Is it too late to get into vinyl now?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Martgrol, Dec 23, 2016.

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  1. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    Agreed!
    Luckily the bands I enjoy, no one else does. So the prices in most cases (for excellent players) have been pretty cheap. Picked up a sealed Public Image Ltd.-9 a couple years ago for 8.99, bargains can still be found, especially bargain bin fodder of yore complete with cut-outs. :laugh:
    Funny seeing A-ha Scoundrel Days in the dollar bins back in the late 80's early 90's and here I am today grabbing it :crazy:
     
    Psychedelic Good Trip likes this.
  2. mrwolk

    mrwolk One and a half ears...no waiting!

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Too late for me...having been there and lived through the prime years of vinyl..i appreciate the resurgence of vinyl for the new generation that is embracing the technology and delivery devices...for me late in this juncture it's primarily the price point...i was in a book store yesterday that added a small vinyl selection to their inventory and with vinyl selling for $25 on the average...a bit of an investment.
    If you accidentally scratch or damage your disc...it's another $25 to replace....unless you needledrop your acquisitions as we use to record discs to hi-grade cassettes.
    It's great and exciting for many...as for me...i sold off my vinyl collection for good coin and bought myself a DAP...which includes content from cds, downloads and needledrops....as i have mentioned many times in other posts...for me it's the music that matters not the delivery system...my first exposure to the Beatles in 1964 was through a transistor radio with a tiny sounding speaker. It was great nevertheless.
     
    c-eling and Chooke like this.
  3. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    And every other response will be, "Right on brother! I sold all my analog 10 years ago and Never Looked Back." :laugh:

    There's no excuse for feeling "duped" about vinyl these days - exaggerated positive and negative opinions are all given an equal airing here. As does the occasional realistic advice.
     
    e.s., Schoolmaster Bones and c-eling like this.
  4. Thermionic Dude

    Thermionic Dude Forum Resident

    I agree.

    Vinyl is one of those topics which many folks feel very passionate about (both for and against) and it seems there is always lots of emotionally-driven discussion when the topic come up, so my recommendation is to try to read between the lines as much as possible. Like most things in life the "truth" can only be found somewhere in the grey area.

    My advice is to simply take a good look at your motivation for getting into vinyl. If you are doing so because you think you can easily achieve a level of sonic bliss you haven't experienced through other media, you may well get discouraged as there are MANY variables in play. On the other hand if you enjoy tweaking stuff and appreciate the equipment in and of itself (quality tables are marvels of mechanical engineering), enjoy the act of hunting down elusive titles and building a collection, and like the idea of going on a "quest" to maximize the playback quality then vinyl might prove to be very satisfying. Vinyl provides more opportunity to get one's hands dirty and actively "do stuff" than any other audio activity besides full DIY, which is a huge draw for many.

    (Hopefully this fits into the "realistic advice" column!;))
     
  5. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I'd say doing transfers is definitely hands on :laugh:
    It's a fun hobby, I picked up on the format mostly for the odd-ball mixes that I can't seem to find on compact disc.
    I have no preference :)
     
  6. Preston

    Preston Forum Resident

    Location:
    KCMO Metro USA
    It's never rubbish to express one's opinion. And from your description of the sound of vinyl, you must have listened to a close-and-play to come to that conclusion. My set-up sounds nothing like that. For the record, my OPINION is that both digital and analog can sound wonderful. I own thousands of recordings in each format. My OPINION is that the very best analog recordings sound better than the very best digital recordings, on my system, in my room.
     
    NorthNY Mark likes this.
  7. Preston

    Preston Forum Resident

    Location:
    KCMO Metro USA
    I don't believe I said what you are implying. I did not say that every analog recording sounds better than every digital recording. Both can sound excellent. However, in my opinion the best analog sounds better than the best digital, on my system in my listening room.
     
    NorthNY Mark and c-eling like this.
  8. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    Saw the Men Without Hats cassette the other day. I'm sure I've seen the LP at some point. The original CD is of course very rare.
     
    c-eling likes this.
  9. Rob9874

    Rob9874 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    I think that's exactly why vinyl IS superior. It's the hunt for the best mastering or best pressing. Sure CD's also have different masterings you can hunt down, but there's something fun about comparing a Wally and a Japanese pressing of your favorite album and choosing your favorite.
     
  10. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    And you don't think people can't have fun with CDs?
     
    Purple Jim, Chooke and c-eling like this.
  11. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    I suspect the condition of the master tapes plays an important. Some of these tapes are now over 40 years old, and they aren't in great condition.
     
  12. Dave S

    Dave S Forum Resident

    I picked up an early copy of Leonard Cohen's Songs of Leonard Cohen (UK CBS with an eye in the center of the label) for 75p. Sure, the sleeve could be better, but the record is in great shape. Plays great.
     
  13. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    The hunt for the best pressing is a hobby unto itself... or it's a pain and a convincing argument against collecting vinyl in the first place. I would guess most music lovers that want good sound quality aren't that big on doing shootouts, or accumulating multiple copies. They just want to enjoy their music.
     
    e.s. and troggy like this.
  14. Marc Perman

    Marc Perman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    The hunt is a great deal of fun for me, a diversion when I'm out at a record store and hugely satisfying when I find something good. I found a NM original US Thin Lizzy Jailbreak yesterday for $8.00, it was done by Gilbert Kong at Masterdisk and thus sounds really good. If that last sentence doesn't interest you then perhaps OG vinyl isn't for you.
     
    Thermionic Dude and WillieDaPimp like this.
  15. Rob9874

    Rob9874 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    Yes, if you don't enjoy the thrill of the hunt, then don't get into vinyl. My point was that we shouldn't answer with a blanket "yes, it's too late. The hobby is more of a PITA than fun."
     
  16. Jackson

    Jackson Senior Member

    Location:
    MA, USA
    No offense, but to me that's about as much fun as the longest colonoscopy. I'm all about the listening, not the comparing. My copy doesn't have to be the best sounding, it just has to sound good, ask me if i even know or care what a Wally is.
     
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  17. Rob9874

    Rob9874 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Surprise, AZ
    Yep, to each their own. And I don't compare every record I own, nor do I need the best sounding for each. But for my favorites (DSOTM, Rumours, etc), I want to know which one I should invest in.
     
  18. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    Says the man who got rid of his cd collection.
     
  19. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Don't do it.
     
  20. troggy

    troggy Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow

    Location:
    Benton, Illinois
    I don't know whether he did or not but all he's saying is that you can enjoy records even if they don't always sound better than their digital counterparts. If you're getting into vinyl mainly because you've been sold on them sounding better than CD's, you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
     
    Chooke and Jackson like this.
  21. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    I'm missing the connection here.
     
  22. Orthogonian Blues

    Orthogonian Blues A man with a fork in a world full of soup.

    Location:
    London, UK
    Vinyl is like the little girl with the little curl. When it's good, It's very very good. But when it's bad, it's horrid!
     
    The Pinhead and Jackson like this.
  23. Folsom

    Folsom Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eastern WA
    I've gone in and out of vinyl a couple times. I find the OP question silly.
     
    The Pinhead likes this.
  24. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    You seem to be criticizing those that advocate vinyl and yet you decided to pretty much go exclusively vinyl at home.

    For me, I play records, cds, sacds, and files. I do agree that vinyl should not be over hyped. Also, I would like to see any post where someone told another poster they need ear training because they like cds or files better than vinyl.
     
  25. Holy Diver

    Holy Diver Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    No. Last time I checked there was still some available. :)
     
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