If streaming puts you in the zone, buy all means, float downstream. I love streaming, and if I were a younger audiophile or just starting out, that’s the direction I’d take, pouring my resources into the best possible streaming sound. Unlimited music appearing like magic! It’s amazing. But as a guy who’s owned a turntable since 1971, I mainly use it as a way to check out new music or play background music at dinner parties. My money is all in turntables and cartridges and LPs, and I love the rituals as much as the sound. Personally, I’ve never gotten the satisfaction from digital that I get from vinyl--for whatever reasons--but that certainly does not mean that it can’t be had.
The problem with streaming
As I sit here listening to America Includes: "A Horse With No Name", I realized the problem with streaming. Who knows what source material you're getting with streaming? The album I'm listening to is a Warners Brothers green label. Sonics are absolutely incredible! The band sounds like they're in the room!
Navigating the pressings to find the best one can be challenging but that's part of the fun of the hobby. I doubt the same care is taken when generating streaming recordings. You're stuck with what they use, thus missing the incredible texture of the best recordings.
Of course, great care must be taken to set up the turntable and match all components downstream. I find the effort to be well worth it! There's just no substitute for great analog!
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- 90 posts total
- 90 posts total