I often profess this point of view that people opt for records and turntables completely emotionally, completely libido driven, as a lifestyle choice, not audio source choice. After that choice has been made, comes the effort at rationalization. Very few people are big enough to admit their totally irrational and libido driven decisions let alone marketing driven decisions, so they start the "endlessly creative "argument" factory". Maybe it's an illusion coming from the fact that I've been following the development of such arguments from the 90' so I just think that there was a chronological order to them, like, first came the "digital=harsh/analogue=natural sound" argument, then the warmth, the "as artist intended" the "band in your living room" and so on.
Very often I also see this niche reluctantly admitting to shortcomings, sometimes without words, all of a sudden you just see a meter long tone arm mounted on an adjoining stand to counter tracking error, producers not putting the heavy bass song for the last one on the record etc.
Sometimes I have a feeling that, no matter how much vinyl-folks hate it when you face them with some facts, they actually use what you say for improvements. Objectivists, who have no problems seeing records for what they are and have no need to spread myths about warmth, natural sound or such, often are the source of improvements for the record lovers.
For the longest time, objecitivsts used to warn about the BS of record weights. It's two fold; it can flatten only one side and it's heavy and shouldn't be added as extra weight on your turntable. Objectivists used to say, use a light clamp only where needed - if the middle is bulging you can flatten it with a clamp. But if the outer rim is rising, clamp (nor weight) is no good.
So now we have the next step in evolution of the "endlessly creative "argument" factory". Meet the outer clamp:
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And yes, you put it after you place a record on the TT and it lowers the rising outer rim of the record. Sure why not. I don't think you'll have any problems guessing my question; why not simply use a well produced CD as a source. Keep investing large sums of money to make it less like records and closer to CD... Just use CD.
Mind you, a lot of these shortcomings are what vinyl-heads claim they like about the olden technology. OK, why eradicate them? Fight the WOW and flutter, fight tracking error, fight the lack of range, fight the pops and crackle, fight it, fight it, fight it... The answer is at hand. You could even keep the records to look at the sleeve and just play a CD, right?
So far, the listening room looks like a steam-punk altar. You have your weight, you have the outer clamp, you have your meter long tone arm, double decoupling decks, removed belt driving motors, standalone TT stand (heavier and more expensive than the entire system), tube phono pre-amp more expensive than the TT stand...
I mean... What I'm asking is do you:
a) like it for what it is?
b) want to make it sound like CD and just be able to still say it's a record?
c) pretend you like and enjoy the shortcomings just as long as they don't get solved and then get the solution just so that you can keep saying you're a vinyl person?