The antique tech shortage that hurts the vinyl boom

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In a world where a digital CD is as good as an MP3 or FLAC file vinyl is the only thing you HAVE to go to the story to buy. You can’t torrent or burn analog vinyl.

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Young folks are now understanding that “quality” takes time, it’s a good lesson.

PS. And Old folks are remembering why quality takes time, that’s a good lesson too.

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vinyl record resurgence

…is a thing?

Vinyl LP Frenzy

…is a real thing? In real life? I have not experienced this frenzy - well, not since the second Psychedelic Furs album. That was a while ago.

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Gotta say, I think that anyone who prefers vinyl who is listening on anything less than a $5000 system is just fooling themselves. I mean, unless they have a preference for a certain flavor of distortion that vinyl provides. But if they’re claiming the sound is cleaner or more accurate than a CD, I just don’t see it. Or perhaps more appropriately, hear it.

And even if they’re listening to it on a plus-$5000 system, I’m skeptical.

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So was vinyl of less quality when the waiting time was only a month? This has nothing to do with quality and everything to do with bandwidth constrained by the lack of equipment.

I like how it takes 8 and a half minutes in this 10 minute video, to get to the point where a vinyl record is made. Which means that it should have been called “how vinyl records are mastered”.

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Absolutely — it’s become almost a badge of honor among indie or even slightly-left-field bands to put their albums out on vinyl, and more and more albums are being remastered and rereleased on high-quality vinyl for devotees.

Vinyl fans tell me that vinyl offers ‘uncompressed sound’. I admit to collecting vintage vinyl, but it’s mostly for the beautiful packaging rather than for some kind of improved audio experience, because on my turntable, vinyl can be charitably described as “scratchily retro”.

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Yes it was less quality & duribility, and the weight of the new Vinyl Record is 180 -188 grams. A significant difference, will last longer & more durable. Have a nice day.

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I don’t live in a world where CD’s and MP3’s are equal in quality…

Anyone who listens on a $5000 system is fooling themselves.

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Similar to making tea or many other activities, I simply enjoy the ritual. You have to listen, you have to flip, and you better be doing it cause you like it. Similar to gardening or wood working, it is mindful and for me relaxing.

And my little Chinese tube amp sounds really neat :smile:

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for sure, some bands don’t even publish CDs any more - it’s either vinyl with download code or completely digital

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I have an oddball personal theory with vinyl: there’s some albums that I really enjoy listening to in it, specifically 60s-70s folk and folk-rock, because vinyl is how those albums were created to be heard. They were mastered and mixed to be heard in stereo on vinyl, so I’m hearing CSN the way that CSN was recorded to be heard.

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After having a couple of things I bought on iTunes simply disappear (Apple’s response: “Ooops, well, we can’t explain how it happened, and the idea of refunds for digital purchases is laughable”) and given the near impossibility of repairing a CD player I’ve started to see the advantages of vinyl.

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The weight (a.k. thickness) of the vinyl record has nothing to do with durability. It’s not like the thinner records were wearing through. The grooves are the same.

There’s nothing inherently or technically “uncompressed” about the vinyl format. The mastering may well be better, but less compression could, nay, should, be applied to CD mastering as well. The theoretical dynamic range of redbook CD far exceeds that of vinyl. It’s just that vinyl has skirted the loudness wars.

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It better not be using re-ground vinyl-that’ll make it sound like crap.

I should clarify the vinyl experience is not inherently better, but it is different like steam train or sea-liner vs airplane and if you want to experience the full vinyl lifetime down to wear and even skips you need a chunk of plastic.

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Except 180 gram has been available well before the current rush when waits were only a month. Second 180 while slightly (minute) more durable doesn’t sound better than 150 gram.

Quality vinyl is mostly about quality mastering.

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