Is vinyl dead ?

Vinyl is dead as a mainstream commercial product. 95% of the market, or more, really doesn't care if the Lp sounds better than CD. I have given dozens of demos in my home over the years and the Lp continues to shock people who previously assumed CD was superior. But, not one of them went out and bought a turntable. To them CD sounds good enough and they can play it in their car, which is where most people listen anyway.

While there are exceptions to every rule, I seriously doubt vinyl will come back. In fifty years, after all the people like me who have collected records for decades are gone, vinyl will have disappeared to the same extent 78's have. I wish it wasn't so. Now is the time to buy a turntable that will last you the rest of your life and does not require the support of a local shop.

No, I can buy far more LP's today than last year and the trend was up from the year before...Vinyl is alive, just not mainstream.

Are you really saying that music is written today with meaningful lyrics? Wow, most of the music out today...you can't even understand the lyrics, much less determine if they are meaningful...

in any case, I think vinyl will always be around at some level...although we have seen the complete elimination of 78 records, there is still quite a collectible market for 45's. What I miss most about records in the main stream is the album covers. These were just so big and brilliant. They even have picture frames now for record albums. Little cd booklets are packed full of lyrics and pictures, but it is so small...hard to really enjoy. The gatefold was and still is so very cool.

I think the audio tape...at least the cheap one, may soon disappear. It mostly has already, few tape players in cars or as part of rigs at home. Making a mix tape has been replaced with a mix cd. The bigger the tape section at a record store, often means an older and lower quality store.

When I was a kid, my dream was to open a used record store. It now seems, though, that this will never happen. A used record store would never stay in business. Record Exchange has become Sound Exchange.....this is when it is safe to say vinyl is dead, the mom and pop used record stores are likely a thing of the past.... Of course now...few little music stores of any kind (cd, etc.) can stay in business.

sad

This is a dated question. Audio Advisor does not comprise the world of analog. You need to look at alternate sites that support analog.

I would say that although we are in the "digital age" a lover of analog music can find a larger selection of good turntables than in early 1980. Also, there is a good supply of re-issued LPs (of superior sonic quality than the orignals in some cases)

Everytime I go to Amoeba Records in Berkeley I see tons of people, mostly college kids, walking out with vinyl. They have a big selection.