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Is it all worth it?

Do you ever get the feeling when you start to question whether playing records is really worth it all?
You know with everything involved with great record playback.
The setup, the cleaning regime, the $1000 plus cartridges that start their finite lifespan as soon as stylus first touches vinyl and spirals into less and less value with every play.
All the tweaks involved, cables, mats, isolation etc.
Then the media itself with it's inevitable disapointments.

Don't you just like to push a couple buttons on your phone app and be listening to great sound with a worldwide catalogue at your fingertips.

Or is it that when all of it lines up and the sounds are just sublime, then yes you sit back with a wry smile and say...

Yep, it's all worth it!
128x128uberwaltz
ozzy62's avatar
ozzy62
3,039 posts
 
I own a lot of records and a pretty decent vinyl rig. These days I rarely listen to them. This weekend I did spin a few, but it doesn't have the same allure for me that it used to. As my digital front end gets better the desire to play records gets pushed farther and farther back. I probably won't turn my back on vinyl completely, but it's about 20% of my listening when it used to be the 80%.

Oz


tuberist
951 posts
 
Uber,
I was a very early adopter of computer audio and only stream my music now. I enjoy Roon greatly. You described why I "stream" my audio. With my gear, music sounds very acceptable to me. I figure analogue people enjoy all the fuss and rituals involved with audio playback. No criticism, we're all different. However, if digital audio was limited to MP3 sound I'd probably soldier along with vinyl.
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
...the Soundsmith Hyperion with free re-tipping
Just checked that out.
Interesting as the original owner gets 10 years of free retips.
However at a cool 8k to buy in, still not a cheap exercise.
uberwaltz's avatar
uberwaltz OP
13,381 posts
 
Do not get me wrong, when its good , my record replay is REALLY good.

But I am finding, especially later at night, that I am just as happy to push play on the Aurender Conductor app and be done with it.

Is my streaming top knotch?

No not yet, but that is also part of my thinking.
All in maybe 3k in streamer and DAC and it sounds fantastic.
3k does not take you very far in record replay land..... lol.

I don't know, maybe its just enforced home stay, got me on edge. 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
12,879 posts
 
Owning both along with high speed half track makes for critical listening/ comparisons/ understanding the relative merits and deficient elements of each... and let’s face it for much much music it is only available on digital:-)

have at it Uber !!!!
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