Is it all worth it?

The Townsend Seismic Sink is also essential for many turntables as well as transports/DACs.  My VPI TNT VI sounded no better than my VPI 19-4 until I placed it on an HDF platform under the TNT resting on a Townsend Sink .  Now it's high end.   

I HATE setting up a new cartridge.  First it has to break-in for 50 hours.  My SME IV arm has a spring mounted VTA and no SRA adjustment (use tiny shim to correct).  This is the worst part of preparing to play an LP.  However, my arm is not VTA critical once set.  It sounds about as good on 120g as 180g records.  

To Mozartfan-Nope, I have at least 7,500 LPs which have not and probably never will be in the digital stream or CD realm (1,000 ethnic LPs for sure).   However, I generally prefer listening to my Living Stereo and Living Presence classical music on greatly remastered CDs.  Again, unfortunately, those that were pop are generally unavailable in the digital realm.

I listen to either CD or LP format about equally.  I've become lazy and only listen to my 78s about 5% to 7% of the time.  I used to transfer them to cassette and for 15 years to CD.  That really makes it convenient to hear 10" 78s.  

The Seismic Sink. One of the first iso stands and to be honest really not too bad. But things progressed a lot since those days. I would hardly call the Seismic Sink high end. But it’s certainly better than nothing. It should be in a museum of iso stands.

I still have and listen to my old LPs and occasionally pick up a new vinyl, but at the prospects of soon replacing an expensive (short lived) cartridge and with the convince and the much improved sound quality of both CD and streaming, my enthusiasm for Vinyl isn't what it used to be. However, with hundreds of classic vinyls, in every genre (a good many of them master recordings) I don't think I'll ever be ready to completely abandon LPs; just a little more time spinning the silver discs and a little less spinning the LPs....Jim 

I decided records weren't worth it in 1984.  I may have bought one LP since then.  No regrets!

I find I stream Tidal through my system primarily to search out and listen to new music .

After auditions via streaming I then decide whether or not to buy a vinyl release. Occasionally buy a cd if the music is not on vinyl. I always try to buy music I like as a small effort to support musicians