Ditch vinyl and reduce box count?

[Rui]

I knocked vinyl on the head a few years back. I had about 400 LPs and a decent mid range ProJect deck but very rarely played them. The price of new LPs was becoming too prohibitive and the price of CDs (new and old) was falling . I was also looking at freeing up room in the lounge where all my gear was set up, so I bit the bullet and flogged off the lot apart from my amp, cdp, squeezebox,and speakers. Over the years I've ripped my CD collection and I've got about 1500 albums on a NAS tucked away in the other room. Since then I've reduced the box count to the bare minimum with the purchase of a Cyrus Lyric.

Everyone's got their own opinion but I don't miss vinyl one bit, still play as much music as I ever have done, and most importantly still enjoy it just as much.

just want to refer that the only Project turntable i heard and it´s good as my old pioneers ,technics and thorens from the 70´s, (the thorens i bought in 82 but already had a professional one from 1970), was a 14.000€ turntable including the cartridge and stylus ,others are worse than the cheapest technics from the 80´s, they lie about specifications and are most of them made of plastic, it´s a scheme

 

[FMIB]

mainly ,the reason why i get adicted to the streaming using spotify , it was easier ,when arriving home from work i just conected the computer and could listen to any song or search for others that i didn´t had the vinil or cd version normally only recorded in cassette wich sounded great but i only wanted to rest in my couch and listen to music it was my main source of music but some music wasn´t good in digital and again i started to buy new records , i didn´t bought records(vinil) since 93, but when listening to music by streaming i would notice that some frequencies were not that good as output sound . digital sound when converted from old records ,or as an example ,the "nevermind" from Nirvana the mid frequencies or the guitars sounded so bad to me that having old sub-pop versions of some new re-recorded songs, i thought the problem was the production style and had started to buy more cds ,had just bought a new improved cd player, having an old pioneer the pd-7300 ,also in my city no longer were sold LP records ,my surprise when listening to LP´s that i had in vinil this with na 1974 pioneer turntable , also using a ES series from sony component system with some huge cerwin-vegas i noticed that the records were much better sounding than their new cd version, some i never listened to them after, the guitars sound on cd was really bad compared to their vinil versions, only in 2014 i listened to a friends vinil version of Nevermind and it sounded like those old sub-pop records ,being the problem the source not the production of the record that was talked a lot at the time by bands like sonic youth that complained having not sold many records because they didn´t had a good producer ,having changed a lot their way of playing music , when produced by the same producer ,it was their most sold album, but "dirty" sounded good in cd ,not all cds were bad ,i have more than a thousand cds or much more(i never counted them). If i count the recorded ones they are more than a thousand, but i had already a good vinil collection that with my fathers records are around 5 thousand, this to say that i thought that i never would buy records again but again but i started to buy them, this the ones i noticed they sounded better in vinil normally rock music Lp´s, also noticed that some new records came with very low noise from being dirty ,also noticed that they get noise faster than my older Lp´s having them side by side there was no reason for a 84 Lp sounded perfect while the new record with 2 years had more noise caused by dust , humidity or both(almost non existing where i live)but not all are bad ,this was caused by me starting to hear music by streaming on spotify, also started to buy more cds (in second hand), also have two Iomega hard disk drive of 500Mb and 1 TB ,filled with digital music of several types . Space to me is not a problem , but by listening to music on a streaming service i started again to buy cds and records, just because i like to listen to good sound not average or bad.

I would suggest a change to an alternative streaming music supplier such as Tidal, ensuring you subscribe to min HiFi package.
No question both CD's and Vinyl sound significantly better than Spotify, which in my opinion is best for car stereo or phone listening since there is no "CD' quality yet on offer.
One thing I can say, is almost none of the current vinyl records I have purchased sound as good as the vinyl I still have from the 70's.

 

[Gonepostal]

