Vinyl News

[slipperybidness]

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/08/symcon-injection-molded-vinyl-records/

 

[3db]

https://www.engadget.com/2016/11/08/symcon-injection-molded-vinyl-records/

Probably a link to the same end but I'll post it anyway..It has a different introduction.

http://www.factmag.com/2016/11/06/vinyl-manufacturer-injection-moulding-symcon/

 

[slipperybidness]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/29/vinyl-record-production-tech-upgrade/

 

[lovinthehd]

Curious what the costs of such new pressing/production gear is? How will this investment translate to retail pricing?

 

[Dave Blount]

Curious what the costs of such new pressing/production gear is? How will this investment translate to retail pricing?

me too, hopefully the efficiencies will equate to lower prices and a better product ....... yeah I know , it's nice to dream !

 

[lovinthehd]

me too, hopefully the efficiencies will equate to lower prices and a better product ....... yeah I know , it's nice to dream !

More a curiosity to me, doubtful I'd buy another vinyl record again in any case.

 

[3db]

Vinyl sales increased by 26% in 2016...and is forcasted to reach $1Billion in sales ...

http://consequenceofsound.net/2017/01/vinyl-sales-rose-26-in-2016-see-the-25-top-selling-releases/

http://www.varietynewsclub.com/2017/01/vinyl-on-track-to-become-billion-dollar.html

 

[Dave Blount]

Vinyl sales increased by 26% in 2016...and is forcasted to reach $1Billion in sales ...

http://consequenceofsound.net/2017/01/vinyl-sales-rose-26-in-2016-see-the-25-top-selling-releases/

http://www.varietynewsclub.com/2017/01/vinyl-on-track-to-become-billion-dollar.html

I am somewhat amazed by all the young people I see getting into vinyl

 

[3db]

A new vinyl pressing machine.. not a reworked salvaged piece of equipment from years in the past.

 

[Bucknekked]

Curious what the costs of such new pressing/production gear is? How will this investment translate to retail pricing?

lovinthehed:
I can offer anecdotal information only. My own experience purchasing a few new records during 2016.
I was pretty surprised at the cost of a vinyl LP these days. It seems to be that a vinyl LP is 3x to 4x the cost of a CD. YMMV , caveat caveat caveat. What I've seen on Amazon.com is that if a CD is priced at $10 USD, the vinyl is likely to be at $29.995 to $39.95. I don't place any particular value judgement of good or bad on that, its just what my personal experience has been buying vinyl this last year.

I do get the sense that vinyl is getting some momentum in certain market segments. Increased demand without an increase in supply will drive up the price. With more machines coming online to produce vinyl, that would serve to increase supply, thus driving down the price. If demand and supply tend to equalize, then we could see prices pretty much stay where they are.

I'm interested to see what happens. More interest from new audio enthusiasts is goodness from my point of view

 

[slipperybidness]

lovinthehed:
I can offer anecdotal information only. My own experience purchasing a few new records during 2016.
I was pretty surprised at the cost of a vinyl LP these days. It seems to be that a vinyl LP is 3x to 4x the cost of a CD. YMMV , caveat caveat caveat. What I've seen on Amazon.com is that if a CD is priced at $10 USD, the vinyl is likely to be at $29.995 to $39.95. I don't place any particular value judgement of good or bad on that, its just what my personal experience has been buying vinyl this last year.

I do get the sense that vinyl is getting some momentum in certain market segments. Increased demand without an increase in supply will drive up the price. With more machines coming online to produce vinyl, that would serve to increase supply, thus driving down the price. If demand and supply tend to equalize, then we could see prices pretty much stay where they are.

I'm interested to see what happens. More interest from new audio enthusiasts is goodness from my point of view

I pretty much never even look at new vinyl, not new releases anyway. For newly released music, I purchase the CD, and even at that hopefully it is used. I have a hard time paying more than about $12 for a CD. If it's something I really want (few and far between), then I may pay up to $20 for a CD. I may look at a vinly remaster of QRP every now and then and pay up to $50 for something from them.

I purchased 90% of my vinyl collection in the late 1990s. That was an AWESOME time to be purchasing vinyl! Back then, CDs ruled the day and vinyl was dirt cheap! Today, I agree with your assessment-- CDs and Vinyl prices have inverted, vinyl seems to be more expensive now.

