Subj : Vinyl vs CD
To   : Rob Swindell
From : August Abolins
Date : Sun Feb 13 2022 03:50 pm

Hello Rob Swindell!

** On Monday 07.02.22 - 18:08, you wrote to me:

 >> "I still have some vinyl records and an expensive turntable
 >> with a couple of premium cartridges. I meant to pull it out and
 >> digitize the albums that I don't have on CD or otherwise.
 >> However I don't miss the surface noise, even on recordings
 >> without any inevitable scratches; the precision and delicacy
 >> required to place the needle; the pre-cleaning of the record
 >> and the wiping of the needle before each play; and, the
 >> repetitive, annoying, sound made at the end of the album as the
 >> needle idled near the center waiting to be relieved of its, and
 >> my, misery. No nostalgia here."

 RS> Agreed. And there's really no additinoal fidelity there,
 RS> in fact quite the opposite: measurably less dynamic range
 RS> and frequency response.

That might be true on paper, but the actual listening  
experience can be different.  I remember when the first CD  
players came out, they made every disc sound terrible. It was  
something to do with the implementation of the converters/ 
sampling.

I have some albums that sound much better than their CD  
counterparts to this day.

I don't see why my friend whom I quoted has a problem with  
"surface noise" on LPs that don't even have scratches. Maybe he  
can't stand the initial "silent" noise when cueing up the  
beginning of an LP and the noise at the end.  He told me that  
that his turntable did not feature an auto-cue mechanism nor an  
auto-lift for the tonearm. Those were options for his high-end  
machine.

I started buying CDs *before* I had a player of my own. But I  
had a chance to play them on other people's CD players. Most of  
the time they sounded terrible! When I auditioned the same  
discs on later-generation "better" players at the hi-shops,  
they sounded great.

My first player was the Sony 505ESD (with a dual D/A converter  
and digital-OUT). It was around $500-$700 in late 80's dollars.  
(I still have it, but it started to develop skipping issues  
after 15 years of use.)  Some people are listing theirs for  
over $500 on ebay right now!  But I digress..


 RS> I think most of the preference for vinyl comes from the
 RS> positive emotions of the memories that the physical
 RS> experience of handling vinyl records brings. I get this
 RS> reaction just *holding* a 12" album/sleeve. I don't even
 RS> need to play the record! :-) --

LOL.  I don't stop at bemusing the LP cover like you do.  I'll  
will certainly not hesitate to give the LP a spin.

But how do you explain the rise in LP sales apparently amongst  
a NEW generation of listeners who don't have "emotions of the  
memories" reference?   My guess that the rise is dominated  
primarily by people who grew up in the 50's-80's when LPs were  
still prominent - and this soon will fade.
--
  ../|ug

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