I know it's all the rage, and I have some friends that have turned into vinyl fiends. Why should I spend the time, effort, and money to go to the store, buy vinyl, get a good turntable, and every time I want to listen to a new song or artist, I have to manually switch the disc?

This isn't the 1970s, we have fucking computers. I'm not putting in that much effort to get some marginal increase in sound quality. Tell me why I'm wrong.

3/15/2012 11:28:00 AM

don't anger the hipsters

3/15/2012 11:28:57 AM

same shit happened about 13 years ago.

oddly enough, some of the indie shit i bought then i've sold on ebay recently for >$100

3/15/2012 11:29:50 AM

Quote :

"don't anger the hipsters"

3/15/2012 11:36:08 AM

who told you there would be an increase in sound quality? lol

thats the last reason to switch to vinyl.

it only sounds "better" for certain types of music, but it certainly isnt higher quality.

3/15/2012 11:37:47 AM

That's the only legitimate reason I've heard. If that's the last reason, what are the first reasons?

3/15/2012 11:40:28 AM

If you are taling DVD-Audio or SACD then I'd agree that the difference is not noticeable but there is most assuredly an audible difference between CD and vinyl.

I was buying up albums like crazy about 6 years ago before most good deals disappeared. I buy mostly new stuff now when I go to concerts; a majority of albums come with a free digital download code and it's nice to have something you can hold from for the purchase.

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 11:47 AM. Reason : asdf]

3/15/2012 11:42:36 AM

i should offload the rest of my stuff before people stop buying vinyl again.

i haven't had a way to listen to it in years

3/15/2012 11:55:21 AM

I have these little retro cartridges you've never seen before that I'd be willing to part with. Music sounds AMAZING on them. So much better than this digital crap. Some of them are even custom recordings from 30 years ago. Super rare!

3/15/2012 12:25:19 PM

you laugh, but cassettes are back in the hipster community.

it's dumb as fuck.

3/15/2012 12:27:52 PM

They're pretty handy when you've got an empty shelf that needs filling.

3/15/2012 12:28:33 PM

I like having cassettes!

they are more portable and robust than vinyl

and, like vinyl, they are a really awkward format to convert to digital files
so that's fun

3/15/2012 12:36:36 PM

I don't buy vinyl, but I buy CDs for several reasons:

1) It's nice to get a physical object when you pay for something. I also appreciate the effort many artists put into the packaging/artwork. Unwrapping CDs is fun.

2) I like to buy direct from the artist or label. This means either a CD/vinyl or direct download, and direct downloads are usually not the highest quality. CDs/LPs are lossless. Some labels don't even offer downloads.

3) The physical act of grabbing a physical CD from your collection and popping it in adds to the experience. It's mostly nostalgia, but it makes me happy so whatever.

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 12:56 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2012 12:44:17 PM

LOL at the idea of handling a physical object being nostalgiac.

Not making fun of you, it just makes me laugh.

All the cool kids are playing music with their mind control device these days.

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 12:48 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2012 12:47:51 PM

judging from this thread, you probably shouldn't buy vinyl. I don't think anyone with any sense is going to argue that one, it's just one of those things that you're into or you're not

3/15/2012 12:48:13 PM

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 12:58 PM. Reason : misread]

3/15/2012 12:49:05 PM

I've got some 78's. I never listen to them either.

But sometimes I pet them gently.

You guys ever read about that guy that can read vinyl grooves by eyesight and hear the music in his head? No joke. It's pretty cool.

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 12:51 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2012 12:49:17 PM

It's a musical pissing contest basically. Sure vinyl sounds better than CDs if you can ignore the constant hissing and popping in the background. Or if you have tens of thousands to spend on a laser turntable.

This stuff all goes in cycles. When CDs first came out and were super expensive and exclusive, it was "common knowledge" in audiophile circles that they were superior to vinyl. Now the situation is reversed. Don't believe the hype.

[Edited on March 15, 2012 at 3:59 PM. Reason : ...]

