HERE'S WHAT I THINK
Vinyl is better than digital
Human ears are analog. Digital is harsh and unpleasant, while vinyl is warm and sweet.
YOUR TURN!
Vinyl is better than digital
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes, you're right!
snaz says:
Hey monkeybrain! It's an Apples to Oranges comparison, but in the purist sense I agree. Here's my take on this:
Listening to vinyl recordings involves pure analog signals. A-A-A. Starting with the musical instruments or vocal cords to the microphone continuing all the way to the loudspeakers and eardrums.
Digital Audio goes through 2 conversion processes. 1st A/D conversion during the recording, mixing and duplication process. Then has to be returned to analog (D/A conversion) during playback for amplification and listening.
Sound is a complex, sinusoidal, analog wave. Digital audio is merely an accurate "rendering" of this complex waveform.
An excellent analogy is: Vinyl (analog) is to vector graphics (smooth lines, fonts), as digital (CD) is to the pixelation of a jpg or bitmap graphic.
Non vinyl fans should seek out a HI-END Audio demo. Hear what a properly handled LP really sounds, and doesn't, sound like.
Posted March 15, 2008
Steve says:
I agree, provided your record player is one of the quality designed for sound products. Most Japanese decks are of poor design hense the reason they now push digital CD's, etc.
I compared some albums on CD and the same on vinyl and found the record was much more like being there live. The CD was without background noise, but just like Dolby on tapes, sounded artificial.
Posted February 29, 2008
catchquests says:
i think those that still have, and still use vinyl when most are switching to digital are cool. :)
Posted February 28, 2008
Mark says:
It depends on what you value as better. Putting the needle on the record is an "experience". You have to handle the record with care, clean it, treasure it. If you value that experience it's much better. If you like the hassle free experience of digital (CD, mp3), digital is better. If music is your experience of choice, vinyl beats digital (sometimes). The reason is simple. Digital is limited to 44.1 Khz range (just about hearing range 20 Hz - 20 Khz). Records don't have this limitation and even though you can't hear it as such, inaudible frequencies will change the entire "palette" of the sound. Two conditions though: 1. you need to have the equipment to actually be able hear it 2. the recording needs to be great (which is now usually not the case). Most recordings are 48 Khz (up to 192 Khz), though usually the mastering is still done at 44.1). I like the fuss that goes into playing a record. It makes the music more special.
Posted February 19, 2008
says:
I don't know. But, I like your head...it looks warm and sweet.Not harsh and unpleasant like Trump's.
Posted February 18, 2008
blondeheroine says:
I loved the old vinyl photo disks. There's nothing like them. While I agree that digital has the best clarity, there is something about the sound produced from a vinyl record. It doesn't sound as "processed." There's a feeling that comes with it that an .mp3 can't replicate. Vinyl also gives a history of the owner. The scratches, the bumps - all of it - show how much that particular record has been loved or unloved. Perhaps I'm just overly nostalgic, but I have to go with vinyl.
Posted February 15, 2008
AnglerUniversity says:
When my 17 yr old son asked for a turntable for Christmas, I knew something was afoot. So, as I gave away all my old albums - I went to friends and asked if they were willing to seperate themselves from some of their old discs - and luckily they were more than willing.
We now have a burgeoning collection. We visit record shops (Hello Bull Moose! Portsmouth, NH) and even record from vinyl to digital - which crazily records all of the pops and hiss! Then listen on our iPods.
We love it, we found a common bond - and even listen to a lot of the classic rock that I grew up with!!! A great thing for us - and I would imagine many other parents!
Posted February 15, 2008
Timewarp says:
Vinyl is a real piece of history in your hand, digital is a cheap copy!
Posted February 14, 2008
appealmedia says:
Its the tangibility and process of using Vinyl which is so wonderful and nostalgic! Much like the process of the Japanese Tea ceremony is about the process, not the ends in of itself.Digital is fast, yet it is cold.
Posted February 13, 2008
BrianT says:
Couldn't be more right on.