Back in the 90s, I could typically purchase ~3 records for $20 at the record shop across the street from my college campus, I would go in there just about every Friday between classes. I love it, I often would take my receipt and shove it between the sleeve and the outer plastic shrink wrap, so many of my vinyls have the price tag, and the receipt so I know exactly the day that I bought it.

Records that I paid $5 for back then, I routinely see going for $50 today! BUT, I didn't purchase those as an investment, I purchased then to hear.

At those prices, I was able to listen to a lot more music than I would have been able to at the cost of a CD. Also, over the years, several people have gifted me with vinyl records. Over 50% of that was crap, but I did get several gems for free over the years.

 

[Bucknekked]

I pretty much never even look at new vinyl, not new releases anyway. For newly released music, I purchase the CD, and even at that hopefully it is used. I have a hard time paying more than about $12 for a CD. If it's something I really want (few and far between), then I may pay up to $20 for a CD. I may look at a vinly remaster of QRP every now and then and pay up to $50 for something from them.

slipperybidness
I am in the same frame of mind: for new purchases I will look at CD's first. That's a change for me. For most of the last 2 to 3 years I have been getting the digital download as the purchase, then spinning a copy of that to CD for backup. After joining the AH forum and studying up on the quality of source material I learned that the digital downloads were convenient, but not up to CD quality audio. Hence, I've gone back to CD's as the source and then doing a lossless rip to my library. I hadn't thought of used CD's much, but I will give that a look and see what I find.

I have made some nostalgia purchases on vinyl. I know 100's of albums by heart because I learned them as records. As I see those vinyl selections in one of my local music stores I may pick one up if the price is right and the music is calling me. Vinyl is definitely more expensive, less convenient, and there's the issue of the sound itself. But I was born and raised on records so they will always hopefully be available and when that nostalgia itch strikes, I can scratch it with a good record. I know there's pun there somewhere.

 

[sterling shoote]

For me, Hybrid SACD's with CD and multi-channel layers are what seem to be best. Here's why: 1. Physical medium, no worry about loosing files due to computer crashing, 2. They're rip able to iTunes in stereo, 3. They're an easy route to enjoyment of multi-channel via an OPPO player, 4. I can sell/trade em, and 5. I don't know of any medium which sounds better.

 

[slipperybidness]

slipperybidness
I am in the same frame of mind: for new purchases I will look at CD's first. That's a change for me. For most of the last 2 to 3 years I have been getting the digital download as the purchase, then spinning a copy of that to CD for backup. After joining the AH forum and studying up on the quality of source material I learned that the digital downloads were convenient, but not up to CD quality audio. Hence, I've gone back to CD's as the source and then doing a lossless rip to my library. I hadn't thought of used CD's much, but I will give that a look and see what I find.

I have made some nostalgia purchases on vinyl. I know 100's of albums by heart because I learned them as records. As I see those vinyl selections in one of my local music stores I may pick one up if the price is right and the music is calling me. Vinyl is definitely more expensive, less convenient, and there's the issue of the sound itself. But I was born and raised on records so they will always hopefully be available and when that nostalgia itch strikes, I can scratch it with a good record. I know there's pun there somewhere.

Yeah, even on Amazon, always go look at the used options! When Hastings was still around, they were a good option for used music. Nowadays, Half Priced Books is one of the better options for both used CDs and Vinyl.

The beauty of used CDs is that CDs are so rugged and the read mechanisms are so precise, that you can easily find used CDs in excellent condition that sound just as good as new. With vinyl, you are starting off at a disadvantage on that front. And, since CDs are not very popular today, you can often find it used for $5 to $10!

Yeah, I buy the CD, rip it to digi, then it either goes into 1 of several notebooks or into my 100 disc Pio CD Player I typically toss out the jewel case and the liner notes from CDs, but I may keep a few here and there.

A couple other items that I like about vinyl: Actually listening to an ALBUM rather than a single! How many times have you bought vinyl for 1 or 2 songs, then discovered that your favorite song on that album was never even released as a single? It happens to me very often! And, I absolutely love all the old advertising, liner notes, posters, random crap that the band thought you needed to get with your vinyl. CDs are much too small for that to work near as well! Example: I recently discovered that one of my favorite vinyls actually has a poster inside the sleeve! A NICE poster, worthy of framing! And, that vinyl cost me $5 for the record and the poster, SCORE!

