Is vinyl still a "perfect" source?

Elizabeth, you're right now. Here's a good example. I'm between amps right now so can't play anything (I don't have a CDP). However, I was looking forward to a quiet evening in the basement with some good beer, the radio and cleaning a bunch of records I got two weeks ago. It took me two hours to clean about fifteen records (I do it by hand - steaming, modified hand-held wet/dry vac, etc.) but it was great!!!

04-07-07: Elizabeth
LP is just a "nostalgia" medium.
Things were never better than in the 'old days'.
I OWN 10,000 LPs, have two turntables etc..
But for folks thinking about getting into LP either again, or for the first time.. you are nuts!

Why? I got into vinyl 3 years ago, and bought almost all the classical reissues and I could not be more happy. IMHO the reissues, I am talking about classical music only, are far better than the original ones. One of the reason is that you have to get a 40+ year old, pristine 1S/1S vinyl for a affordable price. Which even if it is sealed, can have all the downsides of vinyl, like scratches, clicks and pops etc. If I buy a reissue and I am not satisfied I return it. And because of the low production today almost every reissue is 1S/1S.

To my knowledge they are not digital recorded/mastered. Just go to http://www.speakerscorner.de/ and under Help click on FAQ. And in my system and to my ears the sound is the closest to my reference system (The Jacksonville Jacoby Hall with the JSO) I can get.

Rudy

8 tracks were gone.
Cassettes were gone.
R2R were gone.
DAT were gone.
SACD is going soon and nobody can read/listen to CD 50 years later.

I think LPs are really close to perfect. I can still play a 50 years old mono LP and sounds wonderful.

Dear Carl: +++++ " Have any of you noticed a loss of recording quality in vinyl over the past few years because of this? " +++++

Almost all the today LP's production are re-issues that are 100% analog. Most of the today LP recording are anolog ones and only a few ones are digital recorded.

No, there is no loss of recording quality other than ( in some recordings ) poor production/remastering.

The vinyl never been and never will be a perfect source/medium, nothing is, but the quality music sound reproduction through vinyl is ( IMHO and other than master tapes ) today still the best way to be " there ", to feel the music and to developt very high emotions that only through this medium you can achieve.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.