Buying new vinyl?

Fabsound,

I have a top quality analog set up. I have a reasonably decent digital front end too but never use it. I agree, digital always sounds like digital. I'm not talking about the digital glare of the 1990s but the flat lifeless sound which has never compared to good analog which still prevails. I've heard the best world class digital with HD downloads at show after show and I've never walked out of a room saying " I gotta have that," Yes, my cdp is going on this website this week in the hopes I can sell it. Several hundred cds are going to give away before Thursday for donation. By the way, digital on vinyl as Fremer says always sounds better than its aluminum cousin. He doesn't know why nor do I but it does. I need the room for more records. Let me add that ORG and most reissues pressed at QRP are sounding terrific these days AnalogProductions although I do quite a bit of buying on eBay or Music Stack.

You can buy some good quality albums at ELUSIVEDISC.com. Although I will say try and find ORIGINAL used records from garage sales , friends, family, also, Used book stores, or a record convention. Most stores are getting pricey but you can still buy great records for 6 bucks or less from stores like Euclid records. ( stores in ST Louis, New Orleans)
The hunt is half the fun after all. Most new records sound like crap compared to something made in the 80's or prior. Its just to bad the art of record making is a long way from what it once was.

Of all the reissues I have bought, Speakers Corner and Analogue Productions usually provide good sound. It pays to investigate each album before buying.

I'm going to take a swing and say my hypothesis on why some people prefer vinyl to digital. Before I begin, let me state I like vinyl and have a big collection.

Having said that, I think many prefer vinyl for a few reasons.
1) It is the sound they grew up with and use as their reference for recorded sound
2) Vinyl has a much higher sound floor than CDs. CDs can be a little to accurate and people find that glaring. The noise level of vinyl masks hard sounds, it is like having a white noise machine on in a noisy office.
3) Not sound related but LP covers are great and add to the music experience.

Recording artists have nearly all moved to digital for numerous reasons, including it being easier, but the quality of digital is more accurate. Every time you re-record the analog master you lose something, with digital that is not the case.

It always amazes me that there are so many lp's available on ebay which are still unsealed, some as much as 40 or more years old. Many are the first pressings, I buy a lot of them (probably more for nostalgic reasons). Sure some pressings are better than others and not quite up to the quality of many newer audiophile pressings of today but the hunt is part of the fun!

Mike