Analog is the new pink

When I was a kid back in the 70's, my father had a TT based system and so did my older brother.

I had a few crappy things to play some records on, radio etc. I mostly listened to radio, as media was pretty much unobtainable with no income. I could only hope to be gifted something, maybe an occasional allowance. If PC's and downloading were common then like they are now, you can bet I would have been downloading constantly, and files without too much compression would have sounded infinitely better then what I was experiencing on old worn out gear.

The point I'm trying to make is that I read everywhere that people think kids don't understand what good sound is and/or appreciate it. I think it's quite contrary. I think that kids do, and they have it a lot better then most of the kids did back in "the good ol' days". Sure I've heard them running around with iPods and headphones they came with, but I have often seen these kids try a different set of headphone and watch their eyes light up, adults too.

If vinyl IS a fad/trend, then so be it. I have to agree that if it's helping to keep the interest alive then that's good for us vinyl lovers. I do feel that there are so many things that can go with a basic TT setup, used or otherwise, that the "hip~ness" of it may be enough to keep some interested, but not over the long haul. Hopefully, there will be a few interested enough to get it right and I dont doubt that there will be.

I am putting together a bunch of jazz LPs of which I own duplicate copies to give to my 29-year-old nephew. Last time I visited his home in Michigan, I was happily surprised to see a turntable in a small cabinet system. He actually remarked that this particular tt was not nearly as good as the one he and his wife had owned in their previous home. He was thinking about an upgrade. One must encourage such behavior.

As a college "kid" myself, I'd like to chime in here. I own a Pro-Ject RPM 4, a Dynaco PAS-2, Dynaco ST-70, and A-25's, and I'd like to say that vinyl is indeed better. It does seem like my friends and people I talk to (the ones who wear silly sweaters and thick glasses) seem to be into vinyl only for the "cool" factor. They seem to be genuine, but when I ask them how they clean their LPs, or how they store them, they give me blank stares. I've been collecting for about 8 or 9 years, and I hope to continue for quite some time. The "Hipster" effect is certainly there, and its something to take into consideration, but in my opinion, let them do their thing, and let me stick with my vacuum tubes.