Vinyl's Comeback
- Thread starter mauidan
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sorry to continue with the ot tangent, but i have to mention that i've been on almost every audio forum thats existed in the last 10 years, even helped start and ran one for several years when i was dissatisfied with all of them, but i am not aware of a better forum than this for the range of topics being discussed, the participation by experts in their field, and most of all, the general civility of the membership. with whatever bumps are hit here and whatever personality conflicts arise, its still the best behaved membership and has the best moderation of any other forum out there.
All this talk about vinyl's "comeback" - but it's always been there - for serious listeners.
Then I see (repeated) reports of an increase in LP sales - but never *record players*. It appears previous owners of turntables are buying new pressings - or expanding their collections.
In an age of digital - smartphones, downloads, streaming, etc., it seems almost *no-one* (in general public) is buying a turntable.
Then I see (repeated) reports of an increase in LP sales - but never *record players*. It appears previous owners of turntables are buying new pressings - or expanding their collections.
In an age of digital - smartphones, downloads, streaming, etc., it seems almost *no-one* (in general public) is buying a turntable.
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Vinyl never left. The surge being reported is due, in part, to a lot of people who dumped their LP collections to embrace "perfect sound forever" never found that promised land, and a newer generation of young people, who (but not all) are getting into vinyl for some of the retro-cool cache it offers. Look at the number of current popular bands releasing material on LP.
Those that never found the digital promised land blame the format, but many who sold off their LP collections replaced them with inexpensive CD playback hardware, that also was flawed to a degree. Digital playback has come a long way in 30 years, but meantime vinyl playback has as well.
I would opine that a lot of folks older than 30-35 are now scouring LP shops to bay back records that they sold for pennies on the dollar, competing with younger people buying vinyl for the first time.
Those that never found the digital promised land blame the format, but many who sold off their LP collections replaced them with inexpensive CD playback hardware, that also was flawed to a degree. Digital playback has come a long way in 30 years, but meantime vinyl playback has as well.
I would opine that a lot of folks older than 30-35 are now scouring LP shops to bay back records that they sold for pennies on the dollar, competing with younger people buying vinyl for the first time.
But if CD was rapidly improving and servers made easier/more fun to playblack, why did they give *this* up ?
LP has improved - but usually at costly levels. I don't think a player at $1500 can beat a good DAC (Benchmark, Ayre) at the same money.
LP has improved - but usually at costly levels. I don't think a player at $1500 can beat a good DAC (Benchmark, Ayre) at the same money.
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as usual; software rules. take a great pressing of a great recording and play it on a modest tt and it rocks. very special sounding. you cannot keep the music down!
with vinyl; the guy with the best pressings has a significant advantage over the mega buck gear investment. it does not completely level the playing field but it can make a huge difference. and there are times I would prefer the right pressing on a modest tt to an ordinary one on the best tt.
sure; a 'Toys-Are-Us' tt might drag it down. but something nice but modest will still do things and give you musical information missing from the modestly priced dacs. I can pull out $1 records off my shelf that will easily reveal things that my SOTA Playback Designs digital will not ever be able to tell me.
there is a good reason that lots of vinyl fanatics (with modest vinyl systems) still pursue the best pressings. they sound much better. when a format has such a lot of headroom much is possible.
there are a couple of fellow employees who (through no influence of mine) recently started to listen to vinyl. both have purchased used Rega's under $1500 including the cartridges. they are in love with the sound quality and speak often about things they are hearing from favorites that they had never before heard from their digital experiences. they are excited about what it has done for their musical enjoyment.
my point simply is not to underestimate how much modest tt setups can deliver. and appreciate how good better sounding vinyl can sound. any old record on any old tt is something that is unpredictable. I will agree that good digital can be more consistent. but for many, the upside is not nearly as satisfying.
of course, there is a gotcha. the best pressings are not typically cheap or easily acquired. although sometimes very good ones are cheap.
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It's pretty clear (based on manufacturers' and retailers' sales data) that there has been a huge increase in sales of new LP playing equipment over the last 5 years. Whatever the reasons for this you can't deny it is happening (well you can say that, but you won't be believed). Furthermore, you may argue that "audiophiles" never gave up on the LP, and of course there is some truth to that, but published sales data show almost unmeasurable sales of new LP's for several years in the 1990's.
However, manufacturers of the uber turntables have been selling them as fast as they can build them, true that a lot of them are going East There are two top of the line TW Akustik, Three Walkers, and two TechDas AF1 in my small group of listening buddies. The 2009 downturn may have slowed the sale of statement record playing products, but ProJect, Music Hall, Rega, and especially VPI have enjoyed steady sales and growth
Excellent post and I agree completely. I'm also a perfect example for the crowd here as I don't own a SOTA vinyl front-end, and I have yet to hear a comparable DAC, or even more expensive ones, that provides me with an experience to consider makes a switch. A great recording on a $1,500-$2,000 vinyl front-end is really quite something to behold.
Have you ever heard of VPI? A New Jersey company that offers a wide range of price points. Their sales have continued to grow, which is a testament to their success as they are located in one of the most expensive states in the USA to live and have a business.
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