are now lost, and there are no good digital transfers. The literal only way to hear the best sounding recording is an original pressing.
TRUE! Just recall how you have to clean the records and the cartridge, still you might get a lot of statics ... If you would not believe how cumbersome it is in comparison to getting a proper DAC, try it for yourself ...
You are spot on there Steve with the vinyl experience. With a lot of my LPs I can tell you the shop I bought it from, what month and year it was, who I was with, what we did that day besides go round a record shop etc etc.. It's a piece of round vinyl in some cardboard, but there is a connection to it which is still there many years later. I think that connection is further enhanced if if's a record that you had to search out. I can't imagine how that connection can ever happen with digital streaming. Also, as you point out, on paper digital should be way ahead of analogue int terms of musical enjoyment, but oftentimes it's the other way around.
I'm listening to a sealed and just opened Beatles album with a funny looking butcher cover on my Crosley. It's a mono copy and it sounds ok on the built in speakers. I also have Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road I got from the same collection still sealed.I'm enjoying the hobby very much.
I started listening to music when I'm 6 through my dad's cassette player. It was fun to search for cassettes in the cardboard box. Then after 4 years, the CD player came into the play that I didn't miss the cassette. From that moment to today CDs are my go-to. I don't like automatic transmission cars the same goes with the music. I need to do something to get the thing that gives me a delicate experience. So, I will get a digital ACD rip (only albums that are expensive and not available around me) and burn it as ACD. My first ACD (Raavan by AR Rahman) is still on my rack for the past 11 yrs.
I am 67 years old and still pull out CDs that I bought years ago. I got back into LP a year ago and bought a Rega planar turn table. Bought a few new LPs over $50 each. The biggest mistake I have ever made in my audio life. Those five things reassure me that LPs are a waste of money and digital is far superior. Great video Steve.
I personally tend to see CDs as a sort of "best of both worlds". But with that said, I grew up at the end of the age of vinyl - and while I've always preferred other formats, I did at one point have a nice collection of 33s and 45s I enjoyed listening to.
Grew up with vinyl and bought tons of sealed records when CD’s became the rage. Now things have flipped and CD’s are a tremendous value. Still love vinyl but I have walked out of many a store where the lowest price for a record is 20 bucks.
Great perspective! I'm a "boomer", too… out of audio (somewhat 🤓), for years….but it never leaves me…kind of like motorcycles and photography…had a huge record collection in The 70' (that is long-gone), moving coil cartridge, etc. In the last year I resurrected my 45-year-old Bob Carver power amp and built a modern system around it… with a very good streamer/SCAD player as source. I have been looking/lusting at all the modern, super-cool record playing gear 😍🥰…But I think that you just cleared that up for me, Steve. Your 5 points hit home…especially the expense part. You just made me intensely 😃HAPPY😃 with what I HAVE!!!! 👍🏼
Years ago I told my son listen to this record and compare it to your cd. He was blown away because the music wasn’t compressed! Still enjoy my Sony PS-X5 turntable. 1977
An opinion I totally agree with. My recent journey (last 5 years) consisted of going from a Parasound A21/P6 combo with a Rega TT. Dealing with rumble filters, TT location, quality vinyl for sale, etc. I decided to get a good streamer and and a reasonably priced tube integrated amp and was totally satisfied. So much so that I sold my entire Parasound kit, TT, and all of my vinyl....no regrets!
Steve, all you have said is true, for me - UNTIL, I acquired a DENON 59L turntable at a thrift store for $35.00, (near mint!), and dusted off my LP's, and purchasing many others, so now it is a regular part of my listening enjoyment!
Hi Steve, what a great subject! I started out in the sixties and went crazy in the early 70’s, technics turn table Shure V15, JBL L100s and on and on. When CDs came on the scene in the early 80’s my first intro to digital, I went wow! So convenient, can play a whole album without getting up to turn the LP over! Then streaming! Don’t have to get up at all!! I still have a turn table and still listen to LPs, but have to say maybe, at most, 10% of my listening is vinyl. Yes, there is a difference in sound, but the convenience of streaming…
Steve,i love listening to high quality uncompressed digital.I have a modest system,klipsch speakers. I loved lps when i owned them back in the flintstone era.I enjoyed them until cds arrived,the rest is history.Cheers.
When CDs first appeared, all of us who worked in the recording industry were delighted because dor the first time, the music sounded like it did when it left the studio: I.e., how we meant it to sound.
When I grew up I got familiar with vinyl and turntables and now I'm 39 and I still love the nostalgic sound and feeling of the vinyl and turntable, just looking at how the vinyl turns and how the tip follows the grooves and automatically picks up the arm at the end of the record is just magical on its own. Ow, yes you forgot to mention one more important thing about vinyl, if you have many of them and want to store them against the wall you better make very sturdy shelves because it is a lot of weight so something from Ikea isn't fit for the job.
I went from cassettes in my teens to vinyl when Vinyl did sound much better than early CD players. Then the shop selling vinyl went to CD only as popularity grew. With much upset I borrowed more money than I could afford to and bought a CD player described as having a Vinyl like sound. Sugden SD1 with the now legendary Philips TDA1541A S1 Single Crown D/A Converter DAC. Vinyl is in the shops again in good quantity I’ve bought some but I have a high quality streamer and access to so much old music I never listened to and so much new that wouldn’t have got a look in. If I end up in nursing home in my old age I hope there will be an Atom HE and some quality headphones in the room and just maybe a small pair of speakers so I can share my latest discoveries.
I grew up with vinyl in high school and college and switched to CDs once they became the prevalent format. In the early 80s the quality of vinyl became so bad that I was returning 50% of the vinyl LPs I purchased. I now own over 2.5K CDs and stream as well. I am glad vinyl has made a comeback and understand it's appeal, but I have no desire to return to it. It is now a boutique format with the costs to reflect that. CDs have fallen out of favor which makes them an excellent buying opportunity. I recently purchased a Denafrips Pontus R2R DAC and it was a game changer for improving the sound of my CDs and streaming. I prefer CDs over streaming because I like to have physical media. With rapidly improving DAC offerings, I would not be surprised if CDs make an comeback.
Had it not been for the vinyl I started buying back in the 80's I probably wouldn't own a turntable today, so the interest was grandfathered in I suppose. Vinyl is the most inconvenient & costly way to enjoy music - I agree that you have to be a hobbyist with some level of passion to even wanna be bothered.
Great video! One disadvantage I would like to put on the list is availability. Several smaller bands release a very low number of 'limited edition' records - down to only a hundred or so - the rest they sell is CDs or digital downloads and mostly streaming. The stress to be able to get a copy of a record of a particular favourite band can be a deal breaker...
I've enjoyed my LPs and 45s since 1969. I'm 60 years old, and I'm selling off my collection; most of them I have on CD as well. Recent remasters on CDs sound really good, some from the '80s sound good as well. I jumped on the CD bandwagon in the '80s mostly with Jazz and Classical; stuck it out on LPs with Rock & Punk. Still have my Dual 622 automatic turntable since 1981, and it works like a charm. I got very disappointed with the price of new vinyl lately; thought I'd replace some old damaged LPs with new ones, but $30 for an album is a bit much. A remastered CD can sound amazing; the remastered Cream albums are a great example of that, at $10-12 each.............. Thanks Steve!
Steve, thank you so much. Turn as many people as you possibly can to streaming and cd's... More albums for me! You did touch on something that hit home to me. Before we moved into our new forever home in 2003 I culled my record collection which included both LP'S and 7 inch singles down from over 8000 to just a little over 5000. I am desperately trying to replace some of those well worn LP'S now. It has not been easy.....
I got my first own turntable at the age of 13 (^now I'm 37). At this time I started purchasing my first few records. They've had always been expensive and over time I kept buying them. Since then I changed a few times the turntable - always modest models, second hand. But for almost one year I have a "real audiophile" turntable. And I play lot of "audiophile" pressings. I don't know if my kids will ever have a serious hifi rack. But going through my modest LP-collection (~650 pieces) and memorizing when I played this and that are very important to me. Digital (and even CD's) cannot give the same impression. I also stream music, I have Qobuz and online radio and that's all cool. But without my records (and cassettes(!) btw) there would be something missing.
Steve- Agree on all five!. And, for me, there is no "analog magic" - IME, good digital sounds better. One more advantage of digital - I've got a backup of my collection on a portable HD. In a fireproof box. In an emergency, I grab the disc and my music collection lives on! On a more serious note: In my experience with young people, they have a strong emotional connection to the music they like. It isn't dependent on physical media (maybe for older people it is, for them it isn't). They also have a strong connection to youtube videos, etc. of their favorite music.
Wise words regarding vinyl. I love my vinyl collection, which is my principal vehicle in this hobby, and will continue to be. Digital is secondarily useful to me.
