When a single vinyl album costs more than your DAC ...

[Robin L]

I've been avoiding Stereophile and Analog Planet recently, seems like their whole premise is based of seeking out the worst values in audio. Lower fidelity? Higher price? WE BETTER LOOK INTO IT!!!!!! Mikey over on his own planet extolled the virtues of these ridiculously overpriced participation trophies.

Can't say I find this amusing anymore.

 

[MattHooper]

Why would anyone buy LPs or even CDs in the age of Tidal and Qobuz?

Why would anyone buy an expensive mechanical watch in the age of cheap digital watches that tell time more accurately?

For some LPs are nice physical objects to hold and own and they like that physicality and the aesthetics. The same goes for the fascination with turntables over interacting with a CD player or swiping on your phone. Some find the physical nature of LPs provide a different type of connection to the music, and enhances the listening experience too. Some like me find I get totally ADD when having a billion songs a flick away on my phone, where I find myself flicking through music always looking for something "better," whereas putting on an LP leads me to listening to at least a whole side of an album, usually the whole thing. It's a calmer more focused experience. Some of us like the idea that listening to LPs on a turntable is a nice break from the digital world of constantly interacting with our phone and other screens to get what we want. A way to 'unplug' for a while.
Vinyl tends to sound different, and some actually enjoy aspects of the "vinyl sound." Lots and lots of reasons. Depends what you value, how you are constituted, and what turns your crank.

If you dare, here's a rabbit hole thread on the subject:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...elp-me-understand-the-appeal.6430/post-143639

 

[Robin L]

Why would anyone buy an expensive mechanical watch in the age of cheap digital watches that tell time more accurately?

For some LPs are nice physical objects to hold and own and they like that physicality and the aesthetics. The same goes for the fascination with turntables over interacting with a CD player or swiping on your phone. Some find the physical nature of LPs provide a different type of connection to the music, and enhances the listening experience too. Some like me find I get totally ADD when having a billion songs a flick away on my phone, where I find myself flicking through music always looking for something "better," whereas putting on an LP leads me to listening to at least a whole side of an album, usually the whole thing. It's a calmer more focused experience. Some of us like the idea that listening to LPs on a turntable is a nice break from the digital world of constantly interacting with our phone and other screens to get what we want. A way to 'unplug' for a while.
Vinyl tends to sound different, and some actually enjoy aspects of the "vinyl sound." Lots and lots of reasons. Depends what you value, how you are constituted, and what turns your crank.

If you dare, here's a rabbit hole thread on the subject:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...elp-me-understand-the-appeal.6430/post-143639

Yeah, but the cost/benefit ratio of these discs is about the same as crack.

 

[MattHooper]

Yeah, but the cost/benefit ratio of these discs is about the same as crack.

Not gonna lie; at one point I was acquiring albums (and spending) at a crack-addict-like rate . At least I have a lot of them to listen to
during lockdown.

 

[Robin L]

Not gonna lie; at one point I was acquiring albums (and spending) at a crack-addict-like rate . At least I have a lot of them to listen to
during lockdown.

I've 12-stepped out of that binge, now the expense is mostly limited to new guitar strings.

 

[Sal1950]

Why would anyone buy an expensive mechanical watch in the age of cheap digital watches that tell time more accurately?

I knew you couldn't resist coming to the defense of your beloved medium.

 

[MattHooper]

I knew you couldn't resist coming to the defense of your beloved medium.

Here to educate where I can.

 

[MRC01]

... I find the vast majority of Steve's remasters of progressive rock albums to be works of art. Plus the majority he's done in 5.1 surround which to me makes them worth their weight in gold. ...

+1 to that! So true!

I own several of Wilson's remixes and they are consistently FAR superior to the originals. For example, the classic old Yes albums sound like absolute "Schiit". Listening to them is almost painful: tinny and crunchy, some of their music is complex and it is just a wall of distorted noise. Wilson's remixes are in a whole different league, some of the best sounding rock albums I've heard, from any era. Not only are they better balanced tonally: extended deep bass yet tight, not bloated; extended treble yet not emphasized or bright, mids that are smooth and natural yet not veiled. Wilson's remixes also have so much more detail. You can hear everything - drums, bass, guitar, vocals, etc., perfectly leveled, nothing masked. And they are not dynamically compressed - much bigger dynamics. You can actually hear & enjoy the music in its full splendor.

In short, back in the day, the studios utterly failed to do this music justice. Wilson finally gave this music the excellent presentation that it always deserved.

Back to the original topic: the quality of LPs varies tremendously, even different pressings of the same recordings. I understand collectors willing to pay extra for a better sounding version because the differences are quite noticeable. So the principle makes complete sense. How much extra people are willing to pay is a matter of degree. When I sold my LP collection, some of them went for over $100 individually, and these were used. So the prices he's charging aren't completely crazy.

