Exactly. It is simply overrated. Too much hassle, easy to scratch, prone to skipping, no repeat functions, sound is much more muddy compared to digital. CDs and digital maybe lacking a bit of soul but they do sound better and are much easier to handle being cheaper.
Vinyl is extremely overrated
- Thread starter stereoman
- Start date
insider9
Well-known member
My theory is that if it was originally recorded for LP then that's where you get the best sound from. However, digital recording hit in the early 80's so anything after this then digital probably sounds better than its vinyl counterpart, especially remasters, which I won't touch with a barge-pole. Major caveat though, everything is dependent on the master used for the recording, whether that be analogue or digital.
Yes this probably is a wind up...
Yes this probably is a wind up...
insider9
Well-known member
Al ears
Well-known member
daytona600
Well-known member
MeanandGreen
Well-known member
I do think it’s overrated - yet I still enjoy it.
It‘s definitely inferior, but there is something nice about getting an original pressing of something older than I am. Hearing a recording on the format it was originality intended for has a certain appeal.
I’ve only been collecting vinyl for 5 years, so not long really. I do now feel that a stereo component system would somehow seem incomplete without a turntable. I’ve only got an entry level Pro-ject and as far as I can tell it sounds pretty bloody good!
However digital is more accurate, more convenient and - well just better IMO.
It‘s definitely inferior, but there is something nice about getting an original pressing of something older than I am. Hearing a recording on the format it was originality intended for has a certain appeal.
I’ve only been collecting vinyl for 5 years, so not long really. I do now feel that a stereo component system would somehow seem incomplete without a turntable. I’ve only got an entry level Pro-ject and as far as I can tell it sounds pretty bloody good!
However digital is more accurate, more convenient and - well just better IMO.
This is the thing, More to do with Art and the Ritual than the sound itself...
insider9
Well-known member
It's an interesting one. Difference between vinyl and CD is similar to a painting and a photograph. How many hang photographs on the wall? They are definitely better yet most enjoy paintings
chris661
Well-known member
Art is subjective, so is music.
However, there's no argument for objective quality: in order to get the studio mix on to a large black frisbee, you separate out the bass, mix it to mono, and then compress it. Once the audio is reassembled, it goes through a particular EQ curve and then gets cut to disc.
Even if you make the (very large) assumption that the cutting is perfect, there's no avoiding the initial signal processing which actively moves away from the studio mix.
Chris
However, there's no argument for objective quality: in order to get the studio mix on to a large black frisbee, you separate out the bass, mix it to mono, and then compress it. Once the audio is reassembled, it goes through a particular EQ curve and then gets cut to disc.
Even if you make the (very large) assumption that the cutting is perfect, there's no avoiding the initial signal processing which actively moves away from the studio mix.
Chris
Willsmusic
Active member
I have reluctantly come to the same conclusion.
Again.
it is becoming ever cheaper to obtain superior sound from streaming. After a recent purchase of a Nord EasyStream DAC I realise I need to spend around £1k, if not more to get anywhere near what I have from my streamer plus Qobuz. I have put my money into starting a 2nd system instead.
Again.
it is becoming ever cheaper to obtain superior sound from streaming. After a recent purchase of a Nord EasyStream DAC I realise I need to spend around £1k, if not more to get anywhere near what I have from my streamer plus Qobuz. I have put my money into starting a 2nd system instead.
Jimboo
Well-known member
I don't know what superior sound is and I guess it is horses for courses.The standard of the recording is essential. Rubbish in, rubbish out.
I like records,still buy them and compact discs and I stream.There was a reason we dumped records in the past and c.d as I have said before is still (given recording quality) is still the most reliable format. Streaming may change that. My fear is that streaming like movies/TV etc will be owner protected resulting in assorted different sign ups and subscriptions to listen to what you can currently own for life and hear in more than acceptable quality.
I like records,still buy them and compact discs and I stream.There was a reason we dumped records in the past and c.d as I have said before is still (given recording quality) is still the most reliable format. Streaming may change that. My fear is that streaming like movies/TV etc will be owner protected resulting in assorted different sign ups and subscriptions to listen to what you can currently own for life and hear in more than acceptable quality.
Dom
Well-known member
I downloaded some pirated music to listen to the quality. 320Kbs. Sounded very different to Qobuz or even Internet radio. I think it sucks. I think paid for services are the way to go. However, finding rare not available music is cool.
gasolin
Well-known member
Dom
Well-known member
Ash Telecaster
Active member
I have 2 thoughts to share on this subject.
