Question What Format ?

[Jasonovich]

I'm pretty format agnostic, as I've stated previously, but a range of considerations is shaping the future for my listening.

I have a very decent turntable (Rega P3 with Neo PSU and Ortofon 2mr Red), but I'm currently trialling being without it. It's safely tucked away in case I feel the urge to restore it to my system, but if I go for long enough without feeling that urge, I'm going to bail. I feel nostalgic about vinyl, and it can sound very good, but it comes with a constant temptation to tweak, ongoing wear and tear on both hardware and software, maintenance requirements, storage space, and particular positioning demands for the system. It also requires additional boxes or being restricted to an integrated amplifier with a good phono stage inbuilt, and then there's the prices and very patchy quality of both new and used vinyl. I grew up playing vinyl, but I was a teenager in the 90s and embraced CD wholeheartedly, amassing a huge collection over nearly 30 years. I've had quite a number of turntables of varying quality (inc. Thorens TD150MkII, Michell TecnoDec, Rega RP3, Technics SL1210 MkV, Project The Classic, AT LPW-50B...) but most of the time they have seen little use, except when I get a need for the dopamine hit it can bring. If I can leave vinyl behind once and for all, I can reduce the footprint of my system, have the quality where I most use it and just get on with enjoying the music. It's easy to get sucked into all the conversations and photos posted on Facebook groups and the like, but most of them don't represent reality for most people.

My biggest nostalgia is for CD, and it's by far the bulk of my physical music library. It's far more practical for classical music than vinyl, and it's most often as enjoyable for the other music I enjoy. I am now at the point at which I no longer have space to significantly grow my circa 4k-strong collection, but that's more music than I'll ever get through again.

Then there's streaming. I work for a company which runs a dedicated classical and jazz streaming service, and that's integrated with the Eversolo DMP-A6gen2 that I use, and I use Qobuz Studio for everything else. I discover a lot of music this way, and plan to start buying downloads of the albums I most enjoy, which I can then store on the 2TB card I have installed in the streamer. The display on the Eversolo is excellent, and helps to make the whole thing an experience in its own way.

A weird thing happened to me on Sunday, my brother Dave was over at my mums and helping to clear stuff from the summer house in the garden.
He calls me.
I found all your vinyl, we started arguing who owns what.

................Kraftwerk,​

Yes that's mine.​

............Gary Glitter​

No chuck that in the bin​

.............Sparks​

This Town ain't big enough for both of us.​

It sure isn't​

.............Van Morrison​

All mine!​

.............Bowie​

I paid for it, all Bowie albums are mine!!​

..............Miles Davis​

.......................................Ottis Redding​

...........................................................................Led Zeppelin​

​

We were like kids arguing over toys, I knew I paid for most of it. I thought why do I need to start this up again?
Exactly the same sentiments as yours, is it really worth it?
All of those albums apart from Mr Glitter, I have them on my NAS and possibly have thousands and thousands of songs I never listen in my life time.

I told my brother, take it all, I have no need for it. I have to say it was a liberating experience. 🙂

 

[abacus]

A weird thing happened to me on Sunday, my brother Dave was over at my mums and helping to clear stuff from the summer house in the garden.
He calls me.
I found all your vinyl, we started arguing who owns what.

................Kraftwerk,​

Yes that's mine.​

............Gary Glitter​

No chuck that in the bin​

.............Sparks​

This Town ain't big enough for both of us.​

It sure isn't​

.............Van Morrison​

All mine!​

.............Bowie​

I paid for it, all Bowie albums are mine!!​

..............Miles Davis​

.......................................Ottis Redding​

...........................................................................Led Zeppelin​

​

We were like kids arguing over toys, I knew I paid for most of it. I thought why do I need to start this up again?
Exactly the same sentiments as yours, is it really worth it?
All of those albums apart from Mr Glitter, I have them on my NAS and possibly have thousands and thousands of songs I never listen in my life time.

I told my brother, take it all, I have no need for it. I have to say it was a liberating experience. 🙂

You could probably have got quite a bit for that collection, then you really would have been liberated. (You would be surprised just how much some original vinyl is worth)

Bill

 

[Jasonovich]

You could probably have got quite a bit for that collection, then you really would have been liberated. (You would be surprised just how much some original vinyl is worth)

Bill

Yes I did think about it. I left it for my brother to dispose as he sees fit. Small things 🙂

 

[Revolutions]

Even though you made the wrong decision, I'm proud of you @Jasonovich for sticking to your listening principles, not indulging & diving back down the vinyl rabbit hole again 😀

 

[BenWatts]

Depends on criteria.

