Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

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llj
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Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by llj »

Whenever I hear proponents of vinyl argue in favour of it, they always seem to say "It just sounds better." Which doesn't really help. What are the actual technical benefits of vinyl? I've heard some stuff about digital/CD music being compressed, which is why vinyl can hold its own, but all in all I've not heard any real scientific reason why vinyl is definitively better.

btw- I'm asking this because I'm thinking of buying a record player and starting a vinyl collection.
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by usamimi »

It's been a topic of debate for years. IMO: if you're looking at records that are old and/or albums recorded specifically FOR releasing on vinyl, they sound better because they're less compressed and sound close to what your ears would hear organically in person. However: a lot of newer reissued records are just the CD put on vinyl instead of using master recordings, so they're not gonna sound as good. That's one reason you see certain original pressings of albums go for a lot--not just collector's value, but because they'll legitimately sound better & that's what lp aficionados want.

LPs also don't have file deterioration over time like digital & CDs can. As long as you keep your records in good shape, they'll sound the same as long as you own them.

Sound quality can also depend on what you play LPs on. Of course if you go all out & get a nice stereo, speakers, amp, subwoofer, etc anything will sound good! But even just basic portable players give a good sound. I have a vintage portable turntable just because it doesn't take up much space & even for it's age it sounds great.
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llj
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by llj »

usamimi wrote: However: a lot of newer reissued records are just the CD put on vinyl instead of using master recordings, so they're not gonna sound as good.
Ah, this is good to know. I didn't know that they were doing this with reissues. I guess I'll have to watch out for it if I get into this.
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by usamimi »

Yeah, it's disappointing. About....7 years ago? I won a copy of the first Metalocalypse Dethklok album in a contest from Adult Swim, and I was super excited about it, thinking that a show that focused on heavy metal would have a great LP. Well....I think they just took the recording from the CD and slapped it on vinyl instead of using the master recordings, because it sounded poorly mixed when I played it on my turn table. :/ Ah, well. The cover is autographed, so now I can just hang it on the wall without being sad that I can't play the record, lol!
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by yusaku »

Llj I did not know you were an audiophile like myself. I really enjoy my anime soundtracks so much I buy two or three copies of some soundtracks. I have also considered starting a record collection. Yet, I decided not to for the following reasons.

There is not a large enough selection and I think thirty dollars for the vynil and the digital download is too pricey. I mean too expensive to build a large collection. My biggest issue is the storage or moving the records to another residence. None of the particle board storage cabinets will do for record storage. I would guess a decent cabinet could easily cost four to five hundred dollars. If I ever moved, I would expect to have around five hundred records in seven years; I tend to move every seven years. Moving the cabinets and those records would be an ordeal in itself. I would insist on moving the records myself by hand. I remember watching the movie "Crumb" and there was a part in the film that recorded Robert Crumb having his record collection shipped to France; I literally cringed as the movers bumbed his boxed records at every crack in the walkway. It was almost like they were moving rocks in a quarry. If I lived in a house and did not intend on leaving I might start a record collection.

I really like the way my CD's sound. Records would develop scratches, and you cannot fix the scratch. I can easily resurface a cd for three dollars at many local video stores. The artists o collect do an excellent job of mastering the cd. Of course, some of the natural sound artifacts that make music more pleasant are missing. Yet, a lot of the noise and mistakes have artfully edited out. The way an album is produced greatly affects the final product.

I think the biggest appeal of vynil is the older recordings were made by better musicians under very strict guidelines. A lot of audio editing we do today was unavailable until the late eighties. The singers and the musicians had to be good because pitch and rhythm correction software wasn't invented. Singers had to sing in key and the muscians had to keep the time. A lot of times studio muscians made the records and the regular band members were used only for live performance. I think that a lot of the problems people have with the sound quality of CDs is that music used to master the CD was filled with mistakes that had to be edited out or corrected. A lot of music today sounds like spaghetti with sugar added to correct for salt that should never had been there would taste. The older recordings either did not have errors or small acceptable errors were included in the final master. What do you guys think?
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by usamimi »

Moving with records can be a pain, but it's not impossible. I moved from the Seattle area to the Dallas area & I was a little worried for my records, but they made it here just fine. (And they were on a moving truck for a week with the rest of my stuff!) I was lucky enough to have found a microwave box that was big enough for my record collection...now that we're getting ready to move again, though, I'm going to buy some plastic storage tubs to put em in this time around, since my collection has doubled since then xD

Scratches can happen with records, sure, but they're not as delicate as people seem to think. As long as you're not reckless, it's fairly easy to keep your collection in good shape. And there actually are ways to repair them, you just gotta learn how. It's all part of upkeep! ;)

Shelving can be an issue, you're right about that. I was lucky enough to find a cheap one with wide shelves at a thrift store for next to nothing. My dad used to just stack old milk crates into shelves (which also made moving easier). You don't HAVE to spend a lot of money, unless you're set on a specific look you want.
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llj
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by llj »

I do hear about how expensive some records are but my musical tastes aren't esoteric or discriminating; for the most part they are fairly common and generic, so older records seem to go for reasonably cheap. My tastes tend to fall mostly around the disco to 80s New Wave eras, and most of the popular bands associated with those years. I mean sure, someday I might move more towards the more underground/niche stuff which would be rarer

There are a lot of record stores around my area as well as many used media stores and I've flipped through them and found the ones I'd likely buy to be surprisingly cheap.
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by yusaku »

I did forget about using milk crates. It has been a long time since I have even seen any milk crates lying around so I did not think of that option. However, I am so particular about my collection I am certain my records would be in a cardboard box or in a nice display case. It has gotten to be all or nothing with me lately. I am a lot more picky than I used to be. I take a lot of expense, care, effort, and time building my collections so I am very insistent on being able to admire my hoard. I am almost behind on my DVD display cases. My DVD cabinet i just bought is almost full. I got CDs and DVDs on the floor again. I never completely fill a case because I got turn some DVD's on the side to show off the artwork. So, I am going to pass on the record collecting for now.
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by yusaku »

llj wrote:I do hear about how expensive some records are but my musical tastes aren't esoteric or discriminating; for the most part they are fairly common and generic, so older records seem to go for reasonably cheap. My tastes tend to fall mostly around the disco to 80s New Wave eras, and most of the popular bands associated with those years. I mean sure, someday I might move more towards the more underground/niche stuff which would be rarer

There are a lot of record stores around my area as well as many used media stores and I've flipped through them and found the ones I'd likely buy to be surprisingly cheap.
If you are in a good area to do some collecting. Cheap and abundant supply of records can make for a really good collection. Here in KC we wave a lot less record stores now. I would insist you get the best turntable you can get. A popular brand will support the turntable at least another twenty years because the company has deep pockets. Get what speakers you can afford after the turntable. You should be good to go.
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Re: Is vinyl really better than CDs, or is it just a myth?

Post by usamimi »

llj wrote:I do hear about how expensive some records are but my musical tastes aren't esoteric or discriminating; for the most part they are fairly common and generic, so older records seem to go for reasonably cheap. My tastes tend to fall mostly around the disco to 80s New Wave eras, and most of the popular bands associated with those years. I mean sure, someday I might move more towards the more underground/niche stuff which would be rarer

There are a lot of record stores around my area as well as many used media stores and I've flipped through them and found the ones I'd likely buy to be surprisingly cheap.
Yeah, most records I own are ones I found in thrift stores (the best place to look: most sell them for stupidly cheap, though admittedly that all depends on luck), record stores that have a good stock of old vs new, and some from my late father's collection. There's only a handful of newer records I've bought, and even then they were less than $20. Record collecting isn't hard to get into!
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