Return to Vinyl

[LightStamp]

Similar to many others, I am trying to rebuild my component system from the 70s.

speakers

 

[MrBoat]

I still have my old basic Hitachi TT from back in the day. It's direct drive and still in time. Cartridges are likely to offer the most sonic difference, if your predisposed to notice such differences and depending on what condition your records are in. I have the 70 or so albums I had by the time I moved onto CD in the '80s. While I like to drive down vinyl memory lane occasionally, mostly due to having those exact same records that marked other momentous occasions at the time, I would not put much stake in the format, otherwise.

Just about everyone I know who got back into vinyl, put it back aside once the novelty wore off again. Except for my brother. He's only listened to R2R tape, FM radio and vinyl and has never touched a CD.

I still listen to music like I did back in the '70s and '80s, just not in vinyl. I listen as often as I did then, and have my speakers and listening position set up the same way, but really like modern advances of digital and streaming. I'm still a fan of collecting CDs though.

 

[afterlife2]

Hi LS and welcome! Check out these vinyl threads. You can see all equipment used in those threads:

What VINYL ONLY Are Ya Listening To? Thread! ;)

Please post a real photo of your TT’s and LP’s! No Videos please! Como Hits LP in B+ good condition. Floods are keeping everyone home here in South Fl.

forums.audioholics.com

and

Vinyl News

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/life/x809656830/New-generation-falling-in-love-with-vinyl-records

forums.audioholics.com

 

[LightStamp]

I still have my old basic Hitachi TT from back in the day. It's direct drive and still in time. Cartridges are likely to offer the most sonic difference, if your predisposed to notice such differences and depending on what condition your records are in. I have the 70 or so albums I had by the time I moved onto CD in the '80s. While I like to drive down vinyl memory lane occasionally, mostly due to having those exact same records that marked other momentous occasions at the time, I would not put much stake in the format, otherwise.

Just about everyone I know who got back into vinyl, put it back aside once the novelty wore off again. Except for my brother. He's only listened to R2R tape, FM radio and vinyl and has never touched a CD.

I still listen to music like I did back in the '70s and '80s, just not in vinyl. I listen as often as I did then, and have my speakers and listening position set up the same way, but really like modern advances of digital and streaming. I'm still a fan of collecting CDs though.

Thanks for this reply. I was thinking that records contained more information than CDs so records were preferred medium. is that not correct?

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for this reply. I was thinking that records contained more information than CDs so records were preferred medium. is that not correct?

That is not correct, but there are loony audiopholls aplenty who would have you believe that vinyl provides audio Nirvana.

Now I say this as someone who has four turntables in regular use and a large vinyl collection that I assimilated over many, many years.

I still enjoy my vnyl collection and my turntables, but I do not claim that digital audio is inferior, because that is absolute bunk.

 

[isolar8001]

Thanks for this reply. I was thinking that records contained more information than CDs so records were preferred medium. is that not correct?

Records contain much more oil byproducts than cd's.......and that's about it.

 

[LightStamp]

I am a photographer and shoot in RAW vs Jpeg because there's more info to work with which makes it easier to tweak in post processing. I think i was thinking records were like raw but as many have pointed out that is not the case. So it seems there's more buzz around turntables than around CD players.

 

[isolar8001]

I am a photographer and shoot in RAW vs Jpeg because there's more info to work with which makes it easier to tweak in post processing. I think i was thinking records were like raw but as many have pointed out that is not the case. So it seems there's more buzz around turntables than around CD players.

That's because generally a 50 dollar cd player plays as good as it gets when it comes to cd's.
(which is far better than any turntable)
A 50 dollar turntable is a bad joke now like it was 40 years ago...

The vinyl resurgence is more about nostalgia than sound quality.

 

[Mikado463]

LightStamp, welcome back to Lp's ! Don't let the detractors get to you, with the exception of TLS Guy most of the others wouldn't know a competent analog set up if it hit 'em in the face !

 

[LightStamp]

That's because generally a 50 dollar cd player plays as good as it gets when it comes to cd's.
(which is far better than any turntable)
A 50 dollar turntable is a bad joke now like it was 40 years ago...

The vinyl resurgence is more about nostalgia than sound quality.

found this YouTube video on the subject

 

[lovinthehd]

I'd just keep using the Sony, and if getting a Technics get one of their better direct drive units (have been using my SL1200mk2 for almost 40 years now); what cartridge are you using? Then again I rarely play vinyl these days (still have my whole collection, too), but its good for nostalgia and I have some recordings that I only have on vinyl. I haven't purchased new vinyl in 30 years now. Hadn't heard the claim that vinyl has more information, which is just not true; but a good quality recording on any medium is a good quality recording....

 

[davidscott]

I sold all my LPs and my Thorens TT back in the 90's Got back into vinyl in 2015 with a used REGA Planar 3 with a new REGA Carbon Cart. Bought about 100 used LPs and played them quite often. Switch to 2024 and I now hardly ever use the TT or even my NAD CD player. Streaming is just sooo much more convenient, but I won't make the mistake of selling my physical media and players again.