First is that initially recordings made to sound good on a turn table failed to translate well to digital. However, those issues have been overcome and a lot of those early translations have been remastered and are excellent now. I remember the first recordings I listened to with my first CD player were Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles Sgt Pepper, and Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. I was sorely disappointed. They didn't sound right at all. The recordings I have now sound spectacular and digital has become the truly superior platform it was intended to be.
Something has been lost in the migration to digital. That is the physical interaction with the HiFi and media. With records you have a jacket which is an integral part of the art. You have to handle a record. You have to interact with the turntable. It takes a certain amount of effort and intent to listen to a recording. So records are still cool. pops, scratches, wow and flutter and imperfections and all. Especially for those who have learned to love them.
First is that initially recordings made to sound good on a turn table failed to translate well to digital. However, those issues have been overcome and a lot of those early translations have been remastered and are excellent now. I remember the first recordings I listened to with my first CD player were Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles Sgt Pepper, and Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon. I was sorely disappointed. They didn't sound right at all. The recordings I have now sound spectacular and digital has become the truly superior platform it was intended to be.
Something has been lost in the migration to digital. That is the physical interaction with the HiFi and media. With records you have a jacket which is an integral part of the art. You have to handle a record. You have to interact with the turntable. It takes a certain amount of effort and intent to listen to a recording. So records are still cool. pops, scratches, wow and flutter and imperfections and all. Especially for those who have learned to love them.
iMark
Well-known member
I think it depends if you were around when the switch was made from LPs to CDs. I was much like my father that we both hated scratches, pops and crackle when listening to records. The worst thing about LPs was that they would get a little bit worse over time. My father never understood that a brand new record could have pop after a week. Unfortunately he passed away before the CD arrived. He would have loved them.
The funny thing is that I still have all his old records with all their imperfections. It turns out that I now play them on the best record player with the best cartridge stylus I've ever had and his old records from the 1960s and 1970s sound better than ever. However, the same music on well mastered CD sounds even better because I can simply listen to the music and don't hear the surface noise, pops, scratches and wow and flutter.
The only exception are the horrible sounding CDs since the loudness wars. Many of them are unlistenable and the LP counterpart is much better mastered. I have some digital transfers of LPs that sound way better than the CDs.
The funny thing is that I still have all his old records with all their imperfections. It turns out that I now play them on the best record player with the best cartridge stylus I've ever had and his old records from the 1960s and 1970s sound better than ever. However, the same music on well mastered CD sounds even better because I can simply listen to the music and don't hear the surface noise, pops, scratches and wow and flutter.
The only exception are the horrible sounding CDs since the loudness wars. Many of them are unlistenable and the LP counterpart is much better mastered. I have some digital transfers of LPs that sound way better than the CDs.
Leon Martin
Well-known member
My brother in law recently bought a turntable and when I mentioned my streamer the conversation soon came to this. I haven't bought any vinyl since the late seventies but still have my original collection of Bowie, Roxy Music and Velvet Underground LP's. Intrigued, I dug them out and was keen to hear those old familiar songs from an old familiar format. But.... it was those pops and crackles that I had forgotten about in the intervening years that ultimately left me deflated.
davidf
Well-known member
Pops and crackles are usually caused by poor maintenance or a relatively budget deck/cart, or combination of both. I have vinyl from the 80s without clicks or pops.
Romulus
Well-known member
You must be the rare kind, I don't think I ever heard a turntable whether mine or someone else's which at some point did not pop or crackle...!
MeanandGreen
Well-known member
Indeed! Cost of the gear has nothing to do with a mechanical format being affected by microscopic dust particles.
If anything the better the equipment the more susceptible it should be, otherwise how does it dig out the detail in the grooves of the record?
knaithrover
Well-known member
You're right saying that this is like comparing apple to oranges. Records have definitely magic and sound overall warmer. I meant more handling issues with records, TTs and exorbitant prices...They do give great Art format and sound on its own, I like them anyway - though I'm pretty glad we have CDs and digital...and out of these 3 I am still the biggest CD fan.
Pokey
Well-known member
Imho there's much more to a medium than just measurable sound quality. Personally, I usually listen to digital music, but I simply love the experience of playing records when some friends are over. Some of them like to bring their own LPs to listen to, and it usually starts some conversation about music whenever it's about time to change the record. MUCH better than the usual Spotify experience where everyone wants to put some weird songs in an endless waitlist.
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