3/15/2012 3:58:39 PM

wax cylinders > vinyl

3/15/2012 4:00:29 PM

analog > digital

3/15/2012 4:10:47 PM

this reminds me of when someone asked people here to pay extra money to buy music from a local music shop just to support the business.

sometimes you gotta just know when to cut the cord and get in the correct decade.

3/15/2012 4:16:36 PM

yeah, fuck supporting local businesses

big box is WHERE IT'S AT

3/15/2012 4:22:32 PM

I have a bunch of old records that I've bought at flea markets, used bookstores, etc, but my turntable needs a cartridge. :-/
But I primarily bought them because they were cheap in most cases, or in the case of a few that I actually paid > $5 for, because I thought it was cool to have the album in its original format.

It's not really about sound quality. Some people probably do claim that, given a fresh record and a perfect needle/cartridge, vinyl is superior, but I don't buy it.

3/15/2012 4:58:27 PM

Quote :

"yeah, fuck supporting local businesses big box is WHERE IT'S AT"

come on man, join the 21st century. we have wal mart, best buy, amazon, and mcdonald's. what more do you need?

3/15/2012 5:01:45 PM

Amazon Prime is the best 80 bucks I've ever spent.

3/15/2012 5:08:17 PM

Somethings sound better on vinyl. Stevie Wonder, James Brown, 70s rock etc. There is a certain quality to it. Some things sound better on cassette tape - hardcore bands, early sludge bands. Most things the difference is unnoticeable. Some of it is nostalgic for me though ie remembering my dad playing Sam Cooke records on vinyl when i was a kid

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

3/15/2012 5:20:47 PM

i wish my father hadn't thrown out the few hundred albums he had

I'D BE SELLING THE SHIT OUT OF THEM

3/15/2012 5:23:18 PM

I started buying vinyl because it introduced me to things I wouldn't normally think to look into as a high schooler really into music. It was cheaper, etc. I buy it mostly nowadays for similar reasons, and for reasons already mentioned by other users. I took a break from it for a long time, but have a pretty decent collection.

The sound quality thing probably isn't something that should be in the argument. It's not that it's a marginal difference, it's that most people can't tell the difference. I don't claim to be one that does, but with the right equipment (and you really don't have to get crazy on it), the music sounds a lot warmer than its digital counterpart.

Not really sure why you didn't post this in the thread in Entertainment, but if you don't want to go out and buy records, I doubt anyone cares. In fact, I'd rather you not if you're just buying it to be trendy. It's clear that you're already judging others for buying records and such.

It's a fucking hobby, folks. No more, no less.

3/15/2012 5:25:02 PM

Theres also a ton of older things that simply can't be found on CD or mp3 (even on the secret torrent sitez)

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

3/15/2012 7:28:22 PM

Quote :

"It's a fucking hobby, folks. No more, no less."

pretty much this.

3/15/2012 7:52:24 PM

Because you can put this shit on vinyl when the ladies come over. Putting on a rekord is a little more romantic than being like "Hold on let me plug in my iPad"

I'm Krallum and I approved this message.

3/18/2012 3:51:55 PM

Quote :

"don't anger the hipsters"

3/18/2012 5:35:10 PM

why would you want to use an outhouse?

3/18/2012 5:40:03 PM

If you want to impress experts, you go ahead and do things the hard way
If you want quality and precision, you go ahead and do things the hard way
If you want a cheap imitation knockoff, you do things the easy way

3/18/2012 6:19:00 PM

I do it as a hobby, picked it up from my Dad (when I was a kid we'd go to flea markets and yard sales looking for them). I realize it's super hip now but I'm not really "knowledgeable" enough or have enough money invested in it to impress anyone. I buy albums that I love from bands that I love, or vinyls that look interesting and I have no idea what they are (strange names or graphics that catch the eye).

3/18/2012 6:22:15 PM

I only watch TV in black and white. I used to be into HDTV, but then everyone else started watching it, and I was all like, ehhhh.....

3/18/2012 6:29:02 PM

i like the crackle

that's why I buy them

3/18/2012 6:51:20 PM