 

[NoMoFoNo]

I occasionally play a record, mostly to keep the record player operating. I usually react now with the thought that it sounds pretty good considering I'm dragging a diamond through a trough to make the sound. Then I play the digital version and it always sounds better, cleaner, no pops, no sound floor, and I scratch my head and wonder WTF I was thinking when I was obsessed with playing records.

This chasing nostalgia thing has some serious downside in $$$ out of pocket and heavy 'stuff' taking up room in the house.

 

[Frank Dernie]

The Electric Recording Company’s first issues were of very rare and little known titles that were trading at a premium, say $1,000’s of dollars for an original. His reissues cost a tenth of the originals, and were done in small lots, so it made some sense. For some of them, I’d be surprised if you could find them on any format, streaming included.

this is interesting to collectors but presumably if the music or performance was good the recordings would have found a way into the mainstream I would have thought.

 

[Robin L]

this is interesting to collectors but presumably if the music or performance was good the recordings would have found a way into the mainstream I would have thought.

Right--- if people really felt the need, it would be on YouTube by now. Then again, the so-called "high end" is genuinely degenerate right now. There's an ongoing food fight at Stereophile over $150,000.00 worth of tube amplification that doesn't measure very well by any standard. Mikey likes it, of course.

 

[Cbdb2]

Why would anyone buy an expensive mechanical watch in the age of cheap digital watches that tell time more accurately?

For some LPs are nice physical objects to hold and own and they like that physicality and the aesthetics. The same goes for the fascination with turntables over interacting with a CD player or swiping on your phone. Some find the physical nature of LPs provide a different type of connection to the music, and enhances the listening experience too. Some like me find I get totally ADD when having a billion songs a flick away on my phone, where I find myself flicking through music always looking for something "better," whereas putting on an LP leads me to listening to at least a whole side of an album, usually the whole thing. It's a calmer more focused experience. Some of us like the idea that listening to LPs on a turntable is a nice break from the digital world of constantly interacting with our phone and other screens to get what we want. A way to 'unplug' for a while.
Vinyl tends to sound different, and some actually enjoy aspects of the "vinyl sound." Lots and lots of reasons. Depends what you value, how you are constituted, and what turns your crank.

If you dare, here's a rabbit hole thread on the subject:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...elp-me-understand-the-appeal.6430/post-143639

A watch these days is just bling. Its to look nice and impress people. Fashion and fad. Would you were an old analog watch if it was ugly ( or cheap) ? A music format is to listen to. Whats a better format for that. The rest of the attraction to vinyl is like the watch, fad and fashion, pretty and expensive and to impress people. And you cant put your phone away when you listen to a CD?

 

[Cbdb2]

Had to check one of those remixes but WTF is going on here.

Is the music coming thru the mic thats on at the begining? Why no stylus down tick or vinyl noise? Are we actually listening to a CD?

Edit: listened again loud, sounds like they turn the mic off a few seconds in but even at full volume in the dead spot a few seconds in, no rumble no hiss, no vinyl. Why would you do this? Oh yea vinyls a fad.

 

[MattHooper]

A watch these days is just bling. Its to look nice and impress people. Fashion and fad.

That sounds like the type of facile assessment someone who isn't in to fine watches would produce ;-)

I have some watch-obsessed friends and it's clear that their interest goes merely beyond "bling" and wanting to impress people. They really know their stuff and have a very detailed appreciation of the engineering, the challenges, and watchmaker's craft. And nice watches are hardly a "fad," they've been around since the invention of the watch and have never really gone out of favor.

One may as well call an expensive painting mere "bling," just something nice to look at. Someone can certainly buy one on those grounds, but there are also grounds on which to have a deeper more nuanced appreciation based on the work of the artist, what the artist achieved relative to the art at the time, etc.

Would you were an old analog watch if it was ugly ( or cheap) ?

Ask a watch guy . Given the level of craft and precision they appreciate tends to be expensive to produce, I don't know if many would favor a "cheap" watch. Dunno.

A music format is to listen to. Whats a better format for that.

The one on which you most enjoy listening to music?

The rest of the attraction to vinyl is like the watch, fad and fashion, pretty and expensive and to impress people. And you cant put your phone away when you listen to a CD?

Another facile characterization unfortunately. I don't buy LPs to impress anyone. In fact my wife wishes I wouldn't buy them! And the vinyl comeback is now too long and entrenched to be waved off as a "fad." That cliche bolted the barn quite a while ago ;-)

Some people enjoy owning music in a physical format, and enjoy in particular the LP as a physical format, and numerous aspects of the turntable/vinyl experience add up to a greater whole, in terms of their music owning/listening experience, than swiping through digits on yet another screen. I get that's not for you, but it's unfortunate that your own values leads you to trivialize what others value and why.