Having been a audio enthusiast ( not audiophile ) there was only analog records and I chose jazz and classical music and developed a nice collection . The biggest problem I faced was being satisfied with what I had against what others had who were spending large amounts and never being satisfied . Thank goodness I am at 72 over that .
There’s nothing like putting the needle on the record. I love interacting with my system like if it was a human being. Plus streaming high quality streaming is actually $20 not $10. And there are very good records out there even used in great condition for as little as five dollars. I don’t think it’s never too late when you know what you’re doing.
I'm a vinyl fanatic too, however there is a place for digital. Your comparison of $10-$20 a month for virtually unlimited music to a rare price of $5 for a single, used album in good condition is Apples & Oranges my friend. Streaming has opened up my musical world tenfold or more. I can spend the evening listening to wonderful music and musicians that I've never heard of before. I can also make playlists based on any criteria. Many, many times I've brought an album home, only to find that I only like 2-3 tracks. With streaming that's no problem..just put the ones you like in a Playlist you can make for that artist. I purchased many vinyl albums because I discovered then online first and liked them so much that I had to hear the usually better, vinyl version. Keep on spinning! But don't cheat yourself out of streaming either...you're missing out!
Spinning vinyl since the 70’s. Love it. But I love the unbelievable access to music that streaming provides. This is the golden age of access to music. Thank you Digital.
Transport: Common 1x speed portable CD player with a RJ-11 jack soldered to the Eye Pattern test point on the circuit board...DAC: Software decoding with an RTL-SDR dongle in Direct Sampling mode with input sampling rate of 2,400,000 hertz. Decoded with the open source ld-decode on Linux that I found online and a zero-crossing detector I wrote to generate the EFM file. Played through a wish USB sound card box.
Unfortunately for me Steve, I was forced to "jettison" my records in the late 90's due to moving. However, that vast knowledge I gained during that time came into play when I started over again 5 years ago. I love it just as much now and you were there the whole time. Thanks for waiting for me LOL.
I agree with Steve, no it's not for everyone. I personally have always enjoyed the effort to listening to a great record, got the engineer's lamp to adjust the lighting (while not being in any contact with the table) as to assure any dust is removed [this process may take up to 3 to 7 minutes, depending] cleaning the stylus [about 15 seconds ] raising the cueing (is that a word) lever finding the groove (pretty quick until my 4th double, on the rocks w/a splash) drop lever, & adjust volume to a highly inappropriate level...& perfection ~she gots the looks that kill~ even my secondary system sounds like honey.
Whoa! Lots comments on this one. I love options. What’s more niche than vinyl? It’s minidisc! Lovely to see that today’s viewer system had a MD player. I still use mine too. To each their own!
Not mentioned for vinyl, is it is noisy! I suspect wifi and 5 gee etc. isn't helping. Also noisy power. Walking on your floor bouncing the needle and making more noise. Feedback loops. Grounding issues. Snap crackle and pops.
You don't say what gear you have! But fix a nice solid shelf to the wall and put just the turntable on it. That will stop the walking feeding through.Put some felt bads under the turntable feet. That will minimise the resonances. Get yourself some reasonable quality shielded interconnects. All cheap-ish fixes for a massive improvement.
A good way to start was always raiding your family's old record collection. I've scored three dumps in my lifetime but I've also spend a ton on brand new vinyl. The best part for me is streaming the analog over Sonos in real time. I'm literally the house DJ now lol
Hi Steve, It's time for you to make a list of recommended equipment. Like speakers $200-$500, $600-$1200, $1500-$3000, $4000 and up, give us three to five choices in each category. Make your own categories, of course, I'm just trying to be descriptive. But it's not fair to compare the 3.7i to the B1+. It is fair to say you like, for example, debut 5.2s over anything else under $800 or whatever. Some recommended integrateds, preamps, amps, cd players. Again at price points. I guess DACs are a big deal, but I'm old and I don't stream much. And feel free to list some good cartridges. Personally I think you can skip pretty much any component over $10k, those people have already made up their minds, or they're in thrall to some salesman.
As a child born in the mid-70s, i loved playing my parents' 7" singles on the portable multi-stack player. It sounded awful, but it's all we had and it was so much fun. Then in the 80s, my dad bought a Sansui hi-fi tower (with glass fronted cabinet) and I loved playing his 70s albums on it, it sounded great (wasn't perfect, of course). This is why records will always be a big part of my system, but I can understand if younger people can't connect with them.
I put records away decades ago and delighted to have done so. I've been an audiophile since a teen. At that time a record was $1.99...I'm not paying $30 for a record now. Also, we live in the desert and dust is inescapable.
I think the biggest reason for not getting into vinyl is... where do they come from? What is the source material? Doesn't the music come from a digitally recorded and stored place? So why not simply stay with the hr-res digital media?
I had never listened to a vinyl record before a couple of years ago. I pulled my dad's 45 year old system out of storage on a whim, and I'm still in disbelief at how good they sound. I've listened to records every day since. Maybe it's just me but when the music is literally spinning there in front of you I can feel some connection to the music.
Yeah I agree I used to have a really crappy family all in one and 2 years ago I played an old record with my new system and it’s sooo darn good! I could not get enough of it.
*Plus* The One thing Records can do that no other media can, is they can be played without Electricity! It's what makes ANALOG Unique among the many advancements. IF ELECTRICITY Disappeared, it's possible to make mechanical Players that will PLAY what is on the RECORDS and I hate losing MUSIC because I didn't have cash for everything in life!
@@keplermission4947 You'll have to excuse me because I honestly don't know much about audio at all. I just really like listening to music. My dad's stuff (it's mine now, I guess? lol) is a Marantz 2220B and a JVC QL-A5 turntable with an Empire 400TC cartridge. Super old, but it sounds great to me! And it was free!
@@keplermission4947 If you listen to Rolling Stones from that time period it will have the same F.R. no matter what format. The limitation was the tape decks of the time. NOT vinyl! Vinyl itself can go out to 60Khz as used for CD4. Try to get that F.R. on a CD or any digital format.
And those electric parts inside you know from the '70's that the Voyager spacecrafts still use? Yes parts CAN and many DO deteriorate. But to claim it is 100% and you have to be lying to claim it still sounds good? SAD!
Now please explain how stereo separation can only be artificial when it is actually being heard.
@@rossalthor Don't let some digital fan boy stop you from enjoying equipment that was made better than most of the junk sold today!
Interesting video. To counter:
Top 5 Reasons to Get Into Vinyl
1, You are off grid, nobody knows what you are listening to
2, You own your music
3, Artwork/Lyrics
4, You listen to a whole record as it was intended
5, Record shopping and hunting for wants is part of the whole vinyl experience and an instant memory is made when you buy them.
Agree in album art etc but will stick to my massive collection of cds and multi ch SACD DVD A AND Blue Ray music. I still own that and off grid. I only stream to seek out music I want in my collection. Nothing like a top loading vacuum tube cd player and my legacy focus se powered with my iV 2 AMP AT 1000WPC @ 4 ohms!
I started vinyl a year ago because I got fed up with myself and Spotify.
I couldn't handle having all that choice. Rarely did I listen to a full album on Spotify. It's always skip skip skip.
Vinyl is almost like meditation. Love it ❤️
That's a perfect description. When I discovered CD way back end 80's beginning 90's I found CD-listening to be enervating, for just the same reason.
Same 🤣
I do not want to participate in digital platforms exploiting artists and profiting massively from it. The explanation for the Apple logo can be found in Genesis chapters 2 and 3.
As a retired individual. All of the #3 reasons he listed are exactly why I am enjoying my vinyl now more than ever. The steps it takes to enjoy playing an LP "force" me(just figuratively speaking) to slow down and enjoy the moment. I don't always want to be in "hurry-up" mode because everyone is. It's my time to just...relax!
I got out of vinyl in the late 80's and thought CD's were the end game. I then thought that creating playlists and streaming was really "it". Now.....I am back to vinyl and just love the whole experience of listening to an LP. I love to experiment with different phono preamps, cartridges, etc. I enjoy the music better listening to an entire record vs skipping to my favorite songs. Researching and buying new music on vinyl, as well as 1980's and 90's reissue LP's is just fun. It can definitely get expensive. I know that my wife has no idea what I spend on certain records......
Put me down for everything he jus said!
I think the difference is everybody got into home theater 6.1 7.1 and so on digitized sterile. So forgotten was (High Fidelity)
Same here, all of it. Never.thought I’d be back but here I am. Additionally, sound bars are so good now I am moving away from home theater systems to pure two channel music systems.
records ... shoes ... pick your poison
Last weekend I setup a fanless NUC pc with "Daphile" open source streaming software running on Linux in bit-perfect mode. The real-time kernel and dedicated PC finally makes my Schiit Bifrost sing. Tidal finally sounds good, really good! The music just hangs in the air, black background. It exceeds anything I could get out of my vinyl. I took down my Kyocera PL601 W/ Shure 94(?) off the wall and put away my 100 or so albums. I'm done. Digital never sounded better and I'm walking away from my beater vinyl that served me well when CD's cost 15 and albums were 9. I had to be thrifty in 1984 and they're all used and beat up. Moving on!
