CDs Vs LPs

It’s nice to see this topic being discussed without devolving into a shouting match. I’m a digital guy myself. I have a turntable and three or four hundred Lps as well as a couple hundred cassettes but don’t listen to them much. I have a large collection of cds and I also enjoy the wide variety of music available on streaming services. It’s nice to be able to try before you buy and listen to stuff you won’t buy but would like to hear once or twice.

Nobody is wrong in their choice of format. It’s a matter of hearing, system and taste. All of which are different for each one of us. Some people love vinyl and digital hurts their ears. That’s just the way they are and there’s nothing wrong with that. Other people prefer the sound of digital. There’s no right or wrong in general, it’s a matter of preference.

Album is the term that Lps and Cds share. Sgt. Pepper’s is an album whether it’s on Lp or Cd.

The term album comes from the days before vinyl. You could only fit one song per side on 78s made of shellac. So if you wanted a collection of your favorite performer’s music, you would buy an album bound with leather or cardboard. The pages would be paper sleeves that you would store individual 78s in. I suppose you could buy an empty album or one already filled with 78s. It’s the same idea as photo albums, which you buy with empty pages and slide pictures into the pages. The name transferred to Lps, which are also collections of songs.

You younger people, ask your parents or grandparents, they probably have a photo album somewhere. Maybe even an album of 78s.

Imo, record, short for a recording of music belongs to both formats too.

Ralph, It is possible that vinyl does not sound good to some people, just as some people will not listen to digital in any form, even Lps that have digital anywhere in their lineage.  We all hear differently.

This is why digital still sounds bright, even when used with a super high end DAC.

You need to add "to me" or "to vinyl afficianados" to make this statement correct.  To anyone with a decent system, digital no longer has to sound bright.  I strongly dislike overly bright sound and I listen to a lot of cds without problem.

The CD vs LP debate is about preference, not who's right or wrong.  I hope we can get past that old argument someday.  Both formats are capable of very good and very bad sound.

OK Ralph, you're right.  There's no such thing as a not very well built or poorly set up turntable or cartridge, no damaged vinyl, no dirty records, no off center spindle holes, no poorly recorded LPs.

Everything in vinyl land is