2. analog
  3. 166056-11588

What is the actual percentage of people exclusively listening to vinyl vs digital?

I well remember in the ‘80s when we were amazed and thrilled by CD.
Wow, no more pops and clicks and all the physical benefits.
Seems so many abandoned vinyl.
But now, with so much convenience, available content and high SQ seems even dedicated vinylholics have again abandoned vinyl and embraced digital. However, there is clearly a new resurgence in analog.
But I look at, for example, whitecamaro’s “List of amplifiers...” thread and no one seems interested in analog!
To me, it seems strange when auditioning “$100Kish gear, that vinyl doesn’t enter the picture or conversation.
mglik
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,595 posts
 
A better question would be what is the percentage of people (humans) that don't know the difference.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Again, I think you are over-gereralizing. I’m 63. Many in my age group left vinyl completely by the 90’s and went to primarily CD’s, and then to streaming.

Maybe, but I’m 45 this year and I sold all my CDs in the early 90’s and since that time I don’t have anything but vinyl/turntables in my system and keep searching and buying OG records all the time (if i’m not completely broke). A friend came with his high-end DAC and high resolution streaming to compare digital to analog in my system, the original LP was so much better that high resolution digital (he was upset a bit). Many of my younger friends are into vinyl, very few are into both vinyl and digital.

But we’re in Russia, St.Petersburg. Maybe it’s a cultural difference. Also different generation as I said earlier.

I don’t thing digital is natural progression from analog. Digital is ok only for new music recorded on digital master. But digital copy from good analog tape is bad. For old music lovers digital can’t replace the analog. There are oustanding quality records recorded in the 70’s (my favorite period).



mijostyn's avatar
mijostyn
8,570 posts
 
"Amazed and thrilled" by CD? I hardly think so. The initial CD machines were awful. It was obvious that the format was going to fly as it was so convenient relative to vinyl and you could play it in your car. Anything would be better than cassettes.
buck66
12 posts
 
I listen to CD exclusively. I just bought my retirement system, several years early. I figure I can enjoy it while I wait to retire. This is the best sounding system I have ever owned. I’m just a blue collar guy that got hooked on this hobby when I was a teenager. I don’t question the format that anyone listens to. Just enjoy the music. 
chicagoblue1977's avatar
chicagoblue1977
224 posts
 
I mostly listen to vinyl and do enjoy cd’s and they are dirt cheap now.

Key for me is having a great CD Transport and a Great DAC. All Moon by Simaudio running through a 340i and Sonus faber Olympica Nova 3’s. 
More to discover