Why Do You Still Have Vinyl if You Don't Play it?

Or maybe another reason, unconscious perhaps, is what happened to me the other day, spending an afternoon listening to some great music on a pair of Quad 2905s on a really fine vinyl rig, a "you are there" joyful experience that never happens with digital as much as I enjoy the convenience of that format. I'm no vinylphile either, believe me, and it isn't this vs that however.....

I would keep your beloved recordings and dump the rest. What is for sure is that if you do have any regrets later, probably unlikely but still possible, you can't go back to where you are now so maybe a compromise is in order, for now. One of those experiences may happen to you at some time in the future and your interest may be rejuvenated, another perspective.

I think the discussions were on track. They drifted because discussions do that. Why people don't play their vinyl? Well, many reasons were listed and I will list some also that I can think of.
1. Lazy
2. Cleaning records to the extent that by the time you are done you have lost all of your time.
3. Getting up every few minutes to change sides.
4. New and better phono stages require upgrading. I guess this could be true for CD transports and DACs also.
5. Totally forgot how much better analog recording/playback is to digital and can no longer remember the difference.

The other night, I was at home with a friend listening to music. I have a McIntosh Labs music server through a Theta DS Pro Gen III DAC. I also have a stand alone CD Transport through a Theta DS Pro Gen VA DAC and also my Sota Star Turn Table through an Audio Research phono stage. We had a blast listening to great music and comparing.

We listened to music via the music server/DAC combo. It was great. Then, I switched to the same CD via my CD transport/DAC combo. Night and day difference. Much more open sound and sound stage via the CD Transport DAC. Oh and by-the-way, the music server digital output through the gen VA day sounds not close to as good as the CD transport DAC combo. but wow! great sound. CD transport made you not want to get up. Then, I swithed to the album and turn table for the same recording and lo and behold, extreme night and day difference. The Turn Table/phono stage combo versus the music server and CD elements was wonderful. It reminded me why I listen to albums. I remind myself all the time why I need to take the time to clean my records and listen. One can get complacent listening to digital and then when you go and compare. You match levels and listen. The turn table analog sound is just wonderful. So add complacency to the list also as to why people don't listen.

But, for fun. turn your system on. Get the cd of your favorite music and the album (recorded analog, not from digital). match levels on your pre-amp and sit back and listen.

enjoy.

Mitch, it occured to me that perhaps this last part of your OP is the 'real' question:

I don't know what it's going to take for me to let go.

My own answer would be that whatever 'it' is (that it would take for me to let go) it would be outside of any 'audio considerations'. It would be something more 'life affecting' like: a fire, or an illness, or a physical move to smaller accomodations; something like that.

In his preceeding post, Minorl again recounts a (purely anecdotal) experience many/most of us have had: comparing the same piece of music in different formats. But for me, and for many people (including Minorl, I bet ;--) the likelyhood of having a given piece of music in multiple formats is nil. Which is why, earlier in this thread, it suggested that when viewed through the lens of "the music", the idea of completely abandoning a particular format sort of goes out the window ;--) And as a matter of fact (coming back to Minorl's experience) one evening a friend and I assembled all the music we could find between both our collections which we had in two or more formats. This included not only LP's and CD's, but reel-to-reel and cassette. We even had a few selections in all four formats! And the startling and unexpected outcome, was that there was no clear winner or loser!

At one point not long ago, I had considered doing some serious culling (of all my 'formats'.) Then I remembered that years and years ago, I had done just that -- and lived to regret it. So once again I say, "if you hang on to the music, you'll never have reason to regret it."
.

Nsgarch; your post is well stated and written. I guess the point I was trying to make but failing, was that the music was great using my digital format, but when I actually listened to vinyl and more importantly, compared using the same recordings in digital and vinyl, this showed me clearly what I am missing in digital. This is not to say that digital isn't great now. it is very good. However, there still are great differences between the formats. Not as wide a gap as before, but everyone I know that has listened to digital and then to vinyl (especially the ones that are not into music or audiophiles), jaws drop at the differences they hear.

To me, and my absolute enjoyment of good music, this is why I still have vinyl.

When a format comes that is compact as digital and as good or better than vinyl in terms of sound stage reproduction, dept, etc. I have no problem moving to that new format. having albums around and turn tables and phono stages, etc. and cds all over the place does take up room. I would love to have a music server/DAC do everything as well or better than my analog equipment. Unfortunately, it is not there yet and when it does come out, initially, I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway. So to me, it isn't about storage or space it always has been about the music. I played classical music via violin, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, sax, etc. I have a real problem if the reproduced music doesn't sound like I know it should. The worst part as I mentioned previously, is one can get use to a certain sound reproduction and come to believe it is accurate, and then listen to a different set up or analog and understand that they really are missing something.

so, really,,,enjoy

Like many here, I've gone back and forth with this very experience. I had a collection of 1,000+ back in the late 80's that I sold off in bulk when CDs overtook my musical life. My regret was not hanging on to some of my favorites and collectibles.

On three separate occasions I've done the same thing with my CD collection - only hanging on to a handful of favorites and/or collectibles. Most recently, I've dumped my favorite CDs since I have them all ripped to FLAC on multiple hard drives (which is how I predominantly listen to music now anyway) and kept only the collectibles. They are stored in a box and will get sold off when the economy is better and people are willing to buy such things again.

All this said, I bought a turntable a few years ago and picked up some old favorites cheap and have fallen in love all over again. Mostly, it is acoustic jazz where vinyl just does it for me - even more so than my high resolution digital versions.

So my advice is; Get rid of the bulk and listening to what is convenient and makes you happy (I do file based network audio). BUT hold on to your favorites and collectibles - even if it means boxing them up and putting them in a closet for now. In ten or twenty years you will likely cherish the memories and the experience again.