Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[Anton D]

My musical sources don't require 10 minutes of fussing and tweaking for every 20 minutes of listening.

 

[IPunchCholla]

There ya go. Like the starter button in a car, the audio system’s job is to get outta the way and let the good times roll…

For you. Sometimes the inconvenience of vinyl allows me to enjoy the music more.

 

[MattHooper]

The joke is that Sal continues to poke fun at vinyl enthusiasts over their enjoyment of an outdated technology, where Sal chooses outdated technology
for his ride.

Oh...that older tech gives Sal certain thrills that the newer one doesn't provide?

Right. Now if he'd just understand that about those who enjoy vinyl.

 

[Sal1950]

Sometimes the inconvenience of vinyl allows me to enjoy the music more.

Please explain how that works ???

 

[Robin L]

Maybe it's possible that Sal's experience of vinyl was brought to him on lousy sounding equipment, so he never heard what it could really do.

I have. Here's the rub---if one is into the "vinyl experience", LPs for the sake of LPs, selecting LPs known to be of high quality and playing them back on perfectly aligned gear---the experience can be quite fine. If, on the other hand, one is a music lover seeking out a decent copy of a favorite piece of music, things can head south mighty fast.

Consider the following. I am a fan of classical music. Angel records, the USA outlet for EMI's classical offerings, was consistently inferior to the UK equivalents which were blocked for the most part in the USA. In fact, the 1970's importation of DGG and Philips LPs (previously pressed by Decca USA and other companies) was considered a big advance for record quality, with quieter surfaces and fewer warped records. Meanwhile, at the same time, domestic budget classical labels---Seraphim, Victrola, odyssey---produced inferior products compared to the full priced products. Similar problems were happening with pop productions. It wasn't until the introduction of CDs that there was anything like a level playing field. If one was pursuing LPs known to be of superior quality, there usually wasn't a problem. But bog-standard Columbia, Capitol or RCA product was generally poor. Warner Brothers tended to be above average, but they were the exception. Capitol and RCA LPs frequently were warped, Columbia's reissues frequently had far too much treble. Those with superior playback gear had fewer problems, but they were in the minority. A superior turntable would have an easier time of tracing a warped record but the peak warp wow would still be plenty audible. Not to mention the wow of off-center records. Superior playback gear still had problems because of the inherent flaws of the medium. While it may be possible to make LPs with perfectly flat, perfectly centered and noise-free surfaces, in practice that was rare.

I worked a lot in record stores, also CD stores. Lots of defective returns at the LP stores, few at the CD outlets. That should tell you something. I have owned lousy sounding LP playback gear, I have also owned excellent, properly tuned and aligned LP playback gear. The bottom line is still the same, the media determines the sound quality: one is less likely to get good results with LPs than with digital formats. It's possible to get good results with LP playback, but with a lot of LPs, it is not at all possible.

 

[Flaesh]

it sure doesn't to me

For me as well. One buddy “loves to sniff the printing of physical media,” but sulks at the offer to sniff other printing. Another friend, the owner of a huge collection of circles, including signed and rare and so on, wants to build a system “like mine” “because it sounds better”

 

[Sal1950]

The joke is that Sal continues to poke fun at vinyl enthusiasts over their enjoyment of an outdated technology, where Sal chooses outdated technology
for his ride.

What's so outdated about my ride, it only 15 yo.
Your mechanical vinyl tech is 100 +

What ever happened to ya Matt?

 

[Galliardist]

Please explain how that works ???

A bit like “just add an egg”, perhaps.

 

[IPunchCholla]

Please explain how that works ???

It works the same as shooting film (particularly 4x5), there is a cost so I am more mindful. It forces me to stop and consider what I want to get from the next twenty minutes of music. It’s just enough of a pain in the ass, to also make me not do anything else, just listen.

All of which can be done with digital. I can force myself to shoot with my DSLR the same as I would a 4x5, particularly using a tilt shift lens. I can be mindful while listening to streaming (which is my primary format). But analog forces it. Which is useful when I can’t get my mind to settle. Kinda like focusing on your breath.

Also, I do love that this primitive technology works as well as it does. I like watching the record spin and hearing the sound it makes. Similar to how many people enjoying mechanical watches, even tweaking how they are worn to make them more accurate, even though they are an order of magnitude less accurate than cheapest quartz.

Also, I’m not that fussed about fidelity and I’m certainly not an audiophile.

 

[Newman]

My mindfulness is unforced.

 

[IPunchCholla]

My mindfulness is unforced.

Good for you! I need help sometimes.

 

[Sal1950]

Also, I’m not that fussed about fidelity and I’m certainly not an audiophile

Now I understand, thanks.

 

[MattHooper]

What's so outdated about my ride, it only 15 yo.
Your mechanical vinyl tech is 100 +

About time to move up to 4 wheels, Sal.

 

[Angsty]

I buy 2-3 vinyl albums a month. I often like how they sound on my system. I also buy 1-2 CDs a month. I like anachronistic media that provide me with ownership versus renting. I do find that sometimes I prefer the mastering on older LPs to that of the same title on digital sources. For newer titles, I tend to prefer the CD as the LP is likely derived from the same digital master.

At a concert last month, I purchased the new album from Joshua Redman on CD versus vinyl simply because I preferred one CD to four sides of vinyl. On either medium, Joshua made a lot more money than he would have if I streamed the album.

 

[Galliardist]

What's so outdated about my ride, it only 15 yo.
Your mechanical vinyl tech is 100 +

What ever happened to ya Matt?

The first internal combustion vehicle dates from 1886; older than the gramophone, by a whole year.

The first prototype electric vehicle is the subject of debate; but definitely the 1830s.

The first production electric vehicle was 1890.

Perhaps we could let facts spoil a good argument just this once?

 

[Newman]

Remember, Matt started it, again. Especially since, as you say, EVs are just as old tech as ICEs.

 

[Newman]

Sometimes the inconvenience of vinyl allows me to enjoy the music more.

Please explain how that works ???

It means he might prefer a dial-up modem to broadband streaming of music, for the hypnotic mindfulness effect of gazing at that spinning logo on the screen as the buffer fills up.

And, if he doesn't enjoy that, perhaps egellings could ask him if he has ever experienced the inconvenient joy of a truly high-end dial-up modem.

 

[MattHooper]

Remember, Matt started it, again. Especially since, as you say, EVs are just as old tech as ICEs.

LOL.....Nice Try.

 

[Axo1989]

Now I understand, thanks.

Ok I liked that acknowledgment but then I wondered: just that quoted bit, or the whole explanation?

 

[Axo1989]

I think you missed my point. I mean it isn't hypocritical/"funny thing" of Sal to have an issue with vinyl that he doesn't carry over into cars.

Happy to be corrected, but I get the impression that for Sal, cars are the experience itself, and for his audio, music is the experience itself. The reproduction device just has to get out of the way. And vinyl doesn't do that very well.

The reproduction device has to meet standards that the transportation device doesn’t? I mean noise, vibration, filling with smelly liquids, servicing …

Of course people can enjoy it, but trashing other people’s enjoyment is the hurr durr part.