The past meets the future


I have become a huge advocate of streaming over the last few years as streaming has at long last reached audiophile sound quality. So, for someone that is new to audio or does not have a lot of money invested… it is hard to recommend this route.

However, as an old fart. One that suffered through low end turntables, unbelievable surface noise, scratched records, and debatable fidelity for much of his life. Owning a tremendous analog end is such a pleasure. I recently upgraded my contemporary Linn LP12 to nearly the maximum. I have a Audio Research Reference 3 phono stage so the sound quality is simply stunning.

Taking a Covid break and going to my local record store… buying a half dozen great old blues albums… cleaning up to pristine condition. It is such a pleasure to hear such fidelity and musicality from a ritual I have performed since a teenager… record store, spinning. That has been mainstream for me for over fifty years. I guess it is like the old Shortwave radio guys when I was growing up. They had the 25’ antenna sticking up above their suburban houses in the 1960’s.

Just a nod to the era and tradition that will soon pass into history. It has been a blast.

ghdprentice

All good comments above. especially williewonka's recitation of Ghdprentice's statement of a good losing it's performance edge. In looking back on my own situation over the last few years, every single bit of attention and upgrades have been  totally committed to streaming side. As a result streaming sound advantage has in fact commended the vinyl side to a purely nostalgic medium, it just sits there folornly unused, very sad. Even more sad is, I'm just beginning to acknowledge that regardless of how much I upgraded vinyl side it would rarely be used. I'm so immersed in the complexity of streaming, the sound quality is wonderful, the convenience is undeniable, whats not to like. I'm very afraid my listening prerogatives may have changed to the point I may not be able to go back to old ways of listening. My new way of listening is pretty much stream of consciousness, with a few taps on my tablet I can instantly go wherever my mind takes me, totally addictive for me!

 

I'm feeling very sad at the moment for my vinyl, all the effort to obtain present setup, 3500+ albums, and all it is is a memory piece. I'm really in a difficult place right now as to whether to sell it all off, or see it languish. The hoarder in me wants to keep, but whats the point if I only rarely or never use it.

 

I know from other posts all over the interwebs others have been at this same juncture and sold everything off, now I'm here. Is this how vinyl will die?

Being one of the people who gets royally screwed by streaming.....I will never do it.

Streaming is another Method to create a replay of a music recording.

In terms of the Technology, it is the latest and most relevant, and interfaces quite satisfactorily into general methods used in a household today.

There are those who use downloaded content only, and some others are using Hard Media that is stored as a file in conjunction with downloaded content.

When it comes to the individuals who have chose to use Hard Media and create a stored file, these Hard Media Items were at one time a sale item that was supplying a performer/performers and their support, a reasonable remuneration for their work.

A New Act with a growing fan base could quite easily develop their act, as the monies were available to get to this level. Nearly all Hard Media owned by myself in the past, especially my earliest days has been purchased as new items.

Today I know how my purchase along with many others purchases benefitted a Performer or Group.

Today with the knowledge of how beneficial Hard Media Merchandise is to a New Act, I deliberately buy the material, my most recent being a Crowd Fund for a Group I have almost Zero Knowledge of.

If I were to go down the streaming route, my purchase of New Acts Material would be meniscal as a remuneration and the chances of the New Act to survive is severely at risk, when revenues from streaming are the only method for receiving a payment for the work.

Resorting to a Live Performance will help with remuneration, but again, the turnaround of Performers and Bands is becoming vast, and very few are not able to develop their full potential, as monies are quite starved.

I don't look forward to the time the only option is,  to attempt to enjoy music replayed as a streamed content in the home, from an endless roll over of short lived acts that produce almost identical content, very similar to how a TV music channel works . I also enjoy seeing a Act that has a longevity, one that develops their skills and ultimately become one that is more than worth seeing live and is able to be present for a long period of time, this is where the best memories are to be found. 

,   

 

 

But what I find most comical are those artists that introduce "scratchy sections" in their recordings - and I have to wonder WHY?

Will they still do that in future, i.e. when vinyl has gone the way of the corded telephone? 

Regards - Steve