mainly ,the reason why i get adicted to the streaming using spotify , it was easier ,when arriving home from work i just conected the computer and could listen to any song or search for others that i didn´t had the vinil or cd version normally only recorded in cassette wich sounded great but i only wanted to rest in my couch and listen to music it was my main source of music but some music wasn´t good in digital and again i started to buy new records , i didn´t bought records(vinil) since 93, but when listening to music by streaming i would notice that some frequencies were not that good as output sound . digital sound when converted from old records ,or as an example ,the "nevermind" from Nirvana the mid frequencies or the guitars sounded so bad to me that having old sub-pop versions of some new re-recorded songs, i thought the problem was the production style and had started to buy more cds ,had just bought a new improved cd player, having an old pioneer the pd-7300 ,also in my city no longer were sold LP records ,my surprise when listening to LP´s that i had in vinil this with na 1974 pioneer turntable , also using a ES series from sony component system with some huge cerwin-vegas i noticed that the records were much better sounding than their new cd version, some i never listened to them after, the guitars sound on cd was really bad compared to their vinil versions, only in 2014 i listened to a friends vinil version of Nevermind and it sounded like those old sub-pop records ,being the problem the source not the production of the record that was talked a lot at the time by bands like sonic youth that complained having not sold many records because they didn´t had a good producer ,having changed a lot their way of playing music , when produced by the same producer ,it was their most sold album, but "dirty" sounded good in cd ,not all cds were bad ,i have more than a thousand cds or much more(i never counted them). If i count the recorded ones they are more than a thousand, but i had already a good vinil collection that with my fathers records are around 5 thousand, this to say that i thought that i never would buy records again but again but i started to buy them, this the ones i noticed they sounded better in vinil normally rock music Lp´s, also noticed that some new records came with very low noise from being dirty ,also noticed that they get noise faster than my older Lp´s having them side by side there was no reason for a 84 Lp sounded perfect while the new record with 2 years had more noise caused by dust , humidity or both(almost non existing where i live)but not all are bad ,this was caused by me starting to hear music by streaming on spotify, also started to buy more cds (in second hand), also have two Iomega hard disk drive of 500Mb and 1 TB ,filled with digital music of several types . Space to me is not a problem , but by listening to music on a streaming service i started again to buy cds and records, just because i like to listen to good sound not average or bad.

Hi, just wanted to ask if you could use paragraphs next time. I find it hard to read a post like this ....thanks

 

[matthewpianist]

I would suggest a change to an alternative streaming music supplier such as Tidal, ensuring you subscribe to min HiFi package.
No question both CD's and Vinyl sound significantly better than Spotify, which in my opinion is best for car stereo or phone listening since there is no "CD' quality yet on offer.
One thing I can say, is almost none of the current vinyl records I have purchased sound as good as the vinyl I still have from the 70's.

I've had some very poor modern pressings, and quite a few new LPs that were badly warped as well. Quality control isn't great and even if it was, many new LPs are simply analogue pressings of modern digital remastering and they don't sound as good as the original releases.

 

[Al ears]

Hi, just wanted to ask if you could use paragraphs next time. I find it hard to read a post like this ....thanks

it's been asked before.... It would appear Google Translate doesn't do layout very well

 

[Rui]

it's been asked before.... It would appear Google Translate doesn't do layout very well

doesn´t translate at all diferent languages from diferent sources or types ,more close to french , english it´s bad to translate on google, i talk english but to writte correctelly, the grammar is bad. I´m trying to improve it

 

[Rui]

I would suggest a change to an alternative streaming music supplier such as Tidal, ensuring you subscribe to min HiFi package.
No question both CD's and Vinyl sound significantly better than Spotify, which in my opinion is best for car stereo or phone listening since there is no "CD' quality yet on offer.
One thing I can say, is almost none of the current vinyl records I have purchased sound as good as the vinyl I still have from the 70's.

tidal was better but more expensive and less titles. vinil records are really bad today, if released by EMI or VIRGIN they are good but others can be good but often bad , any record from the 70´s sounds much better, but till 1993 i still have good records, it seems that they don´t use products that were to protect from static also dirt or any quality control done. Spotify sounds like a cassette recorded on a good cheap deck. It´s like you said , portable also to listen to music without minimum effort

 

[nads]

I just use Spotify to pre listen then I go and buy music.

might be cheaper to borrow music on a streaming site but I have a vinyl problem.

 

[matthewpianist]

I just use Spotify to pre listen then I go and buy music.

might be cheaper to borrow music on a streaming site but I have a vinyl problem.

This is essentially what I do, but with TIDAL and my problem is CD. Overall I just prefer it as a format and I have far more of them.

 

[DIB]

Having owned both floorstanders and standmounts, it's irrelevant when it comes to space saving. Once you add stands they roughly take up the same amount of room. The only real solution is to fix speakers to dedicated wall brackets.

Also I think metal stands look 'orrible, that's why after the festive period I'll look at wooden alternatives.

My downsizing from TB2s to Dalis is mainly due the cabinet height and width has been reduced - those PMCs are chunky monitors, but in reality there's little physical difference when it comes to space saving.

I concur with regards to the space saving. I've got a pair of Spendor A5r floorstanders and their footprint is considerably less than the stands and standmounts that they replaced. Also they look 100% better , and my wife actually likes them as they fit the decor.

 

[plastic penguin]

I concur with regards to the space saving. I've got a pair of Spendor A5r floorstanders and their footprint is considerably less than the stands and standmounts that they replaced. Also they look 100% better , and my wife actually likes them as they fit the decor.

Oh yeah, floorstanders aesthetically look much better. Metal stands look an eyesore.

 

[matthewpianist]

I'm sticking with vinyl for now and have retrieved my Project 'The Classic' from Dad - the Rega is good, but the Project is better. I've upgraded the stylus to the 2m Blue, and I'm awaiting a Project Wall Mount-it shelf.

