digital vs vinyl thoughts

Rok2id, you would bring a format which nobody owned but you, into the mix.

I read about it but never heard it. For those of you who don't know what it "was", Elcaset looked like a huge cassette, and it was supposed to have the convenience of a cassette and the quality of a reel. Since they didn't last long, most people don't even remember them.

Hopefully Rok2id can fill us in on the details.

I'm recently retired after running a commercial media duplication and video editing studio for 22 years. I had access to the best commercial audio and video equipment as well as test equipment. Never really "got" the vinyl bug, even after buying a mid-level turntable and pre-amp at a cost of over $2K. Maybe the extra noise makes it "more real" for some people; but as a regular symphony goer, I NEVER hear any extra hiss or noise in a live performance. Also, nless a record was virtually unused, you could always hear some low level noise or hiss in the music; and that noise was visible on my Tektronix scope.
Sure you can remove most of that surface noise with software, but why bother when a CD of the same music has almost none of those artifacts. I am a confirmed CD and SACD listener; and will be that way for many years to come.

Back in the day, the mid-80s I think, I remember reading a report in an audio publication about a turntable that used a laser beam instead of a cartridge. It was conventinal in appearance, platter, tone arm, the usual setup, but it read vinyl LPs with a laser mounted in the tone arm. Does anyone remember this, or know what happened with that line of development? The company's name was BIC??? Seems like the next day CD players were on the shelves. I guess that killed it. Now, I would have stayed with LPs if this has come about, if for no other reason than the wonderful album Cover Art.

The problem with elcaset was that there were very few audiophiles that possesed the critical listening skills and hearing ability, required to appreciate it's superior sonics. I was one of the few. It set on the shelf, right next to my Betamax.

Avideo:
Thanks for your post. It's nice to have company.
These vinyl people are getting outta hand.

That laser that read LP's was eratic, I've got the review in it here somewhere.

When asked about the demise of the LP, Rudy Van Gelder said, "Good riddance".

Never the less, I have to have something to play my records on, and the "Vinyliters" say records are best.

i heard it at ces over 8 years ago.

i then heard another turntable, arm and cartirdige combo, which i preferred.

the "laser" turntable cost 5 figures.