How is the Vinyl experience?

Matrix80

I'm curious if it's just hype, reminiscence of the "old days", or truly a unique experience. I'm early 30's, and exclusively use high-resolution streaming services. This will be feeding a $10,000  audio system.

I'm finding it hard to envision listening to a 'complete' album. What music are y'all listening to end-to-end? It seems painful to pay $20-30/vinyl, when I can have unlimited streaming for 9.99 on Tidal Hi-Fi (student discount).

dannnielll

I have tried a number of times to attempt to explain this and the best I come up with is dingy sailing or fly fishing where the enjoyment is the effort. Vinyl allows for an infinity of tinkering about.  Now anyone can enjoy this and if they put enough money into quality speakers,  then the distortion in the pickup and amplifier can be pleasant. Nobody will honestly claim that sound reproduction is more accurate using vinyl than other forms.

There can be a pressure when listening to streamed music missing when an entire album is being played. The pressure being .. "what am I missing, there are 10 million tracks out there ,I am listening to only one,..have I made the right choice"  This pressure is gone as in I cannot be bothered to get up and change a disc which will time out in 15 minutes, so I may as well enjoy or endure it.  So streaming entire CDs is my poison of choice.

gibbsy

I had, have, a good collection of vinyl but haven't played them since the early 1990s. CDs took over because they were far easier to listen to and use at work. Now I have a high end SACD player and try and buy as many titles on that format as I can. I like the physical pleasure of putting a disc in and playing it in it's entirety. You have far better access to the SACD market in the US with the likes of MoFi and Analogue Productions whereas I have to pay a high postage charge to import to the UK.

Matrix80

CD's were always boring to me. I never got the appeal, but I suppose it was much like VHS to DVD. It eliminated all the hassles, and could skip around instantly.

Vinyl seems like it'd be an "experience" in that you're putting on this huge disk, sitting back, and having the visual of it spinning while listening to music. I've also heard it has a warmth to it.

But, like mentioned, you have to really invest in that album. Usually most artists today have 1-2 songs at most on an Album that are played. The rest just for hardcore fans, that will never hit the radio or become popular.

Apollo83

Vinyl Pros:

The selection: Looking along spines, seeing large album covers, the smell of aging card...
The ceremony: Removing the sleeve from the cover, removing the record from the sleeve, centering the record on the spindle, cleaning any dust off it, lowering the tonearm in the correct position, sitting back to listen...
The album experience: Forces you to listen to the whole album as the artist intended - songs you at first dislike may grow on you and maybe eventually become favourites...
The sound: A good system can sound great; musical, engaging, dynamic. But is also imperfect; pops, crackles, inaccuracies.

Vinyl Cons:

The selection: Can't easily move to the tracks you want to hear.
The ceremony: Takes a minute to prepare for listening. Have to get up to change sides.
The album experience: Forced to create 'mix tapes' of your favourites.
The sound: Imperfect: pops, crackles, inaccuracies.

I mostly listen to Vinyl on Sunday mornings with my wife, reading the paper, drinking a coffee, slowing down with a digital-detox...
I mostly listen to CDs during the week and MP3/FLAC when on the move.

As I've got older I've found that the journey can be as important as the destination... building something can be as rewarding as using it... waiting for something as enlightening as receiving it...

I only have about 50 albums including 10 from my parents, 25 from my childhood and 15 more recent.
If I didn't have any albums I would not start collecting. Too expensive, impractical, inferior reproduction (see cons). You'd have to be mad right?

But I do have a record player and records and despite having other sources available I still find myself listening to them, enjoying the whole experience, the journey and the imperfect destination...

However you do it, just make sure you're enjoying the experience.
Happy listening.

dogfonos

I guess you're talking about Tidal HiFi rather than Tidal Premium because the Premium service is only MP3 at 320kbps which wouldn't justify sticking a $10,000  system on the end of it.

If vinyl sounded more accurate to me than digital (CD, SACD, HQ streaming) then I would tolerate the faff that comes with turntable usage. But it doesn't so I don't have to.

Likewise. Could be a good time to sell on turntables because I get the impression the revival/fad/trend is waning, in the UK at least, though I'm sure there will always be a cottage industry producing high-end turntables for the die-hards.

musicphil

Ok, I foolishly sold all my vinyl collection (around 5000) circa 91 together with my perfectly set Linn Sondek Ittock with a AT 9 MC cartridge - basically bought into the hype created by Sony as I could purchase no more vinyl and its dead sonically.
Bought a Pioneer CD player for a small fortune and started to buy 'the best' of CD's because wow they were expensive. A CD disc was between £12 and £15 and a vinyl album back in 90 was around £5. Shockingly CD was more expensive but so much better and indestructible too. Not!
Yes, I regretted listening to the Hifi press selling all my vinyl and  my Linn

So in 2018 I made the decision to come back to vinyl - got myself a lovely deck Walker CJ55 and now rebuying vinyl, ok not much new stuff - unless recorded from original master tapes.
Now I remember back then of not having an issue with clicks and pops - all vinyl was purchased new and cleaned and stored correctly also perhaps QC was very good in manufacture of vinyl.
Buying 2nd hand vinyl even mint copies now has hightlighted those clicks and pops. So I have purchased a Sugarcube SG1 now this is a wonderful machine and my vinyl Sounds nice indeed. Yep click and pop free too.
One thing I have learned about hifi in general is that most of it is snake oil.
A perfectly set up very good quality vinyl system does take some beating.
Yep I still have a CD player and yes I still play the odd CD and USB music in my car. But for serious listening its vinyl. Maybe it's a ritual thing too, you know the feel of the 12" cover, reading the lyrics on the inside sleeve, maybe it is. But the sound of vinyl is special always was and will always will be.

Matrix80

Thank you, that does give some insight. I actually have the "imperfections" as a Pro, in that it's unique to listening to vinyl and part of the experience.

Having no vinyl, that does beg the argument of investment. In just several albums, I can have an unlimited library for the entire year digitally in high-resolution.

Yes you are correct- Tidal HiFi, as well as still on the free Amazon Music HD trial. Luckily it is native to my Marantz, and have been impressed by its sound.

I was looking at the Fluance RT85, just a simple (but good) turntable.

I got roped (or is it robbed?) into snake oil. I paid $150 for my optical cable, zero difference. But I don't want the thread to go down that rabbit hole.

dannnielll

That you enjoy your vinyl is grand.. there are those clucks and pops and cleaning the discs helps reduce them. Then you have the rumble , which it cannot, but you mentally tune it out. Then you have the increased noise floor which you may even enjoy. It can make the experience more real . ..just like petrolheads need the rumble of a big engine. But the signal is more distorted than certainly Hi Res digital.
I get the ritual thing..and it is part of the experience, just like the angler opening the Thermos  for the afternoon tea.

simonblue

I thought i would never go back to Vinyl,i have a very large CD collection,but started again last year and been quite enjoying it,been searching out lot of 2nd copies of old titles i used to own,also brought quite a few new ones,and also still buying CD.
I do regret selling my Vinyl collection all those years ago,but never mine