My system has quickly regenerated to the one in my signature. I didn't end up with floor standers in the end. They have their advantages but my experience suggests that you really do need to spend more on floor standers to get the best of what they offer. The little JBL 52L Classic were a left field choice for me, but they're very special sounding and marry up with the Leak CDT/Stereo 130 perfectly. The Grado SR225x also sound wonderful with the Leak's built-in headphone amp, so no need for an external.

It's all very Neo-vintage and I love how it looks as well as being content with the sound. I need to stick now, and I don't think that's going to be hard!

 

[Pedro2]

I would suggest a change to an alternative streaming music supplier such as Tidal, ensuring you subscribe to min HiFi package.
No question both CD's and Vinyl sound significantly better than Spotify, which in my opinion is best for car stereo or phone listening since there is no "CD' quality yet on offer.
One thing I can say, is almost none of the current vinyl records I have purchased sound as good as the vinyl I still have from the 70's.

I beg to differ. Spotify Connect on a quality streamer/DAC can sound better than ok. Overall, Tidal etc and CD can have the edge, but how it’s handled by the kit is crucially important.

 

[FMIB]

I also beg to differ.
Quality streamer and DAC(which I have) or not, on any decent hifi system the difference between Spotify and Tidal etc is clear. Until Spotify offer "HiFi' quality streaming, there is no argument.

 

[matthewpianist]

I've switched from Tidal to Qobuz. The sound quality is equal, and I find the Qobuz UI suits my wide-ranging tastes better.

 

[JDL]

Space is increasingly becoming an issue, and this has been one of the factors in me switching back to using the more compact Rega CD and amp, and also the Bluesound streamer. I've already ditched my bulky Atacama hi-fi stand, but having a turntable significantly adds bulk to my system and increases placement demands. I have around 300 LPs which also take up a lot of space. I don't think hi-fi needs to dominate a room to sound great these days, and if it doesn't it is easier to focus on the music.

Part of me would love to leave physical media behind altogether, but I do enjoy the tactile side of using CD and vinyl, and I find liner notes extremely useful. My CD collection is huge (around 4,000 discs, including some large classical box sets dedicated to musicians including Bernstein, Brendel, Gould, Perahia, Solti and Menuhin), and I'm not going to move away from that.

I'm starting to consider ditching vinyl. I can't afford the prices being charged for new or decent secondhand LPs anymore, and it's become my least used source. Using either the Rega/Cyrus gear, or switching to the Marantz MCR612 or Technics SA-C600 with the Focal or a pair of Dali Oberon 5s would give me everything I need in terms of functionality, and would also be very compact and room friendly. Despite my experience, I'm interested in hearing your views on whether I'd miss much....

I think I agree with you on ditching the the old LPs and keeping the CDs. I think that so long as you have the right CD player, there's no question that nothing can rival the sound quality of CDs in my view and because you have a large and carefully chosen collection of them you surely have to keep them.
Personally I am extremely particular about who's version of a particular piece of music I choose to listen to. Whether it be my preference for the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's 1980s recordings of Rachmaninoff with Ashkenazy conducting, or the famous 1963 recordings of Beethoven's 9 Symphonies with Herbert Von Karajan conducting, for me it's easier to satisfy my critical tastes via CDs. Moreover, I find it quite fun when I discover something from a suggestion or on YouTube and then seek it out on CD. I've found the CDs I want all over the place and come across some excellent purchases at very good prices.

 

[Moonfanatic]

I know this will ruffle a few feathers, but modern formats, CD included, sound better than vinyl. Fact. Vinyl belongs with all the other soft, low res media, in the 70s and people need to take off their rose tinted vinyl glasses and stop being so nostalgic. Modern recording studio kit, requires better quality playback methods, with CD coming closer to the recording, than LPs, or cassettes, could ever dream of. High res streaming devices are just about the same quality as the original data, dumped on a digital recorder, in a fancy studio.

I agree. Vinyl is an ancient technology now, and it has severe limitations, inherent in how it is mastered (although vinyl junkies love that due to the warmth it introduces!) and the compromises it has. Not only that, it’s inherently noisy, and even the best turntable in the world cannot compete with a good digital system in terms of the noise floor. You don’t understand what an issue noise is until you hear a system with a total lack of it. Nobody would invent vinyl nowadays if you were designing a music format, it’s utterly nuts given the engineering challenges it presents.

That all said, I totally get the nostalgia and the interactive nature of it, I used to be one of those people. But I realised that enjoying the music didn’t need to involve a ritual either so I ditched my vinyl and went 100% to a high quality digital system. I can stream, play CDs and I have a Melco for ripped CDs and downloads. Best decision I ever made. I now have a lot more albums and I don’t have a storage issue either.