Will I move to digital as I age?

[Johnny Vinyl]

I'm 65 years old and although my overall health is fine, I have noticed that my mobility has taken a noticeable turn for the worse. My hands/fingers aren't as steady & flexible, I have a more difficult time getting up from a crouched position and I don't bounce back as easy as I once did. This got me to thinking that as the years pass the pleasure I get from playing my vinyl might become more of a hindrance than I'm willing to deal with. Even though I have my turntable on a rack that is just below chest level ( eliminating the need to bend my back) I still have to bend down many times to select an album from my storage units. Am I going to go through this when I'm 80? I doubt it.

At the moment I'm not in the least bit interested in streaming, but I think for now that building up my CD/SACD library is something I should consider.

Does this make sense?

 

[NorthStar]

John, it's very tough to predict the future.
Me I don't even know if I'm going to make it to Christmas. But I don't think about it even with the physical handicaps showing more and more everyday.
I can still lift off and put a CD in the drawer and push the tray button.

I tell you this; I wouldn't mind @ all to talk to Alexa and say: "Please Alexa put the 6th of Beethoven, give me your best shot/version."

But this too; there is nothing more romantic than a couple in their eighties sitting together on the balançoire in their front yard and watching the whales and the sailing boats from the ocean across the beach and see the man getting up to switch the album's side on the platine.

 

[Steve Williams]

Makes total sense John but never say never re streaming music

 

[asiufy]

Hi John,

If you're going to get up, might as well be to change LPs, not CDs.
I'd do streaming, and just purchase the CDs you really enjoy, to get the better sound quality (as Tidal usually doesn't sound as good as a good CD pressing). Rip those CDs, and enjoy the best of both worlds.


cheers,
Alex

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Makes total sense John but never say never re streaming music

For now it's not a consideration as I'm a total physical media guy, but I won't rule it.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hi John,

If you're going to get up, might as well be to change LPs, not CDs.
I'd do streaming, and just purchase the CDs you really enjoy, to get the better sound quality (as Tidal usually doesn't sound as good as a good CD pressing). Rip those CDs, and enjoy the best of both worlds.


cheers,
Alex

I'll be spinning vinyl for as long as I can..believe me. I already have several hundred CD(mostly)/SACD titles and would build on some faves I don't yet have on those formats. We'll see what happens with streaming and I won't rule it out...I promise.

 

[asiufy]

I know, vinyl is forever That's why I said, if you're going to stand up, might as well be for a good cause!
Anyway, if you need help making sense out of all the streaming stuff, let me know!

cheers,
Alex

 

[Ron Resnick]

NO JOHNNY! It makes no sense to me whatsoever!

If you love the sound of analog I recommend you audition the ELP laser record player rather than succumb to the dark side of digitis.

If that doesn’t fly, and if you have to switch to listening to music derived from 0s and 1s, then I recommend you buy the best MSB DAC you can afford. (I have no idea what’s going on inside those MSBs but, as far as digital goes, they sound to me to be doing something right.)

 

[Dimfer]

next time you drive to Edmonton, give me a call. I’d volunteer to show you streaming is not that bad after all, esp if you have Roon because you still get to read a lot of stuff like you do with LP’s

 

[Lagonda]

As your hearing will probably deteriorate with your mobility anyway, digital makes perfect sense !

 

[spiritofmusic]

The problem will be more taking a nap as the record plays, and waking up to find you've missed the whole album.

 

[Recordsguy]

I can dig what'you're saying because at[67]I'm slowing down too,hang on as long as you can like you as long as I can get to the turntable I'll be playing vinyl.

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

Ha! I have told many people selling used vinyl to stop putting them so damn low or even on the ground in crates. They look at me and I tell them its us old farts buying this stuff (especially classical)and if you want to sell it to me don't make me get down on the floor to look at them. Some times it gets through, most of the time its bugger off old man (I am 57).

I have also just recently personally packed and humped 50 boxes of vinyl out of my home and into storage as we have moved, so there is that physical labor operation. I also have had a personal come to Jesus with myself asking if I really need to be buying more vinyl and after abstaining for a short while, evidently sadly,the answer is yes as I hang my head in shame.

So at this time I am listening to all digital off my laptop/external 4Tb hard drive and headphones. I also have a Bluetooth HK speaker for room noise.

So Johnny I sit on the same fence as you at this point in my life. Not looking forward to unpacking all that vinyl again, my back is still pissed. I love to sit in my chair and have any music I want at my finger tips without getting up. I do love to stream, love my Grant Green Pandora station, can let it run24/7. I have discovered so much new music just letting it run on. I have my entire cd collection since there has been cd's on my hard drive for my listening pleasure.

Digital is so easy and care free, but dang nabit when I want to jam for hours, I still prefer vinyl.

Mike

P.S. If you are going to go digital, ditch the disc completely and be done with it.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

P.S. If you are going to go digital, ditch the disc completely and be done with it.

Done.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Hi,

One option that might help is to position your TT on a coffee table on side table literally adjacent to your chair so you don’t actually have to get up at all. At the start of your listening session when you walk into the room, grab a wedge of LPs at random on your shelf and stick them next to your chair. This way you rediscover your LPs, don’t have to get out your chair, and save yourself from early onset health problems as a result of needing to listen to digital.