Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[Mark1]

I've only switched over very recently to streaming. Vinyl - like it or not - sounds different. But streaming sounds the same as CD playback. I know that it's possible to get LPs to sound very close to LP reproduction, but most LP playback (I'm not talking about high-end here) is noticeably different from digital playback.

I agree, but streaming sounds different from itself with all the different sources and bit rates and playback devices. To me CD just sounds good. I kind of doubt Gen Z are listening to vinyl for the sound, maybe they are, but I'd think CD would sound good to them and I was just focusing on the non-sound qualities and experience of older formats like CD and records.

I see a lot of lower end turntables that are Bluetooth lol. I hope many Gen-Z aren't Bluetooth streaming their turntable to some powered speaker. That would be ironic and just awful lol..

 

[Robin L]

I agree, but streaming sounds different from itself with all the different sources and bit rates and playback devices. To me CD just sounds good. I kind of doubt Gen Z are listening to vinyl for the sound, maybe they are, but I'd think CD would sound good to them and I was just focusing on the non-sound qualities and experience of older formats like CD and records.

I see a lot of lower end turntables that are Bluetooth lol. I hope many Gen-Z aren't Bluetooth streaming their turntable to some powered speaker. That would be ironic and just awful lol..

I've got Tidal, it consistently offers the best bit rates. And My playback devices consist of a standard 2.1 stereo and some nice earbuds hooked into my smartphone. Yes, If I stream You Tube there will be noticeably different bit rates. But I try to avoid You Tube for streaming music.

 

[Mark1]

I've got Tidal, it consistently offers the best bit rates. And My playback devices consist of a standard 2.1 stereo and some nice earbuds hooked into my smartphone. Yes, If I stream You Tube there will be noticeably different bit rates. But I try to avoid You Tube for streaming music.

Makes me wonder though how many of the Gen Z coming to vinyl were streaming loss less or hi def like Tidal. If their experience was streaming Youtube and Spotify, records would sound better leave alone CDs.

 

[Holmz]

Sorry, but it still doesn’t work. A car enthusiast may not own a car but they also wouldn’t go shopping for tires and buy a set for a car they never plan to own.

How does ^that^ differ from vinyl enthusiasts?
Do they shop for vinyl not owning a TT? Or not planning on ever owning one?

It would like reading about a survey of “2500 Christians”, not believing in Ra or Zeus.

And it id also similar in that there is a religious zeal with TTs and vinyl.

 

[jp4573]

Once, someone from the U.S.S.R. told me that in the 60's/70's who owned a Beatles record would put it in a picture frame and hang it on the wall.

 

[Holmz]

I agree, but streaming sounds different from itself with all the different sources and bit rates and playback devices. To me CD just sounds good. I kind of doubt Gen Z are listening to vinyl for the sound, maybe they are, but I'd think CD would sound good to them and I was just focusing on the non-sound qualities and experience of older formats like CD and records.
…

One would think so, but at least some of them are convinced that LPs sound better, and cannot be convinced otherwise.

 

[Galliardist]

Makes me wonder though how many of the Gen Z coming to vinyl were streaming loss less or hi def like Tidal. If their experience was streaming Youtube and Spotify, records would sound better leave alone CDs.

Decent YouTube performance (and not even the better compression ratios of YouTube Music, just Opus at a decent rate) - and Spotify Premium - are both good enough to capture and reproduce what comes off LP. YouTube Music (256 rate Opus or AAC) and Spotify Premium can be described as better than records with no problems involved. Those rates will capture any music adequately (says this paranoid Qobuz user!).

LP playback for pleasure is about valuing the imperfections involved, though people may not use those words.

 

[Frank Dernie]

Once, someone from the U.S.S.R. told me that in the 60's/70's who owned a Beatles record would put it in a picture frame and hang it on the wall.

You used to be able to buy, maybe you still can, "picture frames" for LPs with an opening front so you can change sleeves or get an LP out to listen to it.
I bought some many years ago but have never used them, not sure where they are any more, probably the loft.

 

[MatrixS2000]

Do they shop for vinyl not owning a TT?

Yes!

From that report:

The survey of more than 2,500 vinyl fans worldwide found that over a quarter (76%) of Gen-Z vinyl fans buy records at least once a month, with eight in 10 (80%) owning a record player.

A percentage of Gen Z don’t own a TT yet are buying vinyl, which is why I said that owning a TT is most likely in their future because they are investing time and money into the hobby. Would you hang out at a car dealership or purchase car accessories if you had no plans to buy a car? Probably not.

 

[MatrixS2000]

You used to be able to buy, maybe you still can, "picture frames" for LPs with an opening front so you can change sleeves or get an LP out to listen to it.
I bought some many years ago but have never used them, not sure where they are any more, probably the loft.

Record album frames. Still available, now we know what Gen Z are doing with all those record purchases.

 

[deweydm]

I've only switched over very recently to streaming. Vinyl - like it or not - sounds different. But streaming sounds the same as CD playback. I know that it's possible to get LPs to sound very close to LP reproduction, but most LP playback (I'm not talking about high-end here) is noticeably different from digital playback.