Cheerio.

 

[billybuck]

Why would anyone buy LPs or even CDs in the age of Tidal and Qobuz?

I do, but you you won’t find me arguing for the sonic superiority of vinyl. For me, it’s more that I work in IT during the day, so at night the last thing I want is to be staring at yet another backlit screen, musing over an infinite catalog of stuff to choose from. And back in the days when we used to have people over, it’s much nicer to show them a rack of LP’s to flip through rather than navigate Bluetooth pairing and have a roomful of people staring at phones to queue something up.

 

[MattHooper]

I do, but you you won’t find me arguing for the sonic superiority of vinyl. For me, it’s more that I work in IT during the day, so at night the last thing I want is to be staring at yet another backlit screen, musing over an infinite catalog of stuff to choose from. And back in the days when we used to have people over, it’s much nicer to show them a rack of LP’s to flip through rather than navigate Bluetooth pairing and have a roomful of people staring at phones to queue something up.

Yup!

Why read an old fashioned physical book when you don’t need that physical delivery system and can read one on your iPad, laptop or kindle? Because reading a book allows one to unplug from the digital world for a while, and the particular physical tactile characteristics of books is part of the experience. (And to having a book collection)

 

[Cbdb2]

Ill read whatever its on, but carying thousands of books and pdfs on somting the size and less weight than a book than why not. The quality is the same. If romanticizing about inferior fuctionality is your thing go for it. Im in it for the music as accurate as i can get it, so Ill stick to CD.

 

[Robin L]

Ill read whatever its on, but carying thousands of books and pdfs on somting the size and less weight than a book than why not. The quality is the same. If romanticizing about inferior fuctionality is your thing go for it. Im in it for the music as accurate as i can get it, so Ill stick to CD.

And the reality is the functionality of LPs is not the same. Not if you care about pitch or distortion at all.

 

[MattHooper]

Ill read whatever its on, but carying thousands of books and pdfs on somting the size and less weight than a book than why not. The quality is the same.

Sure, to some people.

It's like going out to an expensive meal at a fine restaurant. You could have the food in a beautiful classy environment with wonderful service.
Or you could have the very same food while being served in a narrow, dirty, porcelain hallway near the washrooms, with crappy service. "The food quality is the same" but for most of us the eating experience is not the same.

Or one could say "I could have cooked a steak at home" and some people think if that's the case, then going out to eat is a waste. But some people find the "going out to eat" - the taking the break from cooking, having it cooked for you, and just getting out of the house, to be part of what they look forward to (that's me; I have friends who love to stay in and cook, I love nothing more than going out to great restaurants).
To some going out is a hassle. To others, part of the charm. To some all the stuff involved with vinyl is a needless hassle. To others, it's part of th attraction.

A book allows me to unplug from the world. I far prefer the feel of a book in my hands, and the feel for my eyes, and just not looking at another f*cking screen for that time. YMMV of course!

Same for vinyl.

I If romanticizing about inferior fuctionality is your thing go for it. Im in it for the music as accurate as i can get it, so Ill stick to CD.

Again, it's only "inferior functionality" depending on the function you are looking for. You have a personal goal of, I guess, having a more technically
accurate source with faster access to more music. I have that too. But I find when I use it I often tend to start treating music as more background and a disposable experience, and I have a harder time settling down and listening to music without having that twitch-inducing iphone thing of "surf, surf, surf" through all the music.

I wanted something to function as a different experience, a richer physical experience, and one that would provoke me to settle better and focus on relaxing and listening to the music, whole albums etc. Vinyl fulfills that function for my music listening than digital (at least, it often does).

It doesn't fulfill your function, sure. But it's only "inferior" for your interests, it's not automatically "superior" in some way to someone else's.
(Just as for me a motorcycle is an utterly inferior mode of transportation, given I prefer comfort, safety, and a vehicle that can shielf me from the elements all year round. But my friend is a motorcycle enthusiast and a car just doesn't offer the function he gets out of a motorcycle. And I get that. I'm not going to downplay his version of the vehicle hobby as "inferior." I get it, even if I don't share the interest.

Cheers.

 

[Sal1950]

Ill read whatever its on

And the reality is the functionality of LPs is not the same. Not if you care about pitch or distortion at all.

ROTFLMAO, Look out guys, Matt will defend his $10,000 turntable all day and night long. Not really sure why he hangs out here beating that analog drum, it hasn't been a viable as a SOTA High Fidelity medium for over 50 years now, that's indisputable. I guess when you got that much invested in squashed hockey pucks you can't let people destroy your holideck's vacation image.

If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
You can start me up
You can start me up I'll never stop
I've been running hot
You got me ticking going to blow my top
If you start me up
If you start me up I'll never stop
Never stop, never stop, never stop
LOL