I was the guy, back in the 90s and early 00’s, accepting everyone else’s record collections. They were literally giving them away, and even though I still had a big move ahead of me, and I wasn’t necessarily even into their genre, I happily loaded them into my trunk and added them to my collection. I’ve got so much more Willy Nelson, Country, and Bob Dylan than I’ll ever need, but I like having access to those alternate worlds, right on my shelf. I enjoy putting on my guest’s favorite music when they stop by, so they can hear how warm, lush and musical their favorite music can sound.
@@keplermission4947
Do you name your streaming device when you tell folks the music you're listening to? 🙄
As an older audiophile I had many large systems with reel to reel, 8 tracks, cassettes and of course many different turntables. As a Sound Engineer and a Theater Technical Director I have tuned analyzed and listened to Multi hundred thousand dollar systems for a living. As a DJ and music lover since the 70's I've never been a fan of records due to skipping, noise and general hassle using them. Once I got a good Marantz cassette deck I transferred my records to cassettes, eventually getting a 3 head Teac deck with DBX noise reduction. Was a big cassette fan, even had DBX in my car. Once CD's came out I never looked back. I did finally buy a Pioneer DJ turntable with a decent cartridge a few years ago and my old albums are in great condition as I barely played them. Some of my old albums aren't available on CD or streaming so I occasionally play them. I prefer smaller simple systems now, Have a Yamaha R-100 receiver, Marantz CDR510 CD player, TeacV2RX cassette deck, Pioneer PLX-500 and ADS 710 speakers. It's by no means the finest audiophile equipment available and most of it is way over 20 years old. Good records on a great system sound good. For me digital sounds better and is way more convenient so yes, I agree with your 5 reasons and have a few of my own as well...
Telling people not to bite into forbidden fruit makes them want to do it more. Excellent plan Steve!
This is ONLY for the cool kids…
Hahaha, good point sir.👍
The next hot shit ?? Mechanical typewriters … so much cooler than Microsoft Word.
And so so much more fun to fiddle around with…
Just my thoughts!
Overaged , almost rotten fruit …
Its not for me anymore, but I still love the type of harmonic distortion it provides so I love the sound.
BUT - there's a reason my 35 year old Roksan Xeroxes' rosewood turntable remains sitting in my attic, in fact several.
As I've gotten older and lost my heath and mobility, finding the music you want, putting it on and then getting up to change it is so much effort I listened to less and less music. My 2000 LP's take up so much room its impractical to keep them in my room.
Now I use a Naim Atom and I have access to just about everything in the world, I've never enjoyed music more and myself and my wife have gone back to spending most evenings just sitting down and listening. Digital has made me get my hi fi mojo back.
I bet that Roksan is worth real money! Best of luck to you. 🧡
Good for you!
"Harmonic Distortion"? You mean, LP has LESS of it than digital! Digital distortion increases A FULL ORDER OF MAGNITUDE for every 20db drop in the recording level. Loud sounds within 20db of the "0 VU/db" maximum recording/output level have less THD in digital formats, true. But at levels below -20db, LP's, cassette tape for that matter! have LOWER DISTORTION than 16-bit digital. That's why low-level sounds literally "disappear" in digital formats, & why LP's, EVEN OF DIGITAL RECORDINGS(!), have more detail & sound far more realistic. What has 0.005%THD @ 0VU has 0.5%THD @ -40db. Feh! Analog format distortion drops dramatically with decreases in level AND KEEPS DECREASING whereas with digital it KEEPS INCREASING (-60db is 5%THD with 16 bit digital !!!😛). Even LP will have like, 1/100th the THD at those low levels! Which may approach the subliminal at that level, just barely above the noise floor. But God is in the details. No wonder digital sounds SOULLESS! You have chosen convenience over fidelity. Enjoy!
@@joerosen5464 what an extraordinary rant, I had no desire to trigger anyone. Whilst I can see you have a strong preference I do wander why you are so vitriloic in your opposition for what is the recording medium of choice for the vast majority of commercial studios. I just enjoy excellent music and dont begrudge anyone enjoying music their way.
@@joerosen5464 what a crock of shit ....you try to use static evidence and ignore the rest what makes vinyl outdated and FAR FROM superior.
Absolutely agree. Thanks. I have numbers 6,7,8,9 & 10 if you need them.
I thought I was out, but vinyl pulled me back in.
I put away the turntable in the mid-'90s. I didn't want to be that guy who was always yelling at his kids over stuff. A few years later I divested 90% of my album collection. But CDs were never a passion for me. They did not sound right, did not feel right. No emotional connwction..
The kids grew up. Four years ago my daughter gave me a suitcase record player and the remastered Led Sell debut album. It all came flooding back! I now own twice as many LPs as I did in my heydey. I'm running my vintage Demon DP2550A with Micro Seiko MA505 arm and a Pioneer PL41 set up for mono. I can't quit you, vinyl, and I will never try to again.
Led Zepp. Curse you autocorrect!
@@keplermission4947 why are you being a tool?
@@keplermission4947 Happy to share.
Main System Gear
· Denon DP2550A turntable with Micro Seiki MA505 tonearm and Audio Technica AT450 cartridge (connected to Schiit Mani)
· Pioneer PL41 turntable with Audio Technica VM610MONO cartridge (connected to SA3 internal phono preamp)
· Schiit Mani phono preamp
· IOTAVX SA3/PA3 amp stack (dual mono configuration)
· Triangle Borea BR03 standmount speakers
· Schiit Bifrost 2 DAC
· Chromecast Audio streaming device (optical to Bifrost 2)
· Lenovo Windows 10 PC (USB to Bifrost 2) w/ 15 Tbs for audio/video files
· Massdrop THX AAA 789 Linear headphone amp
· Massdrop Alex Cavalli Liquid Carbon X headphone amp
· TCL Roku 42” TV (optical to SA3 internal DAC)
· Sony DVD/CD player (coaxial to SA3 internal DAC)
· Morrow Audio interconnects
· Software:: MusicBee, BubbleUP, Spotify Connect, others
· Headphones:
o Massdrop Sennheiser HD6XX balanced
o Thinksound ON2
o Dekoni Blue by Fostex
o Massdrop Koss Porta-Pro X
o Philips Audio Fidelio X2HR
o SIVGA SV006
o Status Audio OB1
o Status Audio CB1
o Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Hybrid ANC wireless
o Avantree Audition Pro aptX Low Latency wireless
o An equal number of IEMs (Status Audio, Thinksound, Hifiman, etc)
Cool story.
You have learned your lesson! Vinyl forever!
Great post. I turned 60 earlier this year and decided to upgrade my Hi-Fi system. I haven't played my vinyl collection for over 20 years so after some deliberation I made the decision to add a new turntable that would allow me to reconnect with my collection that's been stored in the attic. I have no intention of buying any new vinyl at today's crazy inflated prices, this is simply a nostalgia trip. I settled on a Technics 1500C not cheap but not crazy expensive. It's a decent no nonsense deck. I've been amazed at some of the nonsense I've seen and heard on Y Tube and the various snake oil gizmos that are being punted to the audiophile community. Us old timers survived in our analogue world for decades without half this stuff and we certainly didn't cook our albums in the family oven or slather them in PVA glue. My twitch has returned at the thought. As for the term VINYLS... NO NO NO! I've enjoyed reconnecting with the best of my collection and the pops clicks etc don't sound anywhere near as bad as my memory had me believing! Yes it's fiddly and a pain in the a*se to get up after 20 minutes to turn the disc over. I still prefer digital- CD, SACD and my tentative steps in embracing streaming (I still prefer to own a physical copy of the music along with the case, cover art and notes etc). Playing vinyl will only ever be an occasional event- even then I've had to force myself at several points in order to validate the expense of my investment in the new turntable. I'm happy to live in my multi format bubble.
If you account for inflation, vinyl isn't really more expensive now.
Vinyl v. Cd is a debate that will outlive most of us. At 68 years of age, I still play vinyl that I bought 50 years ago. Since my records have only been played on audiophile turntables, their sound remains extraordinary. I have two tables, a Rega P6 and a Rabco ST-8, each with hideously expensive cartridges. It is difficult to put into words the sonic beauty that comes from them.
Even now people debate cd vs streaming
I personally prefer vinyl. I guess because it’s not perfect. But I love CDs and their portability as far as listening in the car is a huge plus over cassettes.
I feel no need to join that debate. Each medium has it's time and place to enjoy it. I own around 2300 vinyl titles some of them I bought in the late sixties. And I still listen to them regularly. But I also own a serious collection of CD's and have a server with a huge collection of flac albums. And in my car I listen to Spotify.
