Why do records sound so much better than digital?

[SKBubba]

Problem solved:

https://www.izotope.com/en/products/vinyl.html

Or, real time correction:

https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/dustyScratchedVinylNoiseGenerator.php

 

[levimax]

Sadly, records are a total rip off. Really, you need to devote hours to hunting down a decent copy and then you need a cleaning machine that's more than the record player. And the time to clean them is as long as it takes to play one side of the record. Otherwise, you're stuck with $35 pressings. They're great, well mastered, clean, no funny business and the experience of playing a record is more interactive than playing any digital source. No doubt they sound better to me as a result.

But damn the price is stupid high. It really isn't worth the investment. Records are just too short.

I bought 15 records before I bought my turntable. I have listened to them all already in two days. Some twice.

For Over $500.

That's 4 years of streaming. 3 years with a modi 3+ dac.

"New" records don't make any sense to me as they are expensive and if I am buying new music or a new remaster I will buy the digital version which is cheaper and sounds better. For me the interesting records are original pressing of older music that I really like. I enjoy hunting them down and yes they are hit or miss. I have picked up several hundred records over the last 10 years (I discarded my original collection back in the 80's) and didn't pay much for them but now I see prices are way up .... so in a way used vinyl has been the cheapest format over the last 20 years. Currently due to the high vinyl prices I have gone back to buying used CD's. They are cheap, many of the earlier ones are well mastered, and they are so much more reliable... 99+% play / rip perfectly.

 

[Robin L]

Well, cd > lp was less a game changer than network wireless streaming > cd. the ability to play endless lengths of tons and tons of music at $10 month is more important to my musical experience than longer play times or wider dynamic range.

Amen.

 

[Robin L]

People were collecting huge digital libraries by any mean available before streaming. Streaming is only a game changer for people who don't like to curate such a library.

It's all about the convenience. The format that needs the least tweaking will always win out. Audio tweakers are in the minority. Obsessing over audio minutiae is the core engine of Audiophilus Nervosa.

 

[q3cpma]

It's all about the convenience. The format that needs the least tweaking will always win out. Audio tweakers are in the minority. Obsessing over audio minutiae is the core engine of Audiophilus Nervosa.

Possessing stuff instead of constantly leasing it (through a link you also lease, using an expensive device, a proprietary software you can't adapt to your taste, etc...) is a larger concern than Hi-Fi, though.

 

[Robin L]

Possessing stuff instead of constantly leasing it (through a link you also lease, using an expensive device, a proprietary software you can't adapt to your taste, etc...) is a larger concern than Hi-Fi, though.

I think this whole "possessing stuff" stuff is overrated.

 

[Sal1950]

I only play an LP when the next piece of music I feel like listening to happens to be on one of my LPs. Which is not that often, usually one of my 50 year old folk music albums.

 

[scott wurcer]

Another candidate, a clean copy of this leaves nothing to want.

 

[mhardy6647]

...pretty much identically close...

eh?

 

[Sal1950]

It's all about the convenience. The format that needs the least tweaking will always win out. Audio tweakers are in the minority. Obsessing over audio minutiae is the core engine of Audiophilus Nervosa.

I also enjoy the convenience of steaming, being able to just reach out and listen to about 95% of the 2 ch stuff people mention is cool. But I could never depend on it for my main listening source. No internet, no music, NEVER. My CD's and hard-drive will always remain my treasured sources.
Besides all that my main focus for new music has been on multich for about the last decade and so far whats available on the stream is extremely limited.

 

[q3cpma]

I think this whole "possessing stuff" stuff is overrated.

Then you've never converted your collection to Opus to put on a 30€ Rockboxed Sansa Clip.

 

[Sal1950]

Sansa Clip

I love my Sansa Clip +, use it and a portable speaker poolside most every day.

 

[Robin L]

Then you've never converted your collection to Opus to put on a 30€ Rockboxed Sansa Clip.

No, I converted the bulk of my CDs to Apple Lossless for my $69 Fiio M3K. When I unpack the remainder, I intend to rip the rest. But I'm not intending to get any more CDs to rip to my computer. I'd rather spend money on guitars these days.

 

[hyperplanar]

Problem solved:

https://www.izotope.com/en/products/vinyl.html

Or, real time correction:

https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/dustyScratchedVinylNoiseGenerator.php

iZotope Vinyl! An absolute must have for making lo-fi music

 

[DSJR]

eh?

I've edited it to hopefully make more sense

 

[restorer-john]

I think this whole "possessing stuff" stuff is overrated.

It's true, there are people who value the "experience" more highly than the intrinsic value of ownership.

For me, it's about the legal ownership of "stuff". I like it and it makes me happy.

Others are quite content to pay in an ongoing manner for the convenience of the latest experience, albeit at a lower dollar per listen/view.

No different to the TV rental businesses of yore where people paid to rent the latest TV, constantly updating with new models, but never owning a thing. I'm sure there's plenty of members here that would pay a monthly fee to rent the latest and greatest DAC and recieve updated models each time they were released.

 

[Emlin]

I'm sure there's plenty of members here that would pay a monthly fee to rent the latest and greatest DAC and recieve updated models each time they were released.

I'm pretty sure that you are wrong on that. At least, I hope you are wrong.

 

[mhardy6647]

It's true, there are people who value the "experience" more highly than the intrinsic value of ownership.

For me, it's about the legal ownership of "stuff". I like it and it makes me happy.

Others are quite content to pay in an ongoing manner for the convenience of the latest experience, albeit at a lower dollar per listen/view.

No different to the TV rental businesses of yore where people paid to rent the latest TV, constantly updating with new models, but never owning a thing. I'm sure there's plenty of members here that would pay a monthly fee to rent the latest and greatest DAC and recieve updated models each time they were released.

Well, at least in the US, typically one doesn't own the content, only the physical medium upon which it is transcribed or encoded.
But, being an old guy, I -- like you* -- like to physically own the medium containing the... umm... message.

_______________
* Not sayin' that you're an old guy, just to be clear!

 

[restorer-john]

I'm pretty sure that you are wrong on that. At least, I hope you are wrong.

I reckon you could be surprised. Based on the comments about sweating on the latest models and should they wait or buy now, and the pictures of desktops covered in DACs and HP amps.

 

[restorer-john]

Well, at least in the US, typically one still doesn't own the content, only the physical medium upon which it is transcribed or encoded.

You own the right to play that content in perpetuity, give away, sell, or bequeath to someone else. Those rights are not available AFAIK with streamed/dowloaded content.

Wasn't there some legal cases on the ownership of vast purchased iTunes libraries and whether they could be bequeathed to someone?? I read it someplace.