 

[Bucknekked]

And, I absolutely love all the old advertising, liner notes, posters, random crap that the band thought you needed to get with your vinyl. CDs are much too small for that to work near as well! Example: I recently discovered that one of my favorite vinyls actually has a poster inside the sleeve! A NICE poster, worthy of framing! And, that vinyl cost me $5 for the record and the poster, SCORE!

slipperybidness
The thing I missed most when vinyl faded out was the album itself and the album art. The experience of putting on an album, then reading and looking at all the stuff while it played is firmly entrenched in my lore of the musical past. Album art was an actual art form. I bought many an album just because the cover art was so stinkin cool. I found out of course that awesome cover art does not equal awesome music, but live and learn.

With my digital library, having the album artwork there is a requirement. I still see it and still enjoy it as part of the experience. Its not as cool as the original album because it isn't tactile. But, still pretty nice.

I'm going to give some used CD's a try. I've just never done that. Don't know why. AH is a great place to learn new things. Thanks for that morning tidbit.

 

[slipperybidness]

slipperybidness
The thing I missed most when vinyl faded out was the album itself and the album art. The experience of putting on an album, then reading and looking at all the stuff while it played is firmly entrenched in my lore of the musical past. Album art was an actual art form. I bought many an album just because the cover art was so stinkin cool. I found out of course that awesome cover art does not equal awesome music, but live and learn.

With my digital library, having the album artwork there is a requirement. I still see it and still enjoy it as part of the experience. Its not as cool as the original album because it isn't tactile. But, still pretty nice.

I'm going to give some used CD's a try. I've just never done that. Don't know why. AH is a great place to learn new things. Thanks for that morning tidbit.

Glad I could help, especially if it saves you $!

Yeah, you make a good point on the artwork. I also have a little shelf above my TT (I 3D printed the shelf from a Thingiverse file). The shelf is held on with a 3M command strip, and really only fits 1 thing--The sleeve for the vinyl that is currently playing on the TT! It gives a nice place to display the artwork for the current music.

Eventually, I was even thinking about putting up maybe 10 of these little shelves behind my TT, then it would be "my vinyl selection for the next couple weeks".

 

[vsound5150]

Records that I paid $5 for back then, I routinely see going for $50 today! BUT, I didn't purchase those as an investment, I purchased then to hear.

I only got into vinyl recently and finding lots of good music on the cheap showing up still unopened in shrink wrap. I'm the same open it and listen to it, same as car seat covers don't want it don't need it.

I think some collectors are giving up on the vinyl or have past on to relatives or whoever who don't have a clue of its value or don't care and just cleaning house, looks like a win win for all.

 

[slipperybidness]

I only got into vinyl recently and finding lots of good music on the cheap showing up still unopened in shrink wrap. I'm the same open it and listen to it, same as car seat covers don't want it don't need it.

I think some collectors are giving up on the vinyl or have past on to relatives or whoever don't have a clue of its value or don't care and just cleaning house, looks like a win win for all.

Right.

I will clarify--I do have a handful of new, sealed, rare, first pressings, etc type of vinyl in my collection--and these do not get played. I have been collecting vinyl as a hobby for quite a long time!

I also have a few duplicate vinyl. Sometimes that means 1 copy that is in rough shape that I replaced with a new copy (but still kept the old copy). Sometimes that means 1 copy goes to the "collection" in pristine condition, but the 2nd copy goes to the "listening bin".

I find enjoyment from either approach, just 95% of my collection is to be enjoyed by listening to it.

 

[slipperybidness]

@Bucknekked
@vsound5150

While we're on the topic of vinyl collections--Do you own any colored vinyl? Like red, orange, blue, or yellow vinyl?

I have several colored vinyl. Sometimes you will see a standard black vinyl release and a limited edition colored vinyl release.

I LOVE the colored vinyl!

 

[vsound5150]

@Bucknekked
@vsound5150

While we're on the topic of vinyl collections--Do you own any colored vinyl? Like red, orange, blue, or yellow vinyl?

I have several colored vinyl. Sometimes you will see a standard black vinyl release and a limited edition colored vinyl release.

I LOVE the colored vinyl!

I'm waiting delivery of my first colored (green or white?) Bjork vinyl I believe a rare first press I don't remember I have so many on order can't keep track. I can't say I like her music a lot but I couldn't resist a colored vinyl for the collection.

One record store they looked at me (newb) strange when I asked for any Fiona Apple vinyl I didn't know it was hard to come by, still learning this new (old?) vinyl world.