Would I miss vinyl?

[CJSF]

I am so glad I have read this post/thread.

I have found that there are other people who love turntables but can't be bothered with the vinyl. There is something special about the love and care and reverence that you give vinyl and holding the cover will always be a hugely better experience than picking out the info leaflet in a cd case. BUT

The clicks and pops and general background noise just does my head in and it has done for years.

True the early cdp were not the best and the early transfer of material to cd was at times horrendous but cd now, especially remastered material, beats vinyl as a listening experience. I have not done downloads and rips so can't comment.

I would never sell or chuck my vinyl but I probably will never listen again despite there being a turntable on my equipment rack. In fact I haven't 'vinyled' for 15 years and I definately don't miss it.

Something I discovered many years ago, setting up a vinyl system properly, had the benefit of keeping the cracks and pops within the confines of the speaker, the music lives as a sound stage, the speakers retain the 'frying pan'. This localised and divorced surface noise I can cope with, its not part of the performance. The other thing of course is to keep the records as clean as possible.

CJSF

 

[Martinblueboy]

My first post to this forum!

I think one of the other things that I love about vinyl that (I don't think) has been mentioned yet is the artwork and packaging of particularly old vinyl albums. Just think of the artwork that went with some of the great rock albums of the 70's - for those of us old enough to remember. I immediately think of all the greatr artwork on the Yes albums, or my particular favourite band, Hawkwind. Warrior on the Edge of Time, Space Ritual and In Search of Space immediately spring to mind. Of course there were the great covers by SDtorm Thorgerson for the Floyd and Hypnosis I spent hours, and still do, looking at the covers and lyrics. Even for cd's it's often difficult to read lyrics and the artwotrk can be so small as to make it hardly worthwhile in some cases. You lose something tangible (imo) when you go from a cd/vinyl to digital files. I'd miss these things tremedously.

 

[respe]

I would, and did for a short while miss vinyl. I use a reasonable CDP, and with the right CD can get very near vinyl, I also have a streaming system set up in the office. The streaming system is great from a ease of use point of view, a few mouse clicks and you have a days worth of music lined up, great when your working. CD is good when you want to listen, and enjoy the music, and maybe do something else, read, caht, whatever. However I find that when I want to LISTEN, nothing beats the tactile enjoyment of selection the LP, placing it on the deck, sitting back and enjoying. I will buy LP's as long as they are available, as well as CD's, both for the CDP, and to rip to the network system.

The one thing that does bother me longer term, is as CD sales die, and download becomes the norm, how long will it be before you can not buy your musical choice, just rent it. I am fairly sure that the music industry would love to move us all to pay per play.

 

[CJSF]

The one thing that does bother me longer term, is as CD sales die, and download becomes the norm, how long will it be before you can not buy your musical choice, just rent it. I am fairly sure that the music industry would love to move us all to pay per play.

Thats 'Big Brother' . . . its coming . . . Mr Orwell said it would:? I'm old enough for it not to worry me and I have enough CDs and vinyl to get by with? But in the meantime, I will keep serching the charity shops.

CJSF

 

[plastic penguin]

I'm interested in hearing from those people who have finally given up on vinyl. Do you miss it?

I ask the question because my turntable is proving to be an expensive dust ornament. I'm hardly using it. Instead I'm finding that I'm streaming a lot of my music ripped in FLAC from my CDs. When I'm not listening this way, I'm either using CD, internet radio, or trying out something new through Spotify.

I've already decided the Marantz will probably be my last CD player, although I'll continue to buy CDs while they are still available as I'd rather rip to FLAC and have the original discs there for back-up and the booklet/artwork.

Is it finally time to say goodbye to vinyl?

I would say 'NO'.

We've known each other on here for a long time - please don't take this wrong - but 2 or 3 months time you're going to start hankering after the old frisbees.

I've always maintained that vinyl is no better or worse than other formats... but different. Moreover, there's a drama and excitement to vinyl you can't replicate anywhere else - covers, sleeves etc etc. Yes they are dust traps, scratch easily and they take up a lot of room, but that's what makes it sooooo special IMO. The whole package.

 

[SteveR750]

If the world had more like you CJ then it would indeed be a happier, more pleasant place to inhabit. May the perceived nuttiness as you call it continue.

 

[nads]

The record player is the only disc spinner I have now. CDP went. Multi disc player went. Still have a BDP and HD DVD spnners. Music is ripped and archived for streaming. And some of the black stuff is bought monthly.