CD's don't really have all that much to with anything, it's "digital"
Why would someone have two turntables? Why would you pay hideous cartridge $.Put a cd into a player, forget your hiss and pop, forget your interrupted get up and flip your black floppy vinyl over, take another sniff as you Vinyl heads get your kicks from, and enjoy the sounds. Yea right. Move on.
We here at the real in 2021 world have a new idea. Put a CD into a tray, ahhhhhhh. Kick back and enjoy the whole album on cd. Light up and enjoy.
Yup, 69 years old and have had the passion since spinin’ records on my parents record player when I was 3 years old. No better experience. Nice video, Steve.
I left vinyl decades ago and have no intention of getting back into it. I certainly don't miss the hisses and pops that creep into the music over time, even with expensive cartridges.
Some years ago, I transferred all my music in 45 rpm and in LP versions over to reel to reel tape then eventually into digital formats. Playing music in digital format is certainly much more convenient as any higher end tablet or phone can stream the music to a music system with Bluetooth or analog inputs. Your reasons for not getting into vinyl in this digital age are certainly valid. I appreciate the video. For those who wish to pick up the hobby, good luck!
We who have a real passion for music can get into it on either system. An album is a body of work that represents an artist at a particular point in time. Playing it in sequence from first track to last is a great connection to a band or an orchestra or a musician. The streaming paradigm breaks that level of connection. The tracks are isolated and some are never played or given a chance to grow on us. Albums and record players in their way, are such a great way of becoming musically knowledgeable. Your assessment is a good one. You have to install a record player and spend difficult moments trying to get it to accurately transcribe the signal whilst preventing the playback from degrading the signal with resonances and feedback. The tendency to try to find a sweet spot where the magic is can become a frustration that can’t be assuaged. Digital systems are less prone to outright failure in terms of maintaining ideal sound.
#6 ---?---> MOVING HOUSE with records. The last time we moved I was done. After 20 plus years in the same apartment my collection of vinyl was just too heavy & bulky to go to our new condo space, so I gave everything to a close relative who said "they'll always be with me if you want them back." Three years later all I miss are a few of the album covers; I'm thrilled my life got a lot lighter, & I adore rocking out to the moving pictures of youtube! Thanks for the great video, you're a lot of fun!
Picked up a mint Pioneer Pl 518 for $12.99...save the rotten feet. I purchased new vinyl copies of my favorite 50 Albums or so. I may never buy another record, but man I'm glad I made this abbreviated journey into vinyl. At 58, I'm not going to make music appreciation a hassle. Steve, you speak truth. Peace.
I listen to vinyl at home and stream on the go. I see streaming like a walkman. It is to late as in alot of old good records cost a fortune. Love your videos Steve
I’d rather spend the money and buy vinyl 😂 and a good turntable
The experience and memory for me outweighs the other reasons
yeah before streaming it's tough to imagine referring to the "work" of putting a record on
I will admit it may not be the thing for all newbies as vinyl costs 2 to 3 times more than it did in the 70's and 80's when I was growing up. I already had speakers and a pretty good vinyl collection so after 35 years I decided to treat myself to a turntable upgrade and bought a reasonably priced phono preamp. I'm a subscriber to Audio Advisor as I love looking at electronics but there is no way in hell I'm paying 1000 plus dollars for a phono preamp. At some point sanity has to come into play and you definitely want to save your marriage. 🤣
Well done! By all means look down that rabbit hole, but don't dive in, you'll never get out alive.
Analog? Digital? whichever you go with. . . that shirt is the real winner . . . WOW!
I am one of these few and I am happy to be 😀 sounds better than any other media (can’t talk about tape though) although one get get close to that enjoyment with really high end digital gear. But the best thing is that even an entry level turntable based system gives you that magic sound and is far more enjoyable than an entry level digital system that would sound lifeless and harsh in comparison.
I spent my youth playing records. I had hundreds by the time I graduated HS. I lost them all in a flood 20 years later. I am finally in a position to get a nice system again, and I am planning to get back into vinyl. I can't wait!
I started in Jan 2020. I mean, I had records as a kid, but never really had a ton of them. I had cassettes and CDs, and then moved to digital exclusively. I am very happy to be involved in it now. I love the ritual of playing and caring for the records. Also, we have elevated our system, which has even further enhanced the whole experience. It has also led me to new music, something that didn't happen for me with digital. I just stuck with music I liked when I was younger.
Been there done that and don't want to go down that road again for nostalgia's sake.
My number one reason is that nowadays there are very few albums that I can listen to without wanting to skip a track(or two or three). With vinyl that's a major PITA.
Having said that...if I ran into a large amount of cash I'd probably buy a turntable anyway.
In 20 years, people will be complaining of the PITA of having to line up a track in iTunes and pressing play, or choosing the song from a playlist. Or putting the cd in the tray, pressing play, or pressing skip button a couple of times to find their favourite track. People are idiots.
@@snakeobias Hopefully I won't be around to witness that era. I didn't switch from vinyl to streaming. I got rid of my high end turntable (an Oracle at the time) and vinyl records, then listened to radio and had friends make tapes for me that I would listen to on a very entry level system. Then one day I walked into an audio shop and heard some good jazz playing on a very nice system but couldn't figure out where/what the source was until the shop owner pointed to a tiny device called a Squeezebox. I ordered one immediately and subsequently my first high end system in over 20 years. I've since moved on but that little black box was responsible for getting me back into hi-fi and music like never before.
@@snakeobias dude iTunes IS a massive pita anyway... That's why I vowed never to use any computing device for audio ever again.
I'm a record guy all the way
@@mikemcguinness1304 yeah, I won't disagree with you there. I think I need to get away from the iPhone/ipad hold Apple has over my listening habits. The new Music application is terrible
The whole thing is a complete pain in the arse and expensive. The whole ‘holographic stereo image realism’ thing is a load of bollocks as well - the thing is trying to reproduce two discrete channels of audio from one groove using one stylus - the sound people crave is just euphonic distortion. Bought myself a rather nice technics 110 a while ago to revisit my old vinyl and it’s seldom used. Have moved on from distortion, sibilance and most of all lack of dynamic range and don’t want to go back. New vinyl is also crap - suspect due to being brick walled for digital and just turned down for vinyl pressing. So what choice - worn out second hand old material or inferior new. I just want an age of hi res digital, with ganFET amps and active dsp to sort out my room - good job it’s already here (better start saving up!).
I've written about this. Back when CD was launched I blind A/B'd them against LPs. I didn't believe in CDs but they lived up to it so I was convinced and I converted. Today I have 2 simple reasons for not going back:
1. Too much palaver. You covered this. Its too labour intensive.
2. LPs are way too expensive and the money isn't going to the performers.
What's the percent that goes to the artist for either Vinyl or CDs? (I'm assuming it's the same for both formats but maybe not) From what I've read for Spotify streams it's around $0.003 to $0.008 depending on the artist.
@@garrybayford5734 I was talking about older records. The ones that original owners sold for pennies at a yard sale and which traders would now like to sell you for $200.
Very fair list. I’m pleasantly surprised you did this, tip of my hat to your integrity. A sub-point to your “technically better” point. The listener needs to understand what artifacts will unhappily “pull you out of the music.” For me it was always, despite my care, the occasional click of vinyl playback. I think the anti-digital listener’s complaint about digital glare or lack of soul is the flip side of my peeve about vinyl - it pulls them away from the music. I don’t regret dumping my vinyl , love my streaming access to so much music, and hope my vinyl collection made one or more of you vinyl hunters very happy!
Another reason for not getting into vinyl: the pairing of analog equipment is so very critical. So many choices of cartridges with different stylus shapes and output, phono preamps, the table itself, platters, tonearms, belt/DD, head shells, connecting cables. And throw in a cleaning regiment or machine to add even more time/cost/uncertainty to the mix. With all of that said, I’m currently cleaning and listening to hundreds of records that I picked up, and am enjoying it immensely.
