The future of vinyl

[chebby]

Not really, it's just the anti-vinyl brigade trying to demean those who enjoy it.

Why is it always a 'brigade'? Why not a regiment or a cohort?

 

[MeanandGreen]

Ultimately I think this argument is pointless because currently every format has validity, regardless of technical merit.

I want a working turntable simply because my father has some records, classical and otherwise, that were never ever released on CD, others will have different reasons, all valid.

I also have a good reason to keep a cd player and my CDs - e.g. Amazon UK don't even have Hounds Of Love on CD. Luckily I have one, and screw anyone completely that I can just get it on Spotify or Tidal or whatever. I do value my CD collection, I paid good money for them, they may be worthless plastic superficially, but they contain music I treasure, to play and rip as I please.

I'll rip it all someday and pack it in suitcases gathering dust, but I don't think I'll ever dispose of them.

My advice? If you're even fleetingly interested in obtaining an album in any physical format get it right now. Just like Netflix are shedding some shows, you'll never know when and what music Spotify et al will start shedding. You just don't know.

You're right every format currently has a place regardless of technical merit. There are different reasons and occasions in which each has it's place.

I would hate the thought of removing either CD, vinyl or digital storage from my life. I've only had a turntable for a year, but now I've got one I would feel like my Hi Fi wasn't complete without one. All of the formats could easily (and can) co exist as they all have merits. It doesn't matter if one sounds better, or if one is convienient, or one is nostalgic or collectable. We can all use whatever we choose.

CD is a big part of my teenage years and adult life. My most enjoyable time with music has been with the CD. How people can't relate to the importance of them for some of us is beyond me.

Personally I think variety is the spice of life, why should we have to pick one over the other? That's just limiting the whole experience of enjoying recorded music.

Just enjoy them all!

 

[manicm]

I don't think there are many people who are "anti-vinyl".  As Vlad suggests there are people like me who are "anti-nonsense".  I suspect that were buying contemporary "pop" music I might be into vinyl because, as I read on this forum, so much "pop" music is heavily compressed on CD and other digital media and the vinyl versions do not suffer from this.  However, it is a fact that vinyl carries a very heavy price in terms of its inherent weaknesses as a medium.  That may well be a trade-off that is worth making for some people and it is their choice.  There is no such trade-off with "classical" recordings as they generally don't suffer from compression issues and I cannot see any argument for "classical" music lovers using vinyl unless they have a legacy collection, which some do.

Chris

'Anti-nonsense' is a very loose term, and seems to be rolling out old chestnuts again. My wife's young cousin wants to get into valve hifi now. And I'll bet valves will be another fad or 'nonsense' like the vinyl revival.

You can be 'anti-nonsense' all you want but you won't persuade some very rich, foolish, but also otherwise very educated and intelligent people like my wife's cousin.

As I warned Vladimir, be careful to mix intellect and hifi.

Of course people can't always be persuaded.  However, it is IMO worth countering some of the nonsense that is posted.  It is a forum after all and forums are for discussing issues!

Chris

There will be always be snake oil like overpriced cables etc but let's limit this to vinyl, and perhaps tubes/valves. Now apply the term 'anti-nonsense'.

Is vinyl 'nonsense' or not? Same with valve amps? I'm just questioning the value of such terms being thrown around in specific contexts.

 

[steve_1979]

Why is always a 'brigade'? Why not a regiment or a cohort?

'Brigade' sounds more condecending.

 

[Frank Harvey]

There seems to be more queries about turntables on this forum than CD players, and many from new recruits - are you trying to scare off the "fresh meat" because you don't have a high opinion of records? Are you working against the spirit of a forum to just alienate and belittle people, driving them away instead of helping people? Funny how people here don't go onto forums to denegrate people for any other products/manufacturers they don't don't like, only within their own "hobby", like it's theirs to protect. Music isn't dying, real hi-fi is, and it's threads like these where individuals are perpetuating myths and nonsense in order to have a bit of fun. We are all in this together, whether we agree on anything or not.

I bet half of those being negative about vinyl haven't even heard one in years.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Why is it always a 'brigade'? Why not a regiment or a cohort?

No reason.

 

[matt49]

[...] Are you working against the spirit of a forum to just alienate and belittle people, driving them away instead of helping people? [...]

With your talk of most adopters of CD being 'suckered' or 'taken in' or being 'impressionable', you're as guilty of this as anyone.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I also noticed and not sure if it's just me here but because of streaming sites people do not seem to want to buying CDs , vinyl , DVDs , blue rays so much as they use to as they do not want to clutters there house up with a worthless formats when they can just download or stream it that's how I see it . So this all must have an effect on sales of hard formats as well as hi fi sales its just part of progress . And in some respects vinyl is going backwards instead of forwards

 

[MajorFubar]

[...] Are you working against the spirit of a forum to just alienate and belittle people, driving them away instead of helping people? [...]

