CDs Vs LPs

@Elizabeth: We both dropped off the face of the earth a while, but I remember talking to you several years ago and you told me all about your LP collection, your VTL amps etc.  You were very helpful with info, concerning re-setting up my vinyl rig.  It’s very surprising to see you’ve switched to CD’s, as your main source. I listen to both, as many have said they do.  Depends on my mood, how lazy I am feeling and what titles I want to listen to.  I love the sound of vinyl when it’s first starting and actually being totally enveloped by the sound, as the the stylus advances to the song and throughout the song. So many LP’s as well as CD’s are hastily made, just to get the product out to bring in that $$, therefore ending up with a recording lacking in quality.  Many of you, are much more versed on the quality pressings than I. As far as pops etc, most of this is easily remedied.  Back around ‘87, when I first began my CD listening, I was very enthused about the sound and ease of playing a CD. It does require a larger investment for LP’s, but the payoff is worth it. If I had my rathers, I wish “they” would start producing reel to reel prerecorded tapes again.  For me, there’s no better sound, but it’s not convenient at all. There’s a lot to be said for the convenience of a CD and being able to “jump” around from one song to another.  I do believe this is one of the first civil conversations, on this topic. So many of the topics take on a tone of aggressiveness. 

I love vinyl, and have thousands of records. I think I prefer records, partly because some of them sound so amazing (the mofi 45rpm series and the Music Matters blue note 45rpms are incredible)

That said, in the past few years i’ve really fallen for SACDs on my system, particularily the Analogue Productions Blue Note and Prestige reissues. Perhaps it’s the combination of them through my tube system (McIntosh MC275, C2200 and Harbeth speakers), but it really sounds amazing - in that way that makes you shake your head and smile.

One last note: I ended up buying a Sweet Vinyl Sugar Cube unit. Remarkably good at cleaning up noise vinyl. Been really enjoying that.

Tho CDs are my go-to, I'll always have to hang onto all my vinyl stuff.
I bought most of the LPs 45 years ago when I was in my teens. I had a McIntosh system, even then, with an ADC cart to track them; so they're all still in great shape.
I only have about 300 LPs, which seems to be one tenth of what most of you have, but I love all of it. It's mostly 70s rock and Jazz.
Most of my Classical is on CD.
Pretty soon, I'll pick up one of those new pop and click eliminators that ryskie mentioned. I was intrigued as soon as I saw them advertized about 6 months ago.

Meaningless question - you can’t generalize.

On some albums vinyl sounds better on some digital, and there can be a half dozen or more remasterings in either, any of which can sound great or crappy, depending on what they started with and what they did with it.

Digital wins on convenience, but if you care about the sound and love the particular material it is tempting to own both formats and see for yourself which is better in a given instance.

I swing both ways - around 0.8 terabyte of digital vs. ~ 4k LPs.

PS - if you complain about pops and tics you are either buying bad used vinyl or lack a proper record cleaning machine.  The fact that you are too lazy doesn't invalidate the format.

I recently purchased Leonard Cohen's excellent "Old Ideas". The vinyl album included the CD, so comparing the two mediums was accurate. No question, the vinyl is superior.