Unfortunately the expense of vinyl - and the space required to store it - kind of outweighs the improvement in sound. However, I have reasonably high end CD player and Turntable/tonearm, and about tthe same number of CDs and albums, and can definitely confirm that, when played through the same high end, low noise amp/speaker system that the old black stuff wins hands down. For transients, aural imaging, complex waveforms and sheer dynamic clarity, you cannot beat it. So there.
Posted February 13, 2008
eboychik says:
You can't get around the pops and clicks and other surface noise. Still a downer for me.
Posted February 13, 2008
Recession-Proof says:
O.K. the geeks will throw a bunch of facts at you saying that CD's have better sound quality and covenience, etc. Not to mention the last album they put out on vinyl was Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" or something. . . whatever. All I can say is "two turntables one mic;" without vinyl we pretty much nullify the entire genre of Hip hop. Duh! Vinyl+Me=BFF's
Hey, we should debate the merits of cassette vs. 8-track!
Posted February 12, 2008
James T. says:
Two words: KISS Alive!
Posted February 12, 2008
rms says:
I love my collection of vinyl picture disc albums. I've got most of them framed. You can't get that on digital!
Posted February 12, 2008
windowpane says:
I love the snap, crackle and pop of vinyl.
Posted February 12, 2008
Jude says:
I love my handful of LPs. All bought in the last 5 years, they are a heavier weight then the mass produced vinyl that saw a million records sold. If I had my choice, I'd setup my turntable and a beautiful sound system and enjoy purified rock and roll (or electronica for that matter).
How do I know vinyl wins? Because there is no anticipation when I turn on my iPod, there is no experience. Vinyl rounds it out (literally).
But records don't fit in pockets, alas, digital prevails.
Posted February 12, 2008
Tempermill says:
It's all about the experience. 10,000 mp3's in your car makes the the music seem disposable and irrelevant. With vinyl you have to take the time to put it on the turntable, look at the album artwork and typically listen on a better sound system. That's what kickstarts your imagination
Posted February 12, 2008
Aurelien says:
Vinyl is the most 'old school way' to enjoy an album.
It's not only a question about sound quality, but also about your way of life. Either you're faithful to the roots, or you don't attach value to this.
I chose.
Posted February 12, 2008
Geoffrey Hickman says:
Vinyl *sounds* way better than digital. But alas, digital is easier/portable, cheaper, and easier to distribute. No winner here.
Posted February 11, 2008
No way, Monkeybrain!
Tiddledeewinks says:
My husband has about 10,000 vinyls (given to him by a closing record store) if anyone wants to buy them. They are $2.00 each. I love the vinyls, BUT digital is so much easier and more portable.
Posted May 29, 2008
Rockin' Rich says:
Maybe in the best of all possible worlds, but we don't live there.
I was listening to a vinyl rip of a rare out of print jazz album the other day and was wishing I'd had a CD copy, in fact
When CDs are properly mastered (which involves technical crap beyond my feeble abilities), they sound just fine.
Vinyl would sound great, too, if you had a zillion dollar stereo and a Kyptonite or adamantium needle and no scratches. But that ain't gonna happen, unfortunately.
Posted February 15, 2008
Ken Valenzuela says:
Go Vynil:
1. every copy it's unique. Under a microscope you will find
the traces of the disc to be quite similar but not the same.
2. In time, the LP will deteriorate and eventually degrade
the quality of the sound because of the friction with the needle.
3. In the end: the information is bound with the media.
4. Sampling rate it's not an issue.
Go Digital:
1. Every copy is the same.
2. You can have the exact same piece of information
in many forms, cd, digital file, memory card...
3. The media is not bound to the information.
4. Sampling rate is an issue, too low: useless.
Posted February 13, 2008
Unpretentious says:
Yeah sure, vinyl is the better choice if you're looking to be a pretentious hipster doofus :-)
When I've got the music from my iPod blasting in my ear at the gym I can't imagine that I'd notice any difference.