Its not for the lazy guys
but when one use the same turntable that is at home since 1974 in Africa then in late 75 at home in Portugal and several cds sound worse than the vinil record to the point of not even like the songs as released on cd with a high-end cd player to listen ,the dozens of lp´s that one took care off to the point of not hearing a single out of the recording sound i think that keep listening to the records i stoped buying in 1993 with perfect sound one should question if cds are that good that not being able to reproduce mainly analog instruments as most of the bands that play analog instruments kept recording till today in analog recording devices that most of the good studios kept using or they would decrease the quality of the recording . I really think that records are very good as in quality of sound not refering to the new releases of vinil that i bought one to substitute a late 70´s record and the first thing i notice was a hiss inbetween tracks but not all i also have hundreds of cds that i bought since 93 not earlier because when to choose to buy a lp in cd or two in vinil i kept choosing vinil and i do use digital but saying its bad , no just one more format but what was lost was the record itself had covers that one could see the work to doing that possible and reading the words of the songs that with cds i have them bought in early 90´s that still today i never took of the inlay pappers to read litle printed texts this not refering the lost art of having beautifull covers that some bands try to make the cds as atractive as all old covers but that´s only a couple of bands, i also have a technics turntable with direct drive and both since new have been working without giving any problem the maintenance is easy and made from more than a decade to decade, the stylus if used correctelly are also good for a lot of years as the belt for my 74 turntable , the 76 technics ,even i feel amazed with the quality of it no need for a new engine since 76, but for those who had high-end stereos and bought lp´s as they were coming out but after listening they put one on top of the other this on top of a speasker, for those cds were a real fantastic improvement but when damaged not one song they could listen while a record can sound worse but one can hear it not like cds but i teach some to clean those unplayable cds as if they were cleaning dishes and 90% of them would start to play again, just not one better than the other but both complement the problems of each format, it´s only my opinion i use all the formats released till today except the DCC ,the DAT i had the first sony at home but it´s expensive but without a doubt the best digital format for regular users but expensive as hell ,never bought one, also some new expensives turntables are a laugh, and when someone is spending a fortune in a new cartridge and stylus first i would try a amplifier with a good phono stage, that 99% of the 70´s receivers or integrated amplifiers have, so in reality not for lazy guys as other already comented mr.geddy geddy (Rush, also a band that their old lps are much better sounding in vinil compared to the cd) and basically resumes all i´ve said, regards
i forget to say that moist and excessive heat are the enemy of vinil records
@@RUfromthe40s I do remember turning a Men at Work album into a candy dish by leaving it in a semi-hot car one day.
@@keplermission4947 you know. You know. You know
You know. You know.
Amazing video! Love the angle you gave to someone trying to make the decision to go in now or not. You could also say that the vinyl technology continues to improve (both media and equipment) and it's never too late. But I agree 100% that you need to be passionate at this point as there're plenty of cons if you're coming from a 'plug and play' digital world.
👏💯🙏
There's a gag cartoon that says "the two things that really drew me to vinyl were the expense and the inconvenience", and that seems to be my case. I am perfectly aware of the technical and practical advantages of CDs over vinyl but still, CDs have never exerted the fascination that vinyl records did on me from the cradle. I started buying CDs just when I realized that I had to do it if I wanted to keep collecting music, when the vinyl industry died in my country in mid 90s. During that time, my lifelong vinyl fever remained in a hibernation state and, fortunately, I didn't make the mistake of getting rid of my LPs. My vinyl collection didn't grow on those days, but I never stopped taking care of it. As soon as I realized that vinyl wasn't dead, my fever returned stronger than ever. I appreciate CDs for what they are, but I can never feel toward them the same I feel about vinyl records.
Great video, Steve. I needed to hear the voice of reason. I was considering going back to vinyl but I sold all of my records years ago. If I had kept them I could justify buying a good turntable. At this point it would just be money wasted that could be spent on better components.
Listen to your voice. Your passion. Your gut instincts. That the best way to come to a decision.
Great job! The fewer Gen X,Y,Zer... that learn to appreciate the superior sound of vinyl the lower the cost of them will be! The current increased interest in vinyl is driving the costs of them up dramatically!
I am a fan of CDs as I have the best audio quality in my opinion. However if there is a product that has only been released on vinyl then I get the vinyl. I prefer any physical product to streaming. It is rare for me to do digital downloads.
I still buy and listen to my records (CD's) everyday. I'll use YT, BC and my local community radio for sourcing new artists but never the streaming services. They pay the artists a miniscule amount and make a huge profits
Well said Steve and agree with all 5. Had my fill with distortion in the late 1970's and early 80's. Most of my listening is on a 1973 Kenwood w/ amplified antenna (analog) FM Tuner from a local commercial free Jazz station here in Long Beach Calif. and the sound is just incredible, streaming does not compare.
Up until the dawn of CDs I bought LPs. Having made the switch to CDs, and finally digitizing it all in .wav lossless format, I have no intention of going back to LPs. I gave my entire LP collection to a friend who did make that switch back to LPs. I also gave him my marble-based Kenwood turntable to enjoy the records.
+1 The same here. Last year i bought out of curiosity a Thorens TD160 with SME arm for comparison. Had my old Ahmad Jamal record Rossiter road still. Compared it to my ripped CD on a Topping DAC. It all came back why i switched to CD's esspecialy the quite parts an the whispers where more detaild an intimate than with Vinyl IMO. No intentions to go back to vinyl. The Thorens was sold in 48 hours to somebody that could appreciate the sound.
@@Ssection31 You can have both CD and records... I prefer vinyl most of the time... but CD is indeed a better choice for music with lots of quiet and soft passages... too noisy on vinyl. For example... I have some King Crimson records and CDs... the Cds are a better choice due to the many soft quiet parts. However.... I have both the CD and record of Ziggy Stardust by Bowie... vinyl record has nicer punch and works better for that kind of rock and roll music.
@@kevingoodwin5177 Hi Kevin Most of older recordings for Vinyl (especially before digital times) are made of a so called Vinyl masters at the time lots of record companies where using the vinyl master to produce there Cd's.
Story go's that Roger Nichols (sound engineer Steely Dan) did recorded The Nightfly from Donald Fagen fully digital 48khz at the time. In 82 it was one of the first records produced fully digital. So he was listening to the just released Nightfly on CD. An was horrified by it sound compared to the Vinyl record the cd sounded inferiour. He Found out that the record company used the analoog vinyl master instead of the original 1602 digital master with it full dynamics an transients. Lately i got this original master Nichols referd to an the album is not harsche any more way more balanced an more dynamic. Nichols produced some years ago a surround version of the Nightfly on dvd you can find the 2 channel stereo original 1602 master version of the Nightfly on that dvd. Priceless
But most important Digital or Vinyl enjoy your listening. The perceived sound is in the ear of the beholder. ;-)
Rodger Nichols:
The first project I worked on that became a Compact Disc was Donald Fagen's Nighrfly album. I couldn't wait to get the CD in my hot little hands and compare it with the original mixes. When the CD arrived, I ran to my audio system and threw the CD into my player. After about 30 seconds I was ready to throw in the towel. The CD didn't sound anything like the final mixes. Was I wrong about digital audio? Was the Compact Disc truly inferior to the vinyl disc that it was to replace?
I started doing some checking with the mastering facility where we mastered the album. Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk in New York told me that the record company never asked for the 1610 digital master that we'd made. Instead, they had requested a 30 ips half-inch analog tape copy of our digital mixes. They then made the CD master from this analog copy. No wonder my CD didn't sound like the original mixes. After we raised enough hell, new CD masters were prepared and new CDs were pressed. I compared the new one to the original mixes. It matched perfectly. Whew!
This was in late 1982. I figured that there was a necessary learning curve for the record companies to get their act together and realize that digital audio Compact Discs should not be made from second or third generation analog tape copies. Isn't nine years enough time?
You should try ripping to FLAC - a lossless codec that takes up half the storage space of WAV.
I never got into vinyl because i never had memories of playing with it. I grew up in the cd era and every time i buy a cd now, it still puts a smile in my face.
@@keplermission4947 might be true.
As long as you are happy is all that matters. The worst trap you can fall into is buying into the obsession of vinyl v CD audiophile debates, oh i better upgrade my cartridge, oh now I need a better this or that. First world problems.
Enjoy your music. You haven't missed anything. I have heard both, grew up with vinyl. I don't miss it.
Here is a fun fact. I also took part in many blind tests. Back in 2012-13 we orchestrated a vinyl v digital blind test. The digital file had been tempered with by my self to make it more analogue sounding, i did various bits of processing, the vinyl had simply been burned to digital beforehand, the equipment was left in the hands of capable engineers, whereas I did the software processing.
Everyone failed the blind test, they couldn't hear the difference. Digital is good enough such that with the right equipment it can fool the ear into believing it's good old vinyl. I would have happily invited Mr Guttenberg to lend his ears too, I can guarantee you he'd fail the test too, despite what he believes, or not.
Same Here.
I have been enjoying music for seven decades. What I hear and feel when playing VINYL is a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual experience I don't have with digital Hi RES files. I enjoy digital music just not the same feeling as analog especially open reel tape playback.
There aren't many of us that are still using reel to reel...I agree...there is something physical that touches you with analog, that you just can't access with digital..the closest I have to digital is a transport and a dac...don't see changing that anytime soon. I listen to analog, almost exclusively.
Digital comes out as analogue for the ear to hear. If you need to sniff black plastic to enjoy sound, you need serious help.
You nailed it.
@@sandyearllarsen2820 lol you really don’t understand it do you
@@paultuerena no sorry I don’t get hiss, crackle and pop. But enjoy.
Couple of reasons why I just got back into vinyl:
- The analog magic - it sounds great, different from digital. However in my experience you have to spend enough on the vinyl gear to get that great sound - I’d say at least $2K. As you go up the ranks, analog and digital start to converge again in sound quality terms - but they still sound different.
- The physicality and engagement vinyl forces you into is great for music appreciation.
