Vinyl - One Word - WOW!!

To all of these people praising how good digital is today, what were you praising in 1980, 1990, 2000, even 2010!?

Digitalphiles act like digital has been good forever. And if you’re too lazy to clean a record, don’t even consider yourself an audiophile.

And get off my lawn! :)

I must agree with @pcrhkr.  I have a decent vinyl collection from "the good old days" in the 70's when it was either vinyl or cassettes.  I had a pretty good system back then and cleaned my records before playing them.  But now, with a very good digital system, vinyl is a PITA.  I am now spoiled and don't like to get up from my chair every 20 minutes, figure out what I will listen to for the next 20 minutes, clean the album, etc.  I am much happier listening to an album through Roon and let Roon curate music for me until I feel like listening to another specific album.  Plus, even with the best of vinyl systems, you still get the clicks and pops that you don't get through digital.  To my (older) ears, vinyl has nothing over my digital setup other than nostalgia, although I still enjoy fondling my albums, LOL!

Vinyl is VERY expensive, a TON of work and it takes up WAY too much room. It really IS a colossal PITA, as noted. BUT... it's totally worth it. Music is by nature an analogue and when you digitize it, you lose the realism that it captures and conveys. I have never had anyone listen on my system to a piece on vinyl, followed by digital (and I had a better and more expensive digital setup than the vinyl) and in EVERY instance the vinyl was the clear winner in terms of naturalness, openness and realism. Digital was always described as being "in a box" as compared with its vinyl counterpart.

I'm not such an absolutist, I love both formats.  I have some titles where the CD sounds better, and some where the LP sounds better.  Even multiple versions of CDs will sound different, and of course various pressing of LPs will sound different.  I have 5 versions of Supertramp's Crime of the Century, and they're all different!!  My favorite version is an early Mobile Fidelity pressing. (1978 I think)  My newest version is a HiRes version on BluRay, and it's boring.  The transients are much better on the OLD MoFi pressing because the master tape was 40 years newer!  

@mambacfa , I can record records in 24/192 and snap back and forth between the actual vinyl and the digital copy. Nobody can hear a difference. If there is a difference in mastering between the digital and analog copies that will make a difference and it can go either way. Gains have to matched carefully or the louder version will sound better. If your digital performance is always behind the vinyl then you have work to do on your digital side. It should not be!