I don’t think sound was mentioned in the article on the vinyl trade group’s report at all.

I initially thought that sound was an important factor, because LPs can sound subjectively better than remasters done for noisy environments on streaming, but so can older CDs. Yet prices and demand for used CDs from the eighties and early nineties still seem very low.

Maybe the kids have no idea older CDs often sound very different, are often mastered differently, than streaming versions. Or maybe they just don’t care as much about that as I do.

 

[krabapple]

I've only switched over very recently to streaming. Vinyl - like it or not - sounds different. But streaming sounds the same as CD playback. I know that it's possible to get LPs to sound very close to LP reproduction,

I should hope so

but most LP playback (I'm not talking about high-end here) is noticeably different from digital playback.

It's possible to get digital to sound *exactly* like LP reproduction. By digitizing your LPs.

 

[krabapple]

Yes!

From that report:

A percentage of Gen Z don’t own a TT yet are buying vinyl, which is why I said that owning a TT is most likely in their future because they are investing time and money into the hobby. Would you hang out at a car dealership or purchase car accessories if you had no plans to buy a car? Probably not.

Or.. they live where there is a TT on premises, but they don't own it?

This is possibly the silliest divesion of this silly thread yet. Arguing about the existence of Gen Z doofs who only buy records to touch them or look at them.

 

[J.M. Noble]

Or.. they live where there is a TT on premises, but they don't own it?

This is possibly the silliest divesion of this silly thread yet. Arguing about the existence of Gen Z doofs who only buy records to touch them or look at them.

Collectors buy all kinds of things with the purpose of admiring them rather than using them: stamps come immediately to mind, for instance.

Are all of these people "doofs" too?

 

[MattHooper]

Yes!

From that report:

A percentage of Gen Z don’t own a TT yet are buying vinyl, which is why I said that owning a TT is most likely in their future because they are investing time and money into the hobby. Would you hang out at a car dealership or purchase car accessories if you had no plans to buy a car? Probably not.

Having been on the Reddit vinyl sub for years, in which there are constant posts by vinyl newbies, I have seen plenty of posts by people saying they started buying records before they got a turntable, or “ I’ve got 30 records now, and I’m planning to buy a turntable” or just people who started buying records and who are now asking advice as to which turntable to buy.

Are all of these people "doofs" too?

For whatever reason, the vinyl revival seems to bring out the cynicism in some folks.

 

[Robin L]

I should hope so

Oops - of course I meant that LPs could get close to CD reproduction. A typo, sorry.

It's possible to get digital to sound *exactly* like LP reproduction. By digitizing your LPs.

But what I was pointing out is that DDA or DAA or AAA will never sound exactly like DDD. Of course, it depends on how close one's attention is to the sounds of these different sources. A digital dub of an LP will accurately reproduce the sound of IGD, peak warp wow and off-center discs. However . . .

 

[Mark1]

Decent YouTube performance (and not even the better compression ratios of YouTube Music, just Opus at a decent rate) - and Spotify Premium - are both good enough to capture and reproduce what comes off LP. YouTube Music (256 rate Opus or AAC) and Spotify Premium can be described as better than records with no problems involved. Those rates will capture any music adequately (says this paranoid Qobuz user!).

LP playback for pleasure is about valuing the imperfections involved, though people may not use those words.

I don't know maybe 256 Kb AAC or higher is as good or better than records. I would think not quiet, but I haven't done a double blind test . But I was thinking that Gen Z probably listen to a lot of sub 160 Kb free Youtube and Spotify and I don't think it has parity with vinyl probably not even FM.

I think what it is if youngsters are listening to vintage vinyl, they're just listening to better music from the '60s-'80, than today's, that sounds better no matter how it's played back .

 

[Mark1]

I don’t think sound was mentioned in the article on the vinyl trade group’s report at all.

I initially thought that sound was an important factor, because LPs can sound subjectively better than remasters done for noisy environments on streaming, but so can older CDs. Yet prices and demand for used CDs from the eighties and early nineties still seem very low.

Maybe the kids have no idea older CDs often sound very different, are often mastered differently, than streaming versions. Or maybe they just don’t care as much about that as I do.

That's what I was wondering. I doubt it has much to do with sound unless they been mostly streaming low bit rate and with cell phones. IMO if the kids were smart they would get into CDs with the added bonus you can go mobile unlike records .

 

[Mark1]

One would think so, but at least some of them are convinced that LPs sound better, and cannot be convinced otherwise.

But what streaming format are they saying records sound better than? If they were listening to digitally compressed music in comparison I don't doubt records sound better. But if it's lossless I don't think records would sound better. I'll cut them some slack since some people have been claiming since the 1980s records sound better than CDs lol.

 

[MatrixS2000]

This is possibly the silliest divesion of this silly thread yet. Arguing about the existence of Gen Z doofs who only buy records to touch them or look at them.

Yet here you are...