- If you like gear - I am a gear-first audiophile - vinyl is heaven.
- Cost? Yes. I have recalibrated. A download for $15 seemed expensive to me whereas an album for $25 sounds like a great deal!
- As for why it is the BEST frigging time to get into analog: Streaming!!! I can sample before I buy!!! I have about 650 records accumulated over my analog years of the past and there’s probably 150 I really care for. Every record I buy today I know what I am getting.
Thanks Miguel!
One extremely important point and mistake those vinyl fans often make is: they compare expensive HighEnd turntables with cheap (a few hundred bucks) CD players and then assume that cd sounds inferior to vinyl…. LOL….ridiculous!
@@bikemike1118 I remember we used to do the opposite when I worked in hifi, we’d compare a Rega p3 with £2-3000 CD players, and the Rega always won
@@paultuerena …hm, ..strange . I once had a ProJect turntable from the mid 2000s and it was simply no comparison AT ALL to my CDP …so bad was it in comparison. After only two weeks of ownership I got rid of it. And as I only own about three or four dozens of vinyl records from the 80s and 90s I never looked back…
@@bikemike1118 well I guess the difference is you can just plonk a CD player down and it plays, you have to spend time and have the skills to set up a turntable so it can perform its best
Growing with the sound of vinyl made me love it.. The tweakiness of all the gear makes it fun.
My wife doesn't understand any of this stereo stuff. Just got my 1978 stuff out of storage and refurbished because our new house will have a back room in basement that I will be allowed to have my stuff. Love it. I can live with a few dozen record albums and 50 CDs. I am listening in storage room now. Wife listens to music streaming from her phone to ear buds or cheap speaker. You didn't mention cleaning records or cartridge every time or expense to have a separate room.
Oh, what a fun topic and hilarious and informative way you tackle it. I got into vinyl about 10 years ago and am way deep into the rabbit hole. It is more expensive and of course there are so many rituals involved so it takes a lot more time and effort, but when it all comes together it is by far a more heart and soul experience that brings you closer to the music. That said, I'll never want to move out of my house now because all this stuff is heavy!
If you are getting into vinyl, because you read about or heard about how amazing it sounds, please note that to achieve sonic bliss with vinyl, it is a time consuming and expensive endeavor.
1) You need a quality turntable.
2) You need a quality phono amp.
3) You need to isolate your turntable from feedback or any vibrations.
4) You need to dial in:
-- the effective length of the tone-arm.
-- the cartridge's weight.
-- the vertical tracking alignment / rake angle.
-- the anti-skating.
-- the overhang.
-- the offset.
-- the zenith angle.
-- the cartridge's azimuth -- although all of the above requires special tools, this particular setting requires tools that are not part of the usual turntable set-up kits.
And after you get all of the above as good as your ears are telling you they can be, then there is the chore of finding quality vinyl pressings.
80% to 90% of vinyl pressings are between suck to decent.
Perhaps 10% are very good.
Only 1% or 2% have magical sound quality, and for only one of the two sides -- and often not for every song on the same side (the studios have different recording sessions, botching a track here and there, and it makes it to the side of an album where it pales in comparison to the other songs on that side).
And you will also need a good record cleaning machine and cleaning fluid.
If you are able to accomplish "all" of the above (and the rest of your stereo is very good), then you will be in for a real treat that few people have ever experienced.
If you fall short on any of the above, you simply will not have great sound quality, and the problem is compounded if you fell short on more than one of the above items.
With everything at its best, your record will probably play very quietly, and have outstanding stereo separation, and realism that has to be heard to be believed.
If you did not dial everything in properly, and you did not painstakingly re-purchase the same album over and over, seeking out the best stamper codes, etc...
...if you did not do absolutely everything right, and you think that your vinyl playback sounds very good, then pray you never hear a set-up where someone actually got everything right, because you will then hear what your system is missing.
Vinyl is fantastic, if 1) you know what you are doing, 2) you have the $$ to do it right, and 3) you have the time to devote to getting everything right.
I am not dissuading anyone from this hobby. I am just letting folks know what they have in store for themselves, if they have their hearts set on hearing the best that vinyl has to offer.
It is probably a much harder goal than many folks expect it to be.
If the ultimate sound quality is not your goal, then by all means, jump in and enjoy!
-----
By the way, digital is no picnic either, if you want to hear it at its best.
Between jitter (yes, you have jitter -- unless you have a pricey transport to minimize jitter), and endless compressed releases from the record companies, finding the rare gems in the digital content offerings is hard work. That hit song you have is likely available on an original release, a re-master, a re-re-master, a greatest hits, a best of, an anthology, and several compilations -- and almost without exception, they will differ in sound quality (and, still, most of them will not be great).
And note that when there is more than one re-master, then that is the record company admitting that the blew it on their first re-master. And they probably blew it on the re-re-master, too.
But digital is far more convenient, and less costly, to get good sound quality.
Cheers!
Excellent write up.
You're absolutely right about analog is more expensive then digital. Prime example ebay sales vintage mono lathe vinyl record making machines that cost alot of money, and the sound quality has no value unless you're willing do the restoration in order to make them sound good. The overall point in my opinion is that when using vintage analog while playing vinyl records sounds alot warmth with a richer sound quality 👌
Getting rid of all of my vinyl in the 1990s was a mistake. I regret it every time I purchase a record that I had in the past. My vinyl back then was in excellent shape. Makes me cry. I will say now, hunting down a great copy of that special record to replace has been a great part of the hobby for me. I am certainly very selective of what I buy and I think it makes me appreciate the music even more. I saved almost all of my cassettes factory as well as personally recorded. That was probably because of the cassette deck in my automobiles. I have also been enjoying that aspect of analog. I am impressed with some of the recordings I made that do sound incredible given the format and age of those tapes.
I've saved the cassettes I have bought "factory" but just don't listen to them on the Nakamichi ZX9 because they literally sound terrible and the tape they used were terrible and make a mess in addition to not sounding good. I mean sure in your car what the heck. I guess my point is that the old chrome particularly Maxell UDXLII sound great, the mechanism works great, they record great, and boo hoo the current maxell tapes suck hard.
Same here. Going through the same process.
Luckily, I did not get rid of my CD collection! Now enjoying them on my CEC transport.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk you´re right the last 90´s maxell cassetes were garbage but i have ur and older ul´s that today sound as perfect as in the day i recorded them and type I
CD's, Vinyl, and Cassettes are the best formats for audio. I've been at it for 40 years now. I kept all my stuff with no regrets. A good Nakamichi like the ZXL 700 or 1000 is a good as a reel to reel. Also, get your hands on a Revox B 215. They are just as good as the Naka's.
As all of us "original" (old) music collectors die off, all of our records have been coming onto the market for new collectors to snap up. It's not like the newbies are going to be able to buy mint vinyl for a couple bucks each like we did, but decent records in general are pretty easy to find and acquire.
I realize you were being half-facetious when you said it was too late to start, but my nephew just started and he's having a great time finding the records and the equipment. I keep thinking that at 67 I should stop buying records (and CDs, and books), but it's still fun and too much a part of my life.
You can enjoy both. I do, all of the time. My 'go to' is vinyl, because of the ritual, collectibility, and exceptional sound of a great pressing (talk about a can of worms). Digital is convenient, consistent, and crystal clear (as close to 'perfect' as you can get).
My reasons for having a turntable….records do sound better (most of the time), storing records in your listening room provides decent acoustic treatment (even when I’m streaming), it promotes exercise (gotta get off my ass every 20-25 minutes to flip the record), it helps prevent ADD . I stay focused when listening to an entire album as opposed to jumping from song to song while listening to Qobuz and playing a record promotes a physical connection with the past. It’s simply not the same with streaming.
@@keplermission4947 maybe his records sound better because technically vinyl and analog are superior? As in vinyl has a higher frequency response than anything digital can touch. Is a continuous stream of data instead of chopped stair steps. And the music itself is not destroyed in the mastering process by slamming it against brick wall filters. Or then destroyed by running it through integration/ low pass filters on the output.
S/N? With most rooms having about a 40dbSPL noise floor at best and Threshold of Pain, where ears start bleeding, about 110dbSPL, anything over 70db S/N is lost in most listening rooms. You can hear the tape deck being turned up at the beginning of tracks on my ttble showing it is again the quality of tape decks from back in the day. Not limitations of the vinyl as proven by some dead quiet Direct to Discs.
Great reasons! I feel the same. I actually think working with music playing on the turntable in the background is great because it forces me to get up every 20 minutes or so and stretch.
@@glenncurry3041 I'm not trying to be rude, but please do some more research. The best analogue reel to reel machines are excellent. Those are worth getting if you have the time and money for them, as well as the specialized calibration tools needed to maintain them. Aside from the best analogue reel to reel machines, digital is the best.