 

[nads]

Meh

 

[tino]

I gave up on vinyl about 2 weeks ago. I sold my Linn Axis after it had lain dormant for the best part of 10 years on the hifi rack. In the same way I don't miss changing the oil on my car every 6000 miles I won't miss it. However in the weeks preceeding departure, I ripped my vinyl to FLAC, and during that process I rediscovered in fairly concentrated doses, the pleasure and pain of having a turntable. Rediscovering older music, the mechanical engagement of the record playing process and the machine itself as a functional tool and objet d'art were all gratifying experiences. Listening to surface noise, clicks and pops, the sensitivity of the turntable to outside influences, the disproportionate amount of time you have to spend selecting/cleaning/cueing/putting back the record, and the difficulty in format shifting were major downsides. The increasing cost of new 'quality' vinyl and the of maintenance of the turntable are major turnoffs for me as well. I think the quality of digital music is good enough for me, and if I want to inject a more "organic" timbre to my music, I'll do it post source with something like a valve amp. I'll miss the machine itself, it looked the part, but I reckon I could find a replacement in the shape of eiher of the following digital players
I gave up on vinyl about 2 weeks ago. I sold my Linn Axis after it had lain dormant for the best part of 10 years on the hifi rack. In the same way I don't miss changing the oil on my car every 6000 miles I won't lament no longer having a turntable. However in the weeks preceeding departure, I ripped my vinyl to FLAC, and during that process I rediscovered in fairly concentrated doses, the pleasure and pain of having a record player. Rediscovering older music, the mechanical engagement of the record playing process and the machine itself as a functional tool and objet d'art were all gratifying experiences. Listening to surface noise, clicks and pops, the sensitivity of the turntable to outside influences, the disproportionate amount of time you have to spend selecting/cleaning/cueing/putting back the record, and the difficulty in format shifting were major downsides. The high cost of new 'quality' vinyl and the maintenance of the turntable are big turn-offs as well. I think the quality of digital music is good enough for me, and if I want to inject a more "organic" timbre to my music, I'll find it post source with something like a valve amp. In one respect I might miss the presence of the turntable itself, it certainly looked the part, but I reckon I could find a replacement (with the help of a lottery win) in the shape of either of the following digital players

 

[edplaysdrums42]

I've recently got back into vinyl in the last year and i love it! I still use CD's and stream from my mac (files, Spotify and internet radio etc) but you cant beat vinyl for the sound especially with headphones on (IMO). Having a turntable for me makes the whole hobby of hifi much more interesting.

Ed

 

[Roby]

I' listening to some vinyl's now an personaly, I think if I would'nt have vinyl records I would not miss it. But now I do. An to be completly honest when you say it takes time it's true. When I am in a hurry I put a cd, radio or I pod on. But when I have a few minutes shure I chose vinyl for example I have a lot of cd's that I also have on vinyl an when I can chose I take the vinyl. (exept for some new recorded crap vinyl's who sound....but that is a complete other discussion). So my guess is you will not miss it in the beginning but in time...

I know at this momment if I have to give it up I would miss it like hell (even if I know I would gain a lot of space in the house)

 

[Andrew17321]

What I cannot do without is live music. If I am away from it for more than a month I pine for it.

Vinyl, CD, digital - all pretty good, but not real substitutes for the live experience.

Andrew

 

[chris hollands]

I had a Gyro for years, spent a fortune on the set up, phono stages, arms, cartridges,some times wish i had the simplicity of a CDP.

Loved the process of changing the vinyl, the artwork,

of course , it also looked great on the sideboard , friends were mesmerised by it, and of course it sounded great.

however,

I could never quite get it set up to optimum, it was a pain after 2-3 tracks having to change sides ,and it would really cheese me of when the vinyl i wanted to buy ( when it was available ) cost about 3 times more than a CD !

I then discovered how desireable it was on flea-bay, mine was mint and i made a small fortune selling a chunk of it, you would not believe what people will pay for mint condition vinyl !!

I must be honest, i dont miss it at all, but then i am more into home cinema now.

If i ever won the Lottery i would spend a fortune on a top of the range hi fi , and the turntable would be the centre of attention, untill then.....

 

[gbhsi1]

You'll only miss it when it's gone. If I got rid of my vinyl I would miss it I actually hardly play my CDs but if I got rid of it, I would miss it!

 

[CJSF]

I had an 'all vinyl' Horlicks hour last night, it was one of those night where the music washed over like a 'warm sea' . . . "that does not happen with CD" said Hazel, she and the dog beside me on the sofa, both cuddling close . . . its really nice to have my loved ones close, enjoying the simple pleasures in life with me.

. . . I think I would get a lot of flak from Hazel if I proposed outing the TT/vinyl, not that I intend to!

CJSF

 

[El Hefe]

Just to answer the question... Yes you will miss it.

I am new to vinyl....but I can easily understand why people love them....so ...Yes you will mis it..

 

[tino]

Just to answer the question... Yes you will miss it.

Oh no I won't ... 3 weeks in and no withdrawal symptoms.