Record Players and general Phono discussion

[#1]

Whats the big deal about Vinyl anyway?  Certainly there's the whole analog vs digital discussion, but more to the point, what about maintenance and general care of the system?  Is it really worth the extra work?

[#2]

I think it comes back to that old maxim; "for those that work the hardest, the greatest rewards will become available".

Sure, it is a pain to clean a record.  It is also a pain to keep the stylus clean.

And to be sure, getting the turntable setup correctly; with the right tracking force, the right tracking angle, and the right speed, is also a pain.  But once you hear it......man, it is just soooo much better than digital.

Its kind of like tuning a race car.  They require some attention, but once you get them dialed in, it is an experience like no other.

[#3]

In addition to maintenance and general care there is the aspect of portability. It's difficult to carry vinyl with you to the beach, gym, or office.  It's more practicaly to pop a cd into the player and listen with your head phones. Can you imagine if you brought vinyl to the beach? ewwww

[#4]

Thanks for the additional input.  I'll have to give it some more thought...

[#5]

Same argument for MP3s vs CDs - convenience vs quality. Different applications for different needs.

Plus there's the "I'm more leet than you, listen to my pure audio sound!" factor

[#6]

Except Vinyl is not actually of a higher quality than CDs.

[#7]

I dispute that.

A well set up turntable, with a properly aligned cartridge, playing a clean record, is a far more "musical" experience than any CD I've ever heard.

Vinyl and turntables are inconvenient as all get-out, but they sound so much more natural than ANY digital rig I've ever heard.


Message Edited by GeorgeKaplan on 05-03-2007 10:10 AM

[#8]

Calling something musical is a matter of opinion that there is no point in debating and I suppose you could also say the same about natural. There are many people who find enjoyment in the shaping of the sound (e.g. frequency response) of vinyl or even tape. At some level, I can see why.

On the other hand, vinyl is not going to match as closely (and some might say clinically) to the original recording as a CD. It is the same argument about tube v. solid state amplification. Which you like better is a matter of taste. Which more accurately represents the recording is not.

[#9]

"Musical" may seem like a subjective term, but if listening to vinyl bears more similarity to the gestalt of hearing music, than I would say that it is not subjective.

If two people sit down and listen to digital, and then listen to a turntable, and they both conclude that the vinyl sounds more like real music, than that is a completely legitimate observation.

It may not be "objective", but then again, how "objective" is the musical listening experience?

It either sounds like real music or it does not.

[#10]

I love vinyl!

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Cong wrote:
Whats the big deal about Vinyl anyway?  Certainly there's the whole analog vs digital discussion, but more to the point, what about maintenance and general care of the system?  Is it really worth the extra work?

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