2. analog
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When and how did you, if at all, realize vinyl is better?

Of course I know my own story, so I'm more curious about yours.  You can be as succinct as two bullets or write a tome.  
128x128jbhiller
randy-11
1,913 posts
 
I've ALWAYS known vinyl was better than shellac. Didn't you?  Yes even through the dark days before 1878.
slbradley
5 posts
 
I'm a new convert or at least a recent returner.  Had vinyl in 70's early 80's.  Rented a home with a really nice lp collection and TT/amp /speakers.  I was instantly addicted. 

Three things.
Most of the music I enjoy was made for vinyl.  
The act handling the media , album covers, TT is enjoyable, relaxing.  
Hunting for bargain albums is fun.
The sound quality is far superior to anything I've had since the 80's

ok, that's four things.  I could go on.

vpi's avatar
vpi
223 posts
 
To answer the original question posed by this forum, I realized vinyl was superior to silver discs about a year after purchasing my first CD player.  While digital disc playback has made leaps forward since then, in my system vinyl playback is still miles ahead.

jsm71
141 posts
 

I've been listening to records since the late 50s (78s then) and then vinyl once it emerged.  I think there are two arguments here, one of sonics, and the other related to hobby interests.

As to sonics, I believe the best digital systems today can equal but not top the best vinyl rigs.  There is something I can't explain however.  I have both although neither are close to SOTA.  I do most of my listening these days after the day's activities end as my last enjoyment prior to bed.  When I listen to digital I stop because I get bored.  When I listen to vinyl, despite the frequent up and down to change/flip the records, I stop when I realize I'm falling asleep.  

There is something therapeutic about analog sound that relaxes me that digital simply lacks.  I can't explain it.

As to hobby interests, I choose to not pursue the best in digital gear because how to maximize the choices of setup never seems to stop.  I've worked in IT all my career and when I get home I don't want to even approach anything computer related. 

I imported my few hundred CDs into iTunes years ago only to quickly discover I didn't pick the best format and that still is debatable today.  Every digital setup I've seen seems to be a different approach to what pieces parts make up the solution.  Analog has always been table, cartridge, phono preamp, and maybe a SUT.  It has never changed in all this time.  There are different approaches to table designs, but not that many.

I also like that no software/licensing agreements/ are involved.  I own every LP I ever bought and chose to keep and none of them has ever needed to be given a software upgrade.

jollytinker
213 posts
 
@jsm71 you describe my own thoughts on this well! I’m sure that at the top end of the spectrum there’s a rough parity between vinyl and digital at this point. But there are a number of reasons why I don’t get the "bug" to go after that high end sound in digital format. For one thing, I spend so much time on a computer during the day that messing around with the file structure on my Baetis server when I’d rather be listening to music is really a buzzkill. And as you say, my LPs never stop working because of format changes or digital rights management. The best sounding digital files are at this point gigantic things that cost a lot of money. But a $4 dollar LP can sound just as good. or better. The other thing - and I can’t explain it either - is that LPs hold my attention as if I’m hearing the actual performance, whereas even the best digital reproduction (that I can muster - Hi Res, good DAC, etc) sounds like a very nice image, but just an image. I’m sure there’s a technical way to explain what I’m hearing, but I don’t know what it is…
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