@@revokdaryl1 I get tired of reposting it. I need to do some more research? After a degree in electronics? Repping for Sony/Superscope selling their RtoR back in the '60/'70's? (I went to the PlayBoy Mansion with Joseph Tushinsky). I came in 2nd for National Service Dept Manager for Studer/ Revox because of my handwriting fail!. I lived in Nashville selling Audio to stores and studios. A member of AES. As a Rep I got the just introduced A/T mic line onto the Opry stage because the CE was a friend! I've had discussions about digital recording with Dr. Thomas Stockham. I repped Maxell and supplied tape duppers pallets and pallets of tape. (Can't talk about the limo rides with Gene LaBrie, Maxell's national sales manager in Vegas!)
RtoR, especially anything consumer level, has a bad low end because of head bump! Laws of physics you can not get around! It has high end roll off, same reason. Being highly inductive, heads cause frequency related phase shifts. Each generation will lose 3DB S/N and hi end roll off...... So much for access to masters! Maybe 3rd- 4th gen copies at best?
Direct to Disc has significantly better EVERYTING! Bandwidth Red Book can't even dream of! A measured S/N (lowest noise floor to highest level recorded) of over 120DB! And a complete lack of the digital artifacts that keep digital from sounding as good as analog!
@@glenncurry3041 Thank you for replying. You certainly have more impressive credentials than I do! I suppose why I'm frustrated is because my favourite music wasn't recorded direct to disc, as far as I know. The majority of it was recorded to 24 track tape.
Hurray for the vinyl revival! I support it fully!
Just went to a fleamarket and bought 56 CDs for $40. Next guy was selling old vinyl, $20-$80 each.
A fun watch. Thank-you Steve. You nailed it when you suggested "it's all about a passion".
I get into vinyl recently, or, in other words, I got into hifi recently. I have been growing up in the days of CD, and soon MP3. I think you cannot bypass vinyl if you are in the world of Hifi. The reason of listening to vinyl is a different experience, and respectively, different set of equipments with listening to streaming. I am with Tidal and vinyl both of them now and they are both satisfying. And most of the time I found vinyl gives me more feeling from, and out of the music. For example, the art of the sleeves, the introduction book in the sleeve, and sometimes the feel of the time that people spent on the records (for used one), which is definitely amazing. You touch, see, and can even smell it.
Even thought I was a Technics dealer in London in the 1970s & 80s I still have some fantastic turntables.
Starting with an SP10 Mk 2 and three other Technics Decks I have had to give up on Vinyl and settle for digital due to old age and disability.
My wife won't let me get rid on the turntables and my record collection. If I could list it on eBay I would but even that is beyond me now.
I still have a couple of SACD players and a large collection of CDs and SACDs so I will stick with digital.
Thanks for your video Steve.
I'm in the middle at 41 years old. I got into vinyl due to the simple reason that a lot of expense in digital is converting that back to analog with a good DAC, with vinyl it's all analog. So, if I absolutely love a album, I'll get the vinyl. Not a ton, but roughly 40 records after 3 years.
The biggest reason for me to get into vinyl is that some pressings, especially before say 1985 are indisputably better. They were cut all analogue from the original master tapes. Many times the master tapes are now lost, and there are no good digital transfers. The literal only way to hear the best sounding recording is an original pressing.
As long as the LP was recorded from the original master tapes then it’s good to go 👍
TRUE! Just recall how you have to clean the records and the cartridge, still you might get a lot of statics ... If you would not believe how cumbersome it is in comparison to getting a proper DAC, try it for yourself ...
You are spot on there Steve with the vinyl experience. With a lot of my LPs I can tell you the shop I bought it from, what month and year it was, who I was with, what we did that day besides go round a record shop etc etc.. It's a piece of round vinyl in some cardboard, but there is a connection to it which is still there many years later. I think that connection is further enhanced if if's a record that you had to search out. I can't imagine how that connection can ever happen with digital streaming. Also, as you point out, on paper digital should be way ahead of analogue int terms of musical enjoyment, but oftentimes it's the other way around.
I'm listening to a sealed and just opened Beatles album with a funny looking butcher cover on my Crosley. It's a mono copy and it sounds ok on the built in speakers. I also have Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road I got from the same collection still sealed.I'm enjoying the hobby very much.
I started listening to music when I'm 6 through my dad's cassette player. It was fun to search for cassettes in the cardboard box. Then after 4 years, the CD player came into the play that I didn't miss the cassette. From that moment to today CDs are my go-to. I don't like automatic transmission cars the same goes with the music. I need to do something to get the thing that gives me a delicate experience. So, I will get a digital ACD rip (only albums that are expensive and not available around me) and burn it as ACD.
My first ACD (Raavan by AR Rahman) is still on my rack for the past 11 yrs.
I am 67 years old and still pull out CDs that I bought years ago. I got back into LP a year ago and bought a Rega planar turn table. Bought a few new LPs over $50 each. The biggest mistake I have ever made in my audio life.
Those five things reassure me that LPs are a waste of money and digital is far superior.
Great video Steve.
I personally tend to see CDs as a sort of "best of both worlds". But with that said, I grew up at the end of the age of vinyl - and while I've always preferred other formats, I did at one point have a nice collection of 33s and 45s I enjoyed listening to.
Grew up with vinyl and bought tons of sealed records when CD’s became the rage. Now things have flipped and CD’s are a tremendous value. Still love vinyl but I have walked out of many a store where the lowest price for a record is 20 bucks.
The ritual of playing vinyl has always been so important... rolling joints in the gatefold. lol.
best way to listen if you ask me!
In my circles it was usually a Roy Harper gatefold.
@@Crumbleofborg yes
Great perspective! I'm a "boomer", too… out of audio (somewhat 🤓), for years….but it never leaves me…kind of like motorcycles and photography…had a huge record collection in The 70' (that is long-gone), moving coil cartridge, etc. In the last year I resurrected my 45-year-old Bob Carver power amp and built a modern system around it… with a very good streamer/SCAD player as source. I have been looking/lusting at all the modern, super-cool record playing gear 😍🥰…But I think that you just cleared that up for me, Steve. Your 5 points hit home…especially the expense part.
You just made me intensely 😃HAPPY😃 with what I HAVE!!!! 👍🏼
Years ago I told my son listen to this record and compare it to your cd. He was blown away because the music wasn’t compressed! Still enjoy my Sony PS-X5 turntable. 1977
An opinion I totally agree with. My recent journey (last 5 years) consisted of going from a Parasound A21/P6 combo with a Rega TT. Dealing with rumble filters, TT location, quality vinyl for sale, etc.
I decided to get a good streamer and and a reasonably priced tube integrated amp and was totally satisfied. So much so that I sold my entire Parasound kit, TT, and all of my vinyl....no regrets!
Steve, all you have said is true, for me - UNTIL, I acquired a DENON 59L turntable at a thrift store for $35.00, (near mint!), and dusted off my LP's, and purchasing many others, so now it is a regular part of my listening enjoyment!
Hi Steve, what a great subject! I started out in the sixties and went crazy in the early 70’s, technics turn table Shure V15, JBL L100s and on and on. When CDs came on the scene in the early 80’s my first intro to digital, I went wow! So convenient, can play a whole album without getting up to turn the LP over! Then streaming! Don’t have to get up at all!! I still have a turn table and still listen to LPs, but have to say maybe, at most, 10% of my listening is vinyl. Yes, there is a difference in sound, but the convenience of streaming…
Steve,i love listening to high quality uncompressed digital.I have a modest system,klipsch speakers.
I loved lps when i owned them back in the flintstone era.I enjoyed them until cds arrived,the rest is history.Cheers.
When CDs first appeared, all of us who worked in the recording industry were delighted because dor the first time, the music sounded like it did when it left the studio: I.e., how we meant it to sound.
pifflle
@@johnholmes912 how so, pray?
LOL sterile
When I grew up I got familiar with vinyl and turntables and now I'm 39 and I still love the nostalgic sound and feeling of the vinyl and turntable, just looking at how the vinyl turns and how the tip follows the grooves and automatically picks up the arm at the end of the record is just magical on its own.
Ow, yes you forgot to mention one more important thing about vinyl, if you have many of them and want to store them against the wall you better make very sturdy shelves because it is a lot of weight so something from Ikea isn't fit for the job.
I went from cassettes in my teens to vinyl when Vinyl did sound much better than early CD players. Then the shop selling vinyl went to CD only as popularity grew. With much upset I borrowed more money than I could afford to and bought a CD player described as having a Vinyl like sound. Sugden SD1 with the now legendary Philips TDA1541A S1 Single Crown D/A Converter DAC. Vinyl is in the shops again in good quantity I’ve bought some but I have a high quality streamer and access to so much old music I never listened to and so much new that wouldn’t have got a look in. If I end up in nursing home in my old age I hope there will be an Atom HE and some quality headphones in the room and just maybe a small pair of speakers so I can share my latest discoveries.