Sound quality at home?
=> Tidal

Ethics?
=> purchasing directly materials from the artist

Glamourous?
=> Vinyl

 

[Jasonovich]

Even though you made the wrong decision, I'm proud of you @Jasonovich for sticking to your listening principles, not indulging & diving back down the vinyl rabbit hole again 😀

There was a time, in the purest sense, you didn't have a proper HiFi if it didn't include a turntable.
In 1981 CDs challenged that narrative. Today we have high res digital format and that argument doesn't hold water anymore.
I fully understand the ritual, why vinyl continues to attract young people but I don't think it has much to do with sound quality but more to do with social acceptance.
Young people like props that allow them to be elevated among their peers.
Imagine the dining room conversation.

This Japanese diamond cut Asaku 7th edition MC cartridge, not the inferior 8th, brings out the texture, the timbre of the song.

The host only six months ago was espousing the sonic virtues of Apple music but now he's the master connoisseur of anything Hifi.

Ok I hear people scraping the blackboard with their nails. I jest 😉

CDs just don't have the social coolness of vinyl. You take out the black disk from it's flimsy sleeve, you rub your palm against the edges, you've said Oooh Ah...the magic words for the ritual, you stare at it first from the underside, then the top before placing it on the plinth.
You're almost there, you fart and then shake out the fumes from your trousers leg. You are in your zone.

Respect to all those vinyl masochists, but man, way too much fuff for me.
You drink your poison and I'll have mine in equal doses. Enjoy your Hifi there's no right or wrong! 😌

 

[record_spot]

Vinyl, CD, Streaming. All three in more or less equal measure.

 

[Shrek]

I'm pretty format agnostic, as I've stated previously, but a range of considerations is shaping the future for my listening.

I have a very decent turntable (Rega P3 with Neo PSU and Ortofon 2mr Red), but I'm currently trialling being without it. It's safely tucked away in case I feel the urge to restore it to my system, but if I go for long enough without feeling that urge, I'm going to bail. I feel nostalgic about vinyl, and it can sound very good, but it comes with a constant temptation to tweak, ongoing wear and tear on both hardware and software, maintenance requirements, storage space, and particular positioning demands for the system. It also requires additional boxes or being restricted to an integrated amplifier with a good phono stage inbuilt, and then there's the prices and very patchy quality of both new and used vinyl. I grew up playing vinyl, but I was a teenager in the 90s and embraced CD wholeheartedly, amassing a huge collection over nearly 30 years. I've had quite a number of turntables of varying quality (inc. Thorens TD150MkII, Michell TecnoDec, Rega RP3, Technics SL1210 MkV, Project The Classic, AT LPW-50B...) but most of the time they have seen little use, except when I get a need for the dopamine hit it can bring. If I can leave vinyl behind once and for all, I can reduce the footprint of my system, have the quality where I most use it and just get on with enjoying the music. It's easy to get sucked into all the conversations and photos posted on Facebook groups and the like, but most of them don't represent reality for most people.

My biggest nostalgia is for CD, and it's by far the bulk of my physical music library. It's far more practical for classical music than vinyl, and it's most often as enjoyable for the other music I enjoy. I am now at the point at which I no longer have space to significantly grow my circa 4k-strong collection, but that's more music than I'll ever get through again.

Then there's streaming. I work for a company which runs a dedicated classical and jazz streaming service, and that's integrated with the Eversolo DMP-A6gen2 that I use, and I use Qobuz Studio for everything else. I discover a lot of music this way, and plan to start buying downloads of the albums I most enjoy, which I can then store on the 2TB card I have installed in the streamer. The display on the Eversolo is excellent, and helps to make the whole thing an experience in its own way.

I didn't use my turntable for years when CD first arrived still regret selling my Technics years ago. More recently I didn't box it away i was just to lazy to look for the record. one day i decided to put my vinyl in to alphabet order so i can find it .Not looked back since i love the soft sound of vinyl and won't reject any format.Still prefer the joy of physical media ,recordings will always differ in quality on all formats .

that said Streaming is ahead

 

[Shrek]

Even though you made the wrong decision, I'm proud of you @Jasonovich for sticking to your listening principles, not indulging & diving back down the vinyl rabbit hole again 😀

Hell be back 😄

 

[DiggyGun]

100% Streaming, either Jazz24 Radio or Jazz on Qobuz.

DG…

 

[manicm]

I'm not posting this to endorse any one format, and neither is this poster, he gives his thoughts on a specific album, and the video is noteworthy for his observations on this album. He has both elaborate vinyl and digital systems. He compares CD to vinyl to Qobuz stream of the album. But I think he rips the CD in this comparison.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdxGUM8xsRQ

 

[abacus]

Don't forget if you record/rip your vinyl/CDs to a NAS, then they become available to stream as if you were using a streaming service.

Bill