 

[davidscott]

I'd just keep using the Sony, and if getting a Technics get one of their better direct drive units (have been using my SL1200mk2 for almost 40 years now); what cartridge are you using? Then again I rarely play vinyl these days (still have my whole collection, too), but its good for nostalgia and I have some recordings that I only have on vinyl. I haven't purchased new vinyl in 30 years now. Hadn't heard the claim that vinyl has more information, which is just not true; but a good quality recording on any medium is a good quality recording....

I also have a few vinal only recordings so I will keep my REGA even if I don't use it much.

 

[TLS Guy]

found this YouTube video on the subject

That guy has a few misconceptions. He is perpetuating the digital bit, staircase myth. Since the dynamic range of an LP is less than a digital recording the 96 db dynamic range of 16 bit 44.1 is quite enough. I agree you would not want to use a lossy codec like MP3.

I have a thread that explains all this nonsense and debunks it.

Here is a photograph of a 20 KHz sine wave played from a first generation Revox CD player on my own test bench.

As you can see it is perfect.

If you want to experiment with vinyl, then go ahead. I have not bought any new vinyl since the CD era began. I have bought the odd rare LP on eBay. Almost all my extensive collection comes from the pre CD era, and goes back to 1955.

I have to reinforce that sound quality is highly dependent on the quality of the turntable arm and cartridge and actually the arm cartridge combination.
Not only does this affect the final result, but also the longevity of the discs played.

My collection still plays very well, as I have cared for my collection and played them with excellent equipment. My turntable equipment ranges all the way back 60 years or so, with the newest arms and cartridges being over 40 years old. With many well cut LPs with very silent surfaces, you would not know a CD was not playing.
So, it can sound good, and very good. It is not plug and play, and careful purchase and obsessional set up of the turntable is mandatory. Disc reproduction is very unforgiving of even small details being overlooked. Care of records is another issue that has to be kept front and center.

I am lucky to have some really interesting turntables that hark back to the best of bygone eras of audio reproduction.

So if you want to explore the medium of vinyl go ahead, but getting into it should not be undertaken lightly.

 

[MrBoat]

Thanks for this reply. I was thinking that records contained more information than CDs so records were preferred medium. is that not correct?

Vinyl used to irk me back in the day. The music covered most of the noise but not all. The first CDs to me, were like vinyl with all the surface noise removed. There was a certain richness of higher quality with cds, for not having that noise. I was even more tired of 8 track and cassette. Liked them when they were brand new, but I always knew regardless of how well I cared for them, I was on borrowed time.

CD quality is at about the limit of my hearing. If there are higher audible quality formats than that, it is lost on me as soon as the music takes over.

Not to discourage from vinyl. There are no absolutes or rules. We can have as many of whatever we like. I believe everyone should have a little bit of everything. There's enough info on every TT ever made to be able to tell if it is good enough, at least. To me, the table is not really the deciding factor of quality there, it's the format itself.

I just find time better spent learning my way around digital music now. This is a stretch for me. I am usually stubborn to change, but as I am learning, I am finding some incredible music quality. Last night I just listened to Jethro Tull Songs From the Wood on Amazon music. It says it's "Ultra HD." I don't care. It is at least as good as CD but it was much better than the vinyl version. I heard every note and effect of the instruments. I had not recalled it being that well recorded in the past.

Vinyl records used to have to skimp on much in the way of sub bass because it takes up too much space. Plus it tends to cause subsonic rumble and other microphonic effects with records more so than CD, while digital is pretty much unaffected completely. At least if you listen as loud as I do.

 

[Bobby Bass]

Vinyl vs. digital is one of the more interesting topics in this hobby. I’ve gone through all the physical formats until I got my first iPod and that changed everything for me because of the portability and ability to play at home, car, boat or anywhere else. I have friends that swear by vinyl only and they’re very happy. Good for them. I try to introduce them to streaming not to replace their vinyl but to expand what’s available to listen to for free if you don’t mind ads instead of having to buy an album to hear new music. I have the first streaming DAC I bought a couple of years ago. Tried to give it to a friend but he isn’t interested. Giving it to my brother who will listen to concerts on YouTube on Bluetooth speakers but not connected to his vintage stereo system. I hope he likes it.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

What you won’t be able to replace is the 70’s mindset. Coupled with almost 50 years in between, it’s chasing a white whale. Lol

 

[davidscott]

Chasing a white whale indeed. Add to that most new LPs are now sourced from digital copies what is the point?

 

[Squishman]

I have over 50 CD's that I also have LP's of. I prefer the sound of the LP's better. In several cases, the mastering is better on some re-issue LP's

 

[TLS Guy]

I have over 50 CD's that I also have LP's of. I prefer the sound of the LP's better. In several cases, the mastering is better on some re-issue LP's

I bet that is loudness wars. You don't have to use much, or any for that matter, dynamic compression on digital sources like CDs. They have to use a modicum of compression when mastering an LP, or you get no playing time. So what you are actually experiencing is an abuse of technology.

Fortunately in the classical domain that is not an issue, as producers and engineers want to take full advantage of the dynamic range offered by digital technology.
I do have a few CDs of some of my favorite LPs, and the dynamic range of the CDs is greater.