I grew up with vinyl in high school and college and switched to CDs once they became the prevalent format. In the early 80s the quality of vinyl became so bad that I was returning 50% of the vinyl LPs I purchased. I now own over 2.5K CDs and stream as well. I am glad vinyl has made a comeback and understand it's appeal, but I have no desire to return to it. It is now a boutique format with the costs to reflect that. CDs have fallen out of favor which makes them an excellent buying opportunity. I recently purchased a Denafrips Pontus R2R DAC and it was a game changer for improving the sound of my CDs and streaming. I prefer CDs over streaming because I like to have physical media. With rapidly improving DAC offerings, I would not be surprised if CDs make an comeback.
Had it not been for the vinyl I started buying back in the 80's I probably wouldn't own a turntable today, so the interest was grandfathered in I suppose. Vinyl is the most inconvenient & costly way to enjoy music - I agree that you have to be a hobbyist with some level of passion to even wanna be bothered.
I don’t use a turntable anymore, as I switched to cd’s thirty years ago. I still use only cd’s for music (I’m an old dude).
Great video!
One disadvantage I would like to put on the list is availability. Several smaller bands release a very low number of 'limited edition' records - down to only a hundred or so - the rest they sell is CDs or digital downloads and mostly streaming. The stress to be able to get a copy of a record of a particular favourite band can be a deal breaker...
I've enjoyed my LPs and 45s since 1969. I'm 60 years old, and I'm selling off my collection; most of them I have on CD as well. Recent remasters on CDs sound really good, some from the '80s sound good as well. I jumped on the CD bandwagon in the '80s mostly with Jazz and Classical; stuck it out on LPs with Rock & Punk. Still have my Dual 622 automatic turntable since 1981, and it works like a charm. I got very disappointed with the price of new vinyl lately; thought I'd replace some old damaged LPs with new ones, but $30 for an album is a bit much. A remastered CD can sound amazing; the remastered Cream albums are a great example of that, at $10-12 each.............. Thanks Steve!
Steve, thank you so much. Turn as many people as you possibly can to streaming and cd's... More albums for me! You did touch on something that hit home to me. Before we moved into our new forever home in 2003 I culled my record collection which included both LP'S and 7 inch singles down from over 8000 to just a little over 5000. I am desperately trying to replace some of those well worn LP'S now. It has not been easy.....
I got my first own turntable at the age of 13 (^now I'm 37). At this time I started purchasing my first few records. They've had always been expensive and over time I kept buying them. Since then I changed a few times the turntable - always modest models, second hand. But for almost one year I have a "real audiophile" turntable. And I play lot of "audiophile" pressings. I don't know if my kids will ever have a serious hifi rack. But going through my modest LP-collection (~650 pieces) and memorizing when I played this and that are very important to me. Digital (and even CD's) cannot give the same impression. I also stream music, I have Qobuz and online radio and that's all cool. But without my records (and cassettes(!) btw) there would be something missing.
You never get lost in the music or its beauty with digital. Just my experience.
@@keplermission4947 and you'd be wrong.
Steve-
Agree on all five!. And, for me, there is no "analog magic" - IME, good digital sounds better.
One more advantage of digital - I've got a backup of my collection on a portable HD. In a fireproof box. In an emergency, I grab the disc and my music collection lives on!
On a more serious note: In my experience with young people, they have a strong emotional connection to the music they like. It isn't dependent on physical media (maybe for older people it is, for them it isn't). They also have a strong connection to youtube videos, etc. of their favorite music.
Wise words regarding vinyl. I love my vinyl collection, which is my principal vehicle in this hobby, and will continue to be.
Digital is secondarily useful to me.
Having been a audio enthusiast ( not audiophile ) there was only analog records and I chose jazz and classical music and developed a nice collection . The biggest problem I faced was being satisfied with what I had against what others had who were spending large amounts and never being satisfied . Thank goodness I am at 72 over that .
There’s nothing like putting the needle on the record. I love interacting with my system like if it was a human being. Plus streaming high quality streaming is actually $20 not $10. And there are very good records out there even used in great condition for as little as five dollars. I don’t think it’s never too late when you know what you’re doing.
Amazon Music HD (up to 24/192) is £8 per month. You’re thinking of Tidal … which is not high quality but MQA rubbish….🙂
I'm a vinyl fanatic too, however there is a place for digital.
Your comparison of $10-$20 a month for virtually unlimited music to a rare price of $5 for a single, used album in good condition is Apples & Oranges my friend.
Streaming has opened up my musical world tenfold or more. I can spend the evening listening to wonderful music and musicians that I've never heard of before. I can also make playlists based on any criteria. Many, many times I've brought an album home, only to find that I only like 2-3 tracks. With streaming that's no problem..just put the ones you like in a Playlist you can make for that artist.
I purchased many vinyl albums because I discovered then online first and liked them so much that I had to hear the usually better, vinyl version.
Keep on spinning! But don't cheat yourself out of streaming either...you're missing out!
@@markwagner1997 Well said! 👍
Spinning vinyl since the 70’s. Love it. But I love the unbelievable access to music that streaming provides. This is the golden age of access to music. Thank you Digital.
Transport: Common 1x speed portable CD player with a RJ-11 jack soldered to the Eye Pattern test point on the circuit board...DAC: Software decoding with an RTL-SDR dongle in Direct Sampling mode with input sampling rate of 2,400,000 hertz. Decoded with the open source ld-decode on Linux that I found online and a zero-crossing detector I wrote to generate the EFM file. Played through a wish USB sound card box.
Unfortunately for me Steve, I was forced to "jettison" my records in the late 90's due to moving. However, that vast knowledge I gained during that time came into play when I started over again 5 years ago. I love it just as much now and you were there the whole time. Thanks for waiting for me LOL.
I agree with Steve, no it's not for everyone. I personally have always enjoyed the effort to listening to a great record, got the engineer's lamp to adjust the lighting (while not being in any contact with the table) as to assure any dust is removed [this process may take up to 3 to 7 minutes, depending] cleaning the stylus [about 15 seconds ] raising the cueing (is that a word) lever finding the groove (pretty quick until my 4th double, on the rocks w/a splash) drop lever, & adjust volume to a highly inappropriate level...& perfection ~she gots the looks that kill~ even my secondary system sounds like honey.
Whoa! Lots comments on this one. I love options. What’s more niche than vinyl? It’s minidisc! Lovely to see that today’s viewer system had a MD player. I still use mine too. To each their own!
Not mentioned for vinyl, is it is noisy! I suspect wifi and 5 gee etc. isn't helping. Also noisy power. Walking on your floor bouncing the needle and making more noise. Feedback loops. Grounding issues. Snap crackle and pops.
You don't say what gear you have! But fix a nice solid shelf to the wall and put just the turntable on it. That will stop the walking feeding through.Put some felt bads under the turntable feet. That will minimise the resonances. Get yourself some reasonable quality shielded interconnects. All cheap-ish fixes for a massive improvement.
A good way to start was always raiding your family's old record collection. I've scored three dumps in my lifetime but I've also spend a ton on brand new vinyl. The best part for me is streaming the analog over Sonos in real time. I'm literally the house DJ now lol
The cost and inconvenience of albums and owning a turntable is very appealing.
Hi Steve,
It's time for you to make a list of recommended equipment. Like speakers $200-$500, $600-$1200, $1500-$3000, $4000 and up, give us three to five choices in each category. Make your own categories, of course, I'm just trying to be descriptive. But it's not fair to compare the 3.7i to the B1+. It is fair to say you like, for example, debut 5.2s over anything else under $800 or whatever.
Some recommended integrateds, preamps, amps, cd players. Again at price points. I guess DACs are a big deal, but I'm old and I don't stream much.
And feel free to list some good cartridges.
Personally I think you can skip pretty much any component over $10k, those people have already made up their minds, or they're in thrall to some salesman.
As a child born in the mid-70s, i loved playing my parents' 7" singles on the portable multi-stack player. It sounded awful, but it's all we had and it was so much fun. Then in the 80s, my dad bought a Sansui hi-fi tower (with glass fronted cabinet) and I loved playing his 70s albums on it, it sounded great (wasn't perfect, of course). This is why records will always be a big part of my system, but I can understand if younger people can't connect with them.
Loved your analysis and the idea that a few things from 40 years ago are still part of my day-to-day life besides my records. Great insight.
This video convinced me I'm a hopeless audiophile. Thanks Steve!
I put records away decades ago and delighted to have done so. I've been an audiophile since a teen. At that time a record was $1.99...I'm not paying $30 for a record now. Also, we live in the desert and dust is inescapable.
when CD came out it was twice the price of vinyl, but only half as good.......the biggest con in the history of recording
I think the biggest reason for not getting into vinyl is... where do they come from? What is the source material? Doesn't the music come from a digitally recorded and stored place? So why not simply stay with the hr-res digital media?
listening to music on vinyl reminds me of that line from the Hellboy movie, "We like it for its qualities, but love it for its imperfections"