With your talk of most adopters of CD being 'suckered' or 'taken in' or being 'impressionable', you're as guilty of this as anyone.

+1, Far more anti-CD hatred in this thread IMO. Apparently they're all worthless coasters with no value, which is of absolutely no negative consequence seeing as I don't plan on selling any, and is exactly what I want to hear when I buy them. The best-sounding format is almost immune to degradation and wear and costs pence to buy because collectors aren't interested in it. Wow where's the catch?!

 

[Blacksabbath25]

[...] Are you working against the spirit of a forum to just alienate and belittle people, driving them away instead of helping people? [...]

With your talk of most adopters of CD being 'suckered' or 'taken in' or being 'impressionable', you're as guilty of this as anyone.

+1, Far more anti-CD hatred in this thread IMO. Apparently they're all worthless coasters with no value, which is of absolutely no negative consequence seeing as I don't plan on selling any, and is exactly what I want to hear when I buy them.

I love CDs they are a bloody good format

 

[MeanandGreen]

+1, Far more anti-CD hatred in this thread IMO. Apparently they're all worthless coasters with no value, which is of absolutely no negative consequence seeing as I don't plan on selling any, and is exactly what I want to hear when I buy them. The best-sounding format is almost immune to degradation and wear and costs pence to buy because collectors aren't interested in it. Wow where's the catch?!

+1 to that!

I honestly didn't realise how much CD was hated until I found my self having to justify playing them and collecting them to people in this thread.

 

[MajorFubar]

[...] Are you working against the spirit of a forum to just alienate and belittle people, driving them away instead of helping people? [...]

With your talk of most adopters of CD being 'suckered' or 'taken in' or being 'impressionable', you're as guilty of this as anyone.

+1, Far more anti-CD hatred in this thread IMO. Apparently they're all worthless coasters with no value, which is of absolutely no negative consequence seeing as I don't plan on selling any, and is exactly what I want to hear when I buy them.

I love CDs they are a bloody good format

+1, and I love records too, but I think some people's memories are just a little bit rose-tinted about them.

 

[Vladimir]

Well, David is an employee in a hi-fi and records store so his livelyhood is directly dependant on these matters. His emotional responses clearly show his vested interests against these discussions. However, I appreciate his input considering he is a passionate vinyl aficionado from the original days. And I asure David that none of this matters. We've been had and our walets will be milked dry either way. It's not because they are too smart, but because statistically we are not. Music will not wither away because niche market audiophiles chose different envelope for sending out their disposable incomes. This or that blob of plastic, really it doesn't make a difference. We are having a chat and it's not about sport or politics, which by default pleases me.

 

[knaithrover]

New vinyl is the hifi equivalent of coke - it's God's way of telling you you have too much money

 

[MeanandGreen]

I also noticed and not sure if it's just me here but because of streaming sites people do not seem to want to buying CDs , vinyl , DVDs , blue rays so much as they use to as they do not want to clutters there house up with a worthless formats when they can just download or stream it that's how I see it . So this all must have an effect on sales of hard formats as well as hi fi sales its just part of progress . And in some respects vinyl is going backwards instead of forwards

Yes streaming is having a massive impact on purchased music, it's affecting downloads as well as the physical formats.

The majority of people just prefer to consume their music and films. Once they are bored with it and it's no longer in the top 20 they can move onto the next big release. These people have no interest in collecting or cherishing.

The majority of people now are streaming through a small mono speaker, be it a smart phone or a wireless one. To me this is much more backwards than vinyl or any other physical format. Although yes vinyl is going backwards and there must be a reason for it's increase in popularity.

 

[Vladimir]

The majority of people just prefer to consume their music and films. Once they are bored with it and it's no longer in the top 20 they can move onto the next big release. These people have no interest in collecting or cherishing.

I too consume without collecting and cherishing now. Though I don't follow charts. Recently we posted here a chart of top 100 albums (Beach Boys #1) and I noticed 99% of it I've never listened to, and never will. *unknw*

 

[Frank Harvey]

CDs (ripped to my Zen) comprise most of my listening. I have over 800 CDs, some from CD's launch, right up to now, some of them I've paid £30-40 for due to them being rare. As already mentioned, I will be continuing to buy CDs for a number of reasons.

What I do, say etc etc will have no bearing on what people will and will not buy. I can't talk people into investing in a format they're not interested in, and I don't try to do so. My livelihood isn't dependant on anything/everything that happens here. If it was, I'd be pushing Atmos on everyone - but then most will only see what they want to see.

My "emotional responses" were triggered by some of the baloney that has been posted - apologies, it won't happen again, despite the further baiting that will no doubt continue.

