I am currently right in the middle of rediscovering the joys of vinyl again after spending 20 years with digital. At this point, very early in the vinyl game, I feel as if I wasted 20 years and tons of money on digital.
Recently, I finally purchased a 'decent' phono preamp, my ears and brain have been filled with amazement as to how much more organic, live and real sounding vinyl is. Now we are comparing an $8,000 digital rig to a $3700 vinyl setup. I won't say every parameter of performance is improved, but the musicality of the vinyl vs. the analytical nature of my digital setup makes the choice a no brainer, I will take the musicality any day!
Small ticks and pops don't bother me (but then my early days were all vinyl so maybe I'm used to it), all the other chores to do with vinyl I've found to be rather enjoyable, more investment in the care of music get you more involved in that music (strange psychological phenomenon here).
Anyway, I'm through with digital in the short run, in the long run I will keep the digital setup I have or perhaps even upgrade, I have way too many obscure cds that will likely never come out on vinyl. I also have over 5,000 cds which will certainly keep me in cd. Having said that, I'm now in the process of culling and selling off cds to fund my vinyl collection.
I am also now in the process of planning about $3200 worth of upgrades to the vinyl rig, this was money formerly earmarked for a digital upgrade.
Perhaps the most difficult part of this 'conversion' has been the realization that 5,000 cds are now worth that much less to me, and I need to replace much of that music with vinyl, big bucks and major searching for replacements.
Large investments of time and money bring psychological commitment to digital and/or analog rigs we've put together, I know this commitment is what kept me away from analog for so long, its hard to tell yourself the path you've been on for so long is perhaps not the correct one for yourself.
This is not to say analog and digital can't live together, my long term goal is to maximize the strengths of both, enjoying both for what they are. Don't look at going into vinyl as a defeat for digital, rather see it as a win/win situation, most everything in life is not a zero sum game, enjoy both!
Recently, I finally purchased a 'decent' phono preamp, my ears and brain have been filled with amazement as to how much more organic, live and real sounding vinyl is. Now we are comparing an $8,000 digital rig to a $3700 vinyl setup. I won't say every parameter of performance is improved, but the musicality of the vinyl vs. the analytical nature of my digital setup makes the choice a no brainer, I will take the musicality any day!
Small ticks and pops don't bother me (but then my early days were all vinyl so maybe I'm used to it), all the other chores to do with vinyl I've found to be rather enjoyable, more investment in the care of music get you more involved in that music (strange psychological phenomenon here).
Anyway, I'm through with digital in the short run, in the long run I will keep the digital setup I have or perhaps even upgrade, I have way too many obscure cds that will likely never come out on vinyl. I also have over 5,000 cds which will certainly keep me in cd. Having said that, I'm now in the process of culling and selling off cds to fund my vinyl collection.
I am also now in the process of planning about $3200 worth of upgrades to the vinyl rig, this was money formerly earmarked for a digital upgrade.
Perhaps the most difficult part of this 'conversion' has been the realization that 5,000 cds are now worth that much less to me, and I need to replace much of that music with vinyl, big bucks and major searching for replacements.
Large investments of time and money bring psychological commitment to digital and/or analog rigs we've put together, I know this commitment is what kept me away from analog for so long, its hard to tell yourself the path you've been on for so long is perhaps not the correct one for yourself.
This is not to say analog and digital can't live together, my long term goal is to maximize the strengths of both, enjoying both for what they are. Don't look at going into vinyl as a defeat for digital, rather see it as a win/win situation, most everything in life is not a zero sum game, enjoy both!