Ars Technica:
Ask a record-collecting audiophile why vinyl is back and you may hear a common refrain: “Of course vinyl’s back! It’s a more accurate reproduction of the original! It just sounds better than digital!”
To this I reply, “Does it really, though? Or is it just EQ’d better? And since when did we start caring so much about the perfect fidelity of our recordings? I grew up—as did many of you—listening to cassette tapes on a boom box. They sounded horrible, and we loved them.”
I think the real reason for vinyl’s return goes much deeper than questions of sound quality.
I loved vinyl and, if I had the space, I might even have a record player with some old albums lying around to play every now and then.
My daughter got me back into collecting vinyl and I’m loving it. It definitely is not for the sound quality, I don’t care what anyone says. I did some A/B testing on my system and you just can’t beat digital for clean audio, especially in the quiet sections. But who cares, I grew up taping songs off of FM radio for goodness sakes. The article is right, it’s the ritual. It’s holding that cover in your hands and enjoying the art and reading the lyrics, and listening to a whole piece of art, instead of cherry picking songs. Lots of fun.
You’re probably not missing much, Shawn. When we did a remodel five years ago I rejiggered the stereo/TV setup so that I’d have room to hook up my old Dual turntable. I’ve bought a little bit of new vinyl with the requirement that it must include a download code. After an initial period of excitement I’m down to playing vinyl once every couple months, usually some obscure album I pull out of storage. It most certainly does not sound better to my ears than playing from iTunes through the Apple TV through the same amp and speakers.
I’ve never had the kind of audio-gear budget that would notionally take full advantage of vinyl’s capabilities, and never cared enough to want it. Vinyl was always a means to an end with none of the conveniences or advantages of the formats which replaced it for me. In fact, I have yet to need to replace a CD or digital song for the same reasons as the vinyl (and cassettes) I wore out in the 70s and 80s.
It’s fragile (and degrades by design), requires careful ritualized behavior for use and maintenance, and (as far as I’m concerned) it’s all a space-consuming pain in the ass I’ll be happy to leave behind. Its only upside is display art.
My last turntable broke after a previous-decade apartment move, and I never replaced it. Once I do obtain a replacement that’ll enable me to digitize my remaining out-of-print LPs, they’re all going away. I’ll be happy to know there’ll likely be folks who take that albatross off my hands.
you can’t roll a doobie on an mp3
yeaaaaahhhh… I think mostly the ritual. We’d never go back to land lines, although that’s kind of what vinyl is. That’s not to say land line to land line phone calls don’t sound better than cell to cell calls, they do! There is basically no latency or drop out with one, and plenty with the other. But there is a convenience with digital that most of us have come to appreciate while over looking some of many shortcomings. And while I’m not prepared to go as far as to say the music industry just sees this as a new, very profitable income stream whose benefits are subjective at best, I can’t help but overlook the fact that vinyl is expensive. Is there a Digital Backlash coming? Are we all headed back to an analog life? I doubt it, but wouldn’t rule the possibility out.. 🙂
It’s definitely about the ritual and having something to collect, which is 100% great.
The claims that it sounds more accurate or better than digital are nonsense, however. There’s a very high chance that the vinyl was pressed from… drumroll… a digital master and now sounds very different compared to that master. That’s not necessarily bad, but it will never be more accurate than a straight digital path, which came directly from the ears of the producer. Again, nothing wrong, just know what you’re buying literally and figuratively.
I was in a record shop the other day. I looked around at the dozen or so customers. All had grey hair or no hair. I’m well on the way to the latter.
I looked at the staff. They too were grey or had no hair.
I guessed that in 10ish years, a good chunk of us won’t be around. And this uptick in vinyl will be over.
The joy of vinyl is the ceremony around listening that makes listening an active, intentional experience.
I never had much patience with LPs, their “Long Play” not being long at all, in my opinion.
I somehow skipped 8-tracks for cassettes and then CDs, which were OK for what they were. And I didn’t end up buying very much of Apple’s DRM’d catalog, as I didn’t think my favorite “oldies” were worth the price for how much I still listened to them.
But now, having turned 69 last month, I find I really enjoy being an Apple Music subscriber, and having access to the entire catalog, AND via Siri and Apple Car Play in my new 2018 Honda Accord. I can just say, “Hey Siri! Play ‘Highway to Hell’ by AC/DC!”
No worries, mate!!
Vinyl is fun.
It is *not superior audio*, no.
I can confirm that The Youths buy [some] vinyl. Just … probably not at that record shop.
Part of your problem is the old turntable. They can’t hold a candle to modern ones that work better and sound better. I used to love albums, but I’m 100 percent digital. (Well I do have a Beatles White Album that I would like to play on a good turntable.) The benefits outweigh the disadvantages of digital if you pick your music carefully to avoid the mess known as the “loudness wars.”