I've said all I need to say in this thread, so I'm going to continue to enjoy my films.

 

[MajorFubar]

The majority of people now are streaming through a small mono speaker, be it a smart phone or a wireless one. To me this is much more backwards than vinyl or any other physical format.

Indeed and the producer-side of me struggles with this immensely. I was asked at work last week by a work colleague if I would play my latest single for him. I refused because the only thing I had to hand was my iphone. Only later did it dawn on me that other than the CD radio in his car, this is his normal method of listening to music.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

I also noticed and not sure if it's just me here but because of streaming sites people do not seem to want to buying CDs , vinyl , DVDs , blue rays so much as they use to as they do not want to clutters there house up with a worthless formats when they can just download or stream it that's how I see it . So this all must have an effect on sales of hard formats as well as hi fi sales its just part of progress . And in some respects vinyl is going backwards instead of forwards

Yes streaming is having a massive impact on purchased music, it's affecting downloads as well as the physical formats.

The majority of people just prefer to consume their music and films. Once they are bored with it and it's no longer in the top 20 they can move onto the next big release. These people have no interest in collecting or cherishing.

The majority of people now are streaming through a small mono speaker, be it a smart phone or a wireless one. To me this is much more backwards than vinyl or any other physical format. Although yes vinyl is going backwards and there must be a reason for it's increase in popularity.

well it's a crying shame that people are like this all this formats that have been talked about give a lots of joy to some people who like collecting the hard formats I like vinyl I like cds that's what this hobby is about the love of music and great Hifi long may it live and it's good for people like David who keeps vinyl going in his efforts and we all are passionate people who care or we would not bother wasting our time on here . Let's all kiss and make up !

 

[MeanandGreen]

I too consume without collecting and cherishing now. Though I don't follow charts. Recently we posted here a chart of top 100 albums (Beach Boys #1) and I noticed 99% of it I've never listened to, and never will. *unknw*

I do appreciate that and there are always exceptions who are in the minority.

I think my point stands for the majority of the people who are using streaming services though. It appeals highly to those who just want to consume the media whilst it's in fashion and then forget it.

I'm not against streaming, again it has it's place. It's a great way to discover stuff. You Tube & Netflix are used regularly by myself. It's not often I like a film enough to buy it and watch again, so the watch it once and move on concept is great for that.

You Tube is just handy for all sorts of stuff. Everything has it's place and I'm all for co existence. I just think it's a shame that the now disposable nature of media is taking over. I think it's because of this that the CD hate has become apparent in this thread. People don't consider the media as special anymore.

 

[MeanandGreen]

The majority of people now are streaming through a small mono speaker, be it a smart phone or a wireless one. To me this is much more backwards than vinyl or any other physical format.

Indeed and the producer-side of me struggles with this immensely. I was asked at work last week by a work colleague if I would play my latest single for him. I refused because the only thing I had to hand was my iphone. Only later did it dawn on me that other than the CD radio in his car, this is his normal method of listening to music.

Yes I find it difficult to understand how people can be happy listening to music like that. I only know 1 person other than myself who actually listens to music in stereo. That is ironically becuse he got into vinyl and bought a TT amp and speakers.

Everyone else I know either uses their phone's inbuilt speaker or a Bluetooth speaker.

I am not trying to come across as a snob, but they are missing out on so much. I couldn't live without good stereo reproduction for my music.

 

[MeanandGreen]

well it's a crying shame that people are like this all this formats that have been talked about give a lots of joy to some people who like collecting the hard formats I like vinyl I like cds that's what this hobby is about the love of music and great Hifi long may it live and it's good for people like David who keeps vinyl going in his efforts and we all are passionate people who care or we would not bother wasting our time on here . Let's all kiss and make up !

I agree it's a shame that the enjoyment of music played on Hi Fi is slowly dying. The good thing to come from the current increase in vinyl popularity is that it will help to keep the Hi Fi components market alive for a while.

I honestly think if things keep going with streaming gaining popularity and the continual decline of physical media Hi Fi will die.

 

[MeanandGreen]

I consider streaming Hi-Fi and vinyl Low-Fi.

I get exactly where you are coming from, but when you consider that the majority of people streaming music are doing so on tablets, phones, Bluetooth speakers there is no need for any Hi Fi component to be in the chain.

If you want to play a record you need a stereo system. With the exception of a Crosley of course.

 

[Vladimir]

I consider streaming Hi-Fi and vinyl Low-Fi.

 

[Vladimir]

Treating vinyl format as high fidelity in 2016 is one of the nonsenses that the 'anti-vinyl brigade' objects to. It's not about taking away one's pleasure of using vinyl, but getting the facts straight.

Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.