Posted February 12, 2008
kab says:
Who's go the space for vinyl? But I will say, I love the larger covers.
Posted February 12, 2008
SoundGuy says:
This fight ended a long time ago. Vinyl has physical limitations that require dialing down the bass during recording so the grooves won't have too much distortion from one groove to the next. Recording engineers also have to make adjustments to overcome groove noise, so they pump up certain frequencies +20 db. Not a perfect scenario, analog purists.
"The goal for LPs, as it is for CDs, is flat 20Hz-to-20KHz reproduction. By applying Nyquist sampling and high-resolution A/D and D/A converters, CDs are capable of overcoming the physical limitations of analog vinyl recording. But I expect this myth to live on, because there's just no convincing the vinyl lovers that less fidelity is not more."
http://synopsysoc.org/analoginsights/?cat=11
Posted February 12, 2008
DIgitalRocks says:
Digital is not just 44.1kHz CD recordings, or compressed mp3 files. I challenge most people to pick a vinyl LP's sound over an HD audio 192kHz digital recording on the same system. HD audio is more than 4x the sampling rate of a CD (44.1kHz), thus much higher quality. Bye-bye, vinyl. The pops will give you away every time.
Posted February 12, 2008
DIgitalRocks says:
Digital is not just 44.1kHz CD recordings, or compressed mp3 files. I challenge most people to pick a vinyl LP's sound over an HD audio 192kHz digital recording on the same system. HD audio is more than 4x the sampling rate of a CD (44.1kHz), thus much higher quality. Bye-bye, vinyl. The pops will give you away every time.
Posted February 12, 2008
Andy Gradel says:
Vinyl may sound better than digital, but have you ever tried to play a record on a treadmill? Sorry, but portability trumps fidelty 9 times out of 10...
Posted February 12, 2008
DigitalRules says:
My 500+ LPs don't work too well in my car. Millions of teens and new college grads gave up on LPs as soon as they bought their first car. This was back in the late 80's.
Posted February 12, 2008
DanL says:
With perfect conditions, vinyl might be better. Ideal turntable with zero vibration, a high-end needle that isn't worn, vinyl that has zero dust or wear, and a high-end tube amp.
All my Led Zeppelin CDs on a cheap CD player sound way better than my vinyl records ever did on my mid-range system.
Posted February 12, 2008
jillbarringer says:
LIVE IN THE NOW!
Posted February 12, 2008
Benny says:
Convenience of digital wins for me. Industrial deafness means I can't hear the difference anyway.
Posted February 12, 2008
giltotherescue says:
Without a doubt vinyl sounds better. But digital is way more convenient. I have over 5,000 mp3s...how many records does that make?
Not sure if my small NYC apartment is big enough for that kind of commitment. I'll stick with convenience, for now.
Posted February 11, 2008
Brain Freezer says:
I have over 20,000 songs on a disk the size of a Moleskine notebook. Try doing THAT with vinyl.
Posted February 11, 2008
TwentyThree says:
In the late 80's, I invested in a maxed out McIntosh system with CD player and no turntable. My videophile friends ragged on me. One night we all went to a friend's house to listen to Ahmad Jamal live on $5,000 turntable. Although few heard the difference, I could. My ears are going downhill, CD's are easier to take care of, digital music is portable, and this outweighs the minor difference in sound quality. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Posted February 11, 2008
test says:
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Posted February 11, 2008
Matthew S. says:
The vinyl "experience," physically putting the record on the turntable, etc., is superior, but the vinyl sound is not. That "warmness" people claim is just hiss. It's ok if you prefer it, but it is not the truest representation of the recording like digital is.
Posted February 11, 2008
Jon says:
nothing is recorded with an analog source anymore anyways, and who has a tube amp and needle to listen to analog in the car? Convenience trumps warmth that is full of pops and clicks, sorry.
Posted February 11, 2008
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Or, buy a lot on eBay
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And it's a lot easier to spend your money on a turntable
Here's what you get for $10,000 (used)Find more here: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1207806832
