What do you prefer; vinyl or CD?

Lawrence Fan · Post by **Lawrence Fan** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:10 am

I never understood the infatuation with vinyl. I grew up with "albums" but like somebody else said, when CDs came along the choice was obvious. This is all from a purely audio POV. I know lots of you have mentioned the "warm sound" with vinyl, but I guess I just don't hear it or the difference isn't compelling, not to me at least). The advantages to CD are just too numerous to even make this an issue.

Now, from a legacy or collectors POV, I can totaly see the value in vinyl. I know all my audiophile friends were really bummed when it became apparent that CD was going to make vinyl a novelty item. Loss of album art, inserts etc. The whole packaging thing.

Personaly, I have no interest in acquiring a turntable, or a stereo for that matter.

So I voted CD.

Oddly enough, my car still has the factory stereo in it, which is just a radio and tape deck. Do you know how hard it is to find tape decks now? Almost as rare as turntables.

=============================================
Now Playing: Jay Farrar - SS&BL - "Voodoo Candle"

mikewilliamson · Post by **mikewilliamson** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:06 am

Bigb wrote:Yea, I never understood the love of vinyl. I grew up with vinyl but when something better came along, I hitched on.

"Better"? Hmmmmmmm. So what was it that was better that came along? Obviously not CDs.

Mike

Fenrisinho · Post by **Fenrisinho** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 9:05 am

Well, I finally ordered Trace on vinyl, I've already got Straightaways and Wide Swing Tremolo on vinyl, so I thought I'd complete the cricle, I do however no have an LP player

Peace, love
Frenchie Fenry

PS: This guy was ice-climbing (Rjukan is the Ice-climbing capital of the world with over a hundred climbable waterfalls) on Rjukanfossen (the 16th highest waterfall in the world) and fell down, happened just a few hours ago (ouch!) It seems the guy's doing alright though.

keith21 · Post by **keith21** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:45 am

I agree with Mike that the vinyl "experience" is really something to be cherished, its just a feeling, and it starts when you pull the record out of the sleeve. We really need the solo albums on vinyl, how sick would that be?
Of course, it'll be a while till I save up my $75 for the Son Volt LPs...

Fenrisinho · Post by **Fenrisinho** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:31 am

stretch wrote:PS Stupid Question...How do you vote??

Peace, Tallman

There should be a option on the top of the page in grey. First check out of Fenris voted for, and then vote for the same thing yourself!

Peace, love
Frenchie Fenry

jmac · Post by **jmac** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 8:31 am

Definitely vinyl. Cd's are convenient and you can play them in your car, etc, etc. which is nice, but vinyl just has that intimate warm feeling to it. Any of my favorite cd's I usually will look for on vinyl and buy that too. Hey, nothing beats having J. Geils Band on vinyl!! Haha!!

dcarter · Post by **dcarter** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:46 am

I have never been or will ever be an audiophile. I am sure that there are discernible differences between the 2 but I have never had the desire to spend the time or money to experience it. I was born in 1963- they tell me it sounded like heaven- and my earliest memories are listening to the jukebox at Carter's drive-in in Plainfield,Indiana. That's how I fell in love with music, the classic country on the hi-fi and my mom listening to WSM every night plus the Cash and rock played by the local kids on the Wurlitzer by the pinball machine. So I certainly have owned my share of LPs. I never owned an expensive stereo but it always sounded beautiful to me. Hell, I still listen to the same 3 foot- tall Radio Shack speakers I bought in high school. When CDs came along I soon switched . I loved the convenience. I never understood the immediate debate that ensued. I think mp3s and that Ipod sounds so cool but I just lack the gumption to learn it all. So to answer the question, I prefer CDs!

Thanks again ya'll for the opportunity to ramble and have some excellent memories. At least this isn't as long as my "...best concert...seen" post(but I hope it was as good as I felt that one was.

Peace dc

Bigb · Post by **Bigb** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:41 am

Yea, I never understood the love of vinyl. I grew up with vinyl but when something better came along, I hitched on.

JJ · Post by JJ » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:29 am

When it comes to music definitely CD

If however we are talking about pants then I'd have to go with vinyl.

stretch · Post by **stretch** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:19 am

I agree with Mike, Vinal has a great big fat warm sound..unless I put on one of those old Adrian Belou LP's, elephants charging, band saws a cutting..why would anyone want to make your guitar sound like a bandsaw?? The only thing that's frustrating w/ vinal is like when a truck drives past or when one of the kids decides to walk past the stereo..skip, skip. I also seem to recall haveing major cleaning projects involving the inside covers of a double LP's..The Dead's Skull & Roses comes to mind. Those were the daze...
In defense of CD's, they have come a long way. One of the next improvements involves blue light lasers. Tighter bandwidth=rounder,warmer tones. And some of the latest reissues on CD have been mighty cool. That's what interests me, the outtakes, songs that didnt make the cut. Good stuff.

PS Stupid Question...How do you vote??

Peace, Tallman

mikewilliamson · Post by **mikewilliamson** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 1:20 am

Vinyl - Hands down.

Music is an intimate, personal experience. It's like a friend.

An LP, with it's large artwork and delicate nature is an experience you bond with. Putting a needle down MEANS something, because you're taking care to do it. This is what you WANT to be doing right now. The sound that comes out is round...full.

CDs are convenience. Throw a bunch in your changer. Whatever pops up next is what you're listening to now. There is no intimacy. There is no art to it. The sound is crisp and without pop or crackle, but it clips. Vinyl has never hurt my ears. CDs have.

Like anything in life, if it takes some care, it's probably a better product. (A set of knives not dishwasher safe that you must clean by hand...A film print in a theatre that must be threaded, and which may at some point snap as opposed to a bright, glossy, pixelated digital image which is simply thrown in the player)

CDs have their place in my life...Mainly in the car...But when I want to sit and LISTEN TO MUSIC, it's the LP I pull out at home.

I wish TERROIR BLUES was on vinyl. That's definitely a "sit at home" LP I'd like to visit.

Mike

Fenrisinho · Post by **Fenrisinho** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:24 pm

I would have to go for CDs, We didn't get CD until 95 or 96 in our house, so just alot of LPs and tapes. But to me there isn't anything nostalgic about LPs, they're just like CDs, kinda.

Peace, love
Frenchie Fenry

tj · Post by tj » Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:10 pm

It really depends on the music. Old country and blues sounds so much better on vinyl. It adds to the vintage sound of it. But with so much production emphasising clarity nowadays, cd's work better. Plus, I can't play vinyl in my car.

clarkma5 · Post by **clarkma5** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:59 pm

There's something about the clarity of CDs that really appeals to me...LPs do sound "warmer", but they sound more muddled to me.

They're both good though, supposing the music is good.

Mort · Post by **Mort** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:05 pm

My first poll: OK, my guess is that many on this board never owned anything but CDs, or have bought a vinyl album or two for the novelty of it. But many of us bought 100s or 1000s of vinyl albums before buying our first CD player.

What do you prefer? Ever 'upgraded' an LP to CD and found you prefer the sound on the LP? Shit scared you'll scratch your LPs and find CDs easier to handle? Let me know how you feel, and why.

What do you prefer; vinyl or CD?

Vinyl or CD?

What do you prefer; vinyl or CD?