Turntables on highres audio era.

[Frank Harvey]

See, now I've gone back to Jim's post after learning he is a vinyl enthusiast, and was then able to see it as complete sarcasm - read from the point of view of a vinyl enthusiast that is sick of seeing the usual vinyl mud slinging, the intention can be detected...

Now that just illustrates how it could be initially read by someone who is not familiar with the poster, and is sick of seeing the usual vinyl mud slinging!

 

[Jim-W]

See, now I've gone back to Jim's post after learning he is a vinyl enthusiast, and was then able to see it as complete sarcasm - read from the point of view of a vinyl enthusiast that is sick of seeing the usual vinyl mud slinging, the intention can be detected...

Now that just illustrates how it could be initially read by someone who is not familiar with the poster, and is sick of seeing the usual vinyl mud slinging!

Ye, that was my intention, David; the question highlighted 'hires' something or other and the implication was that vinyl wasn't 'hires'. I think we all have enough knowledge to know that with a good cartridge, turntable, amp and speakers, vinyl can be vry 'highres'. Whatever 'highres' is!

Yes, I'm an enthusiast; my house is a museum dedicated to playing records: record players in five rooms. Yes, I'm eccentric!

 

[utomo]

Thanks for the comments and opinion guys.

I think after reading I am more on the Hi Res audio instead of turntables fans.

and I believe the Hires audio have more good future.

Just my2c

 

[thescarletpronster]

I'm afraid my turntable is in its box as I have absolutely zero room and nowhere to put it (any room made usually gets taken up by more new vinyl!), so I have no genuine reason to.

Oh, but I've seen you post lots of soundtrack albums you've been buying, and you said those were your own personal copies...

[confused]

 

[Frank Harvey]

Given that vinyl's origins are rooted in the 1800s, I think it's safe to say that's it's not going away! It has outlasted every analogue format that appeared, and even many digital formats, and is about to see off the Compact Disc ("prefect sound forever"? ).

Some may see it as archaic (we could say the same thing about the loudspeaker), and yes, it's not perfect, so why does it sound so damn good?! It has no right to sound as good as it does, and whenever I closely look at a stylus in a groove and listen to what is coming out off he speakers, it baffles me - lifelike music from a squiggly groove. Given how far back current vinyl technology goes, the digital world really should've produced something by now that renders it irrelevant. But it hasn't.

Maybe with various formats having come and gone over the decades, including the likes of SACD and DVD-A, maybe people are presuming these new formats with their bold claims just aren't going to stick around? Maybe because vinyl has been around since their childhood, they feel safe in the knowledge that it is still here - dependable.

For me to answer utomo's question about what would make me switch (completely) to hi-res audio, I'd have to say audio quality needs to improve to the point that it sounds like the artists and their instruments are there in front of me. I know a lot of people say it about certain systems, including their own, but I mean really there in front me. I don't mean in a 3D sense, I mean more to do with the real impact that instruments produce. I don't know whether something is lost in the recording of instruments, in the mixing mastering stage, in the sound formats they're transferred to, or the equipment we use to listen, but something is missing. Maybe better cables are needed in studios...

Oh, and if vinyl is a nostalgia thing, I'd still be using Betamax and riding my Raleigh Chopper.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm afraid my turntable is in its box as I have absolutely zero room and nowhere to put it (any room made usually gets taken up by more new vinyl!), so I have no genuine reason to.

Oh, but I've seen you post lots of soundtrack albums you've been buying, and you said those were your own personal copies...

[confused]

Yes, I've been buying a lot of vinyl (partly a downside of being an independent record dealer!), and if I buy it with my own money, I'll post up what I've bought in that thread. That reminds me, I need to catch up...

 

[iMark]

Anyone my age will remember the cr*ppy sound systems most people had in the 1970s and 1980s. I remember very bad sounding vinyl on cr*ppy turntables.

The entry level to get a decent HiFi sound from vinyl has always been quite high and expensive. I remember the switch to CDs in 1980s and around 1990 many people that had a stereo had added a CD player to their system and had started buying CDs because everyone was completely fed up with crackles and pops. CDs were much more convenient: you didn't have to get up to change sides, you could get a portable player and later you could rip the CDs to the computer.

I can't remember anyone back in the day complaining about the sound quality of CDs compared to LPs. All I remember is that people were very happy with the convenience of the small discs and the fact that it didn't matter how often you played them they would still sound the same.

I'm not saying that people were wrong in the 1980s but I do know that there was a very good case for CDs over LPs. Especially with the cr*ppy LPs from the early 1980s. Today we can buy terrific sounding vinyl because of low numbers, high prices and better quality vinyl. If the record companies hadn't started messing up the mastering on CDs and they would sound as good as classical CDs noone would even think of buying vinyl. The funny thing is that noone who buys classical music would even consider getting back to vinyl. There are marvellous digital recordings released on CD.

