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When do you choose vinyl over digital?

For those who play (and buy) both vinyl records and CDs (or digital downloads or CDs ripped to a server), here's my question:
When contemplating a new purchase, something that is available on vinyl and on CD, how do you decide which to get? For me, the choice is sometimes easy -- when, say, a longtime favorite artist comes out with a new album, I'll most likely get the vinyl, adding to my collection. Others, whose work I've mostly got on CD (or don't have much of in any format) might lend themselves to picking up the shiny disc. But sometimes I can't decide.
One example: I've heard (and enjoyed) some Vampire Weekend and felt like giving them a listen. I can pick up their three CDs for a bit less than $30, or could get the trio of vinyl recordings for not quite twice that amount. I haven't pulled the trigger because I'm not sure which way to go.
When in similar straits, which way do you lean -- and why?
Thanks.
-- Howard
hodu
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,322 posts
 
Similar to Elizabeth. I have many CDs and lps also but probably not as many as her.

My preference generally is CD for easy rip + play via music server.

Lps are more time consuming to get/keep clean and play, so I tend to buy those only when dirt cheap and then often many at a time or when there is something that I must have on lp only(rare cases these days).

Also I will buy lps when I come across something that I think will just plain sound really good for whatever reason, especially on certain classical labels know for good sound.

Also on occasion, I will buy an lp mainly for the album art and sometimes put it up on the wall in an lp frame.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Because my Basset Hound will come into my room , lie down and listen carefully to a Schubert string quartet but get up and leave if I play the same piece on CD.

And no, this is not a joke and believe it or not I named him Schubert as a pup.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
I can't wait to see how many people go out an get audiophile dogs now for their systems. Do you have to get a Basset Hound or can you have another type of dog modded for audiophile use?
sbrownnw
703 posts
 
Maybe a basselope ;)
heyraz
177 posts
 
I'm with Hevac1. If it was recorded for vinyl release (old stuff), that's when vinyl shines. If it falls into the "CD is Best" abyss and wasn't recorded with vinyl in mind, most of the time I find the vinyl re-issue isn't so good.
So I stick with the media for which it was originally meant to be played on.
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