Would vinyl even be invented today?


Records, cartridges and tonearms seem like such an unlikely method to play music--a bit of Rube Goldberg. Would anyone even dream of this today? It's like the typewriter keyboard--the version we have may not be the best, but it stays due to the path dependence effect. If vinyl evolved from some crude wax cylinder to a piece of rock careening off walls of vinyl, hasn't it reached the limits of the approach? Not trying to be critical--just trying to get my head around it.
128x128jafreeman
Well yes, I'd say it has pretty much reached the limits of what is possible using the existing phono playback technology.

I guess the only point you are missing is that vinyl playback offers some unique musical qualities that are unavailable with the digital formats (as good as they are, and are becoming).

So if you're curious, why don't you buy yourself a good entry level vinyl playback system and see what you may be missing??? Reading different opinions about it can only take you so far...

Happy Holidays!
There is a reason why many who have every media option available still prefer like vinyl. They can not all be masochists.
If it was it would be treated like a miracle.
As would a book, all that wisdom, no internet bill, no battery, no plug -OMG !