IMHO there are a couple of factors in vinyl getting back some popularity:

- People like the artwork and tangibility of vinyl

- Many popular CDs are very badly mastered

- A bit of hipster hype and at the same time a nostalgia trip for guys in a midlife crisis

- Record players in themselves are a thing of beauty.

I really can't see vinyl getting back to the ubiquitous popularity it had before the arrival of the CD. The format is too cumbersome and not portable. It's great fun if you have the time and money for it.

We can play a wide variety of formats on our system: Vinyl, CD, DVD, SACD, Bluray, Minidisc and CD quality music streamed from the computer. We actually like all of them as long as the music is OK. There is however something surprisingly relaxing about walking to the records and picking out something you want to listen to and settling on the couch with the gatefold sleeve.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I'm not taking issue with anything you've said here, I'm just adding what I think off the back of the points you've raised.

IMHO there are a couple of factors in vinyl getting back some popularity:

- People like the artwork and tangibility of vinyl

Agreed. We do hear quite a few people say they prefer the size of an LP sleeve as you can actually appreciate the artwork, and also read what's on it!

- Many popular CDs are very badly mastered

Most of today's music is digitally recorded. Many would say that means it is more accurately captured, so should need far less work to master for a digital format. Most CDs sound good, if not great, so I can't see that being the issue. I think it is more down to the mixing/production. Although, there are plenty of artists out there whose albums are purposely recorded/mixed/mastered in a particular way, too not sound perfect.

- A bit of hipster hype and at the same time a nostalgia trip for guys in a midlife crisis

We are getting all age groups buying vinyl, even some teenagers. I'm presuming they've heard their parent's or friend's vinyl and have been impressed what what they've heard - I certainly don't think that if vinyl sounded naff, young 'uns would be going out to specifically buy vinyl. As I've said in a previous post, there seems to be a growing number of people with streaming based systems who are buying turntables.

I have a couple of Laserdiscs for nostalgia purposes, including John Carpenter's The Thing, partly because it is one of my favourite movies, and because I like the artwork. I don't play it though, as I have the Bluray which I watch because it is visually far superior.

- Record players in themselves are a thing of beauty.

And generally quite expensive!

I really can't see vinyl getting back to the ubiquitous popularity it had before the arrival of the CD.

Agreed. But we'll have to see where this peaks...

We can play a wide variety of formats on our system: Vinyl, CD, DVD, SACD, Bluray, Minidisc and CD quality music streamed from the computer. We actually like all of them as long as the music is OK. There is however something surprisingly relaxing about walking to the records and picking out something you want to listen to and settling on the couch with the gatefold sleeve.

As opposed to the lazy/convenient version of staying on your backside and choosing music from a tablet or phone. Playing vinyl is helping to keep people fit, and improving their dexterity. And the fact that the format isn't portable, saves lives too

 

[thescarletpronster]

Yes, I've been buying a lot of vinyl (partly a downside of being an independent record dealer!), and if I buy it with my own money, I'll post up what I've bought in that thread. That reminds me, I need to catch up...

That's fair enough. I can't imagine buying something I wasn't going to listen to, but I suppose we're all different!

Have just seen your catch-up post, and I can see that you (and your credit card) have been busy...! Hope you get to listen to them some time soon.

 

[Lost Angeles]

Most of them are probably hippies and weirdos who take drugs and who are so out of it that they wouldn't appreciate the 'highres' digital sound that today's music players would give them.

I smoked a lot of grass, Oh lord I popped a lot of pills. But I never touched nothin' that my spirit could kill.

 

[Jim-W]

Most of them are probably hippies and weirdos who take drugs and who are so out of it that they wouldn't appreciate the 'highres' digital sound that today's music players would give them.

I smoked a lot of grass, Oh lord I popped a lot of pills. But I never touched nothin' that my spirit could kill.

It's far too long since I resurrected Steppenwolf although God knows where the records are. I'll have a hunt round tonight. I still sing 'Born To Be Wild' on my Kwak, although these days I usually sing, 'Born To Be Mild'. Well, it makes me laugh. Thanks, LA.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Have just seen your catch-up post, and I can see that you (and your credit card) have been busy...! Hope you get to listen to them some time soon.

That's actually quite disappointing for a month's work! A list covering that period of time is usually a little longer...

 

[thescarletpronster]

I'll expect better next month, then. [makes note in diary]

 

[relocated]

"I certainly don't think that if vinyl sounded naff, young 'uns would be going out to specifically buy vinyl".

Yoof listen to music on Beats headphones, so they are obviously happy with naff sound.

 

[utomo]

Any data/ prediction when Digital Music will be bigger than CD market ?

 

[iMark]

Any data/ prediction when Digital Music will be bigger than CD market ?

CDs are digital music. *biggrin*