Is vinyl a PITA?

Just interested in getting a headcount, and possibly some clarity over this bit of perceived wisdom. It's something that seems to be stated a lot here: that the act of listening to vinyl, despite its advantages, is a difficult and burdensome process.

I used to think this was a generational thing. Younger folks who started out with CDs or mp3s found their fine motor skills put to the test when having to transition to LPs. But there's obviously more to it than that. What say you?

 

I voted "NO" although my actual choice, if offered, would have been "SOMETIMES".

 

it can be. most of the time it's not though. just keep your records clean and set your TT up properly and there shouldn't be any major issues.

Unless one considers physical media a burden, and having to flip the record every 20 mins.

 

No. It's how God intended me to play music.

 

It sure is a lot of work. But the rewards are there, so it is worth the effort.

 

I think it's a BAGUETTE, myself.

 

Yes, obviously — but you say it like it’s a bad thing! It isn't.

 

Vinyl is its own reward

 

Of course it is. IGD, maintenance (cleaning), lack of backup / redundancy, pressing issues like non-filler / off-center hole / scratches, pops and clicks, finding the right stylus, calibration etc. Take that and then look at digital in its ideal setting (assuming all things being equal like the mastering and dynamics and selection) and imo digital easily wins.

But all things are not equal. Decades of selection, low price for many care of the bargain bin, and amazing sound quality in the right setting are vinyl's strengths. And likely will be until digital / high-res catches up. I think eventually it will catch and even surpass vinyl, but imo that hasn't happened yet.

 

+1.

That said, It's a real PITA to listen to recent cd-length recordings pressed onto 2 lps. The sides seem to have like three songs each. This makes for a lot of getting up to turn over the record. Not like the lp experience of yore.

 

I voted no, but with a qualification....
There is a burden with vinyl; cleaning it, making sure you store it well. etc...
but the trade off is in the wonderful soundstage you get out of it.

 

A PITA ?

And...so are women, but I ain't giving them up either !

 

Helps reduce IGD.

 

Indeed...... think of it as a hobby.

 

+a very large number indeed.

 

Definitely a PITA, yes. I completely switched to file based audio eight years ago and haven't looked back for a minute. But the one thing I certainly do miss is LP sized cover art and the vanishing art of writing liner notes.

Werner.

 

My first thought.

 

PITA: People for the Ideal Treatment of Audio

 

No. It can be a lot more work than other formats but I wouldn't go so far as to call it a PITA.

 

I'm curious about what constitutes "a lot of work".

Here's my breakdown:

1. Pull LP from shelf
2. Remove inner sleeve, take LP from sleeve
3. Place on turntable
4. start motor, position tonearm, lower cueing lever

--- 20 mins or so ---

5. lift arm, return to rest
6. stop motor (optional - see #7)
7. flip record, and repeat from step 1. (optional)

so far, nothing listed is nearly as difficult as tying a shoelace, and nearly half the steps involved would also apply to playing a CD.

Granted, I left out some tricky stuff like set up and calibration. But those things don't really apply to common everyday use (do they?). I do use a RCM, but only use it when a record is suspected to be dirty (like when I buy a used LP), so that's just an occasional thing as well.

Am I oversimplifying the process, or is it just the act of putting a record on that's perceived as a PITA?

 

No! it's fon to due

 

No: surface crackle, hiss, wear on the record and the stylus, balancing the tone arm, adjusting anti-skating and so on.

Werner.

 

Nope, not for me.

 

It depends on your lifestyle. 15 years ago when I had younger children, it would've been a PITA because I would not have had the time to devote to it...I would just catch the time to listen and tweak in snippets. With my boys grown now, I have the time to give it the attention I want and the amount of time I want, it's not: "Okay, I have this 45 min. to change my cartridge and redo the alignment." Now I have a whole morning or even a day if I want. I guess to sum it up, it was only a PITA to me when I wanted to devote more time to it but I couldn't... And it does take that time and effort to really maximize the sound.

Dave

 

I voted yes. It's not a portable format, it gets harmed easily, etc. Nothing against vinyl, but I do think it's a pain to use - at least when compared to CD.

BTW, I grew up with vinyl - CDs didn't come along until my mid-late teens - so this isn't an age-related bias...