Article: "Spin Me Round: Why Vinyl is Better Than Digital"

Mahgister, it’s not about a DAC or a turntable.  The physical medium I am referring to are the groves of a record which generate vibrations or the orientation of iron particles (in a reel).  Those are a medium where music exists physically.  Digital is not.   Frankly, the best sounding music I have are 15 ips 1/4” two tracks recorded off the master tapes.  I have Vanessa Fernandez’s before the levy breaks in 2nd generation R2R, hirez digital, and vinyl.    With good reveling speakers, the differences are noticeable.   It’s about presence.    It’s less an issue of hearing it, it’s an issue of feeling it.  The way the sound waves surround you 

I like vinyl for the process.....that's why I shave with a brush and double edge razor

mahgister

My "Utter rubbish" comment was for the article, not your response.
Happy holidays :-)

Similar argument to which make of car, mode of travel, etc is best. I never bought a CD player so have limited experience in comparing the two formats on a decent system in ideal circumstances. My digital listening has been with mp3 players and home music recording for which it is ideal. If you want to be more involved with the music that you are listening to, then vinyl is the logical format. However an interesting section of this well written article mentioned that before analogue recording and playback, live music was the lone source. Surely this would represent the pinnacle of involvement and excellence. So has the reproductive quality aspect given way along the timeline to convenience?!

As the author states.

"My aim is (1) to highlight what is absent in the aesthetic experience of listening to music through digital formats and equipment, and (2) to refute the idea that vinyl enthusiasts are mere snobs using outdated technology just for the sake of being cool."

In the end he fails to prove his premise and struggles to highlight either of his declared aims. Neither of which really needed highlighting.




@millercarbon, rvpiano,

"There is no trout. Maybe never was."


Yes that captures it.

As biologically constructed interpretation machines we rely upon sensation, stimulation, memory, imagination and emotion.

As long as we remain human there doesn’t seem to be any way of getting away from that, does there?

Some might prefer impressionism some like photo realism.



@mahgister,

"Timbre perception was and is the key to listening experiments about audio system and his not only speakers dependent but room dependent...."


Could not agree more.

I’ve felt that way about audio for decades.



@whart ,

"I don’t have the energy or inclination to argue analog v digital at this point, though I was a dyed-in-the-wool analog guy for many years. Now, I’m agnostic.
A recording sounds "right" to me or it doesn’t."


Me too. I think it has to be a case by case comparison. There’s far too many examples of one being better than the other.

What happens on the production side of music often has very little relation to what happens on the interpretation side of music.

Cue to half remembered recollections of drunken parties where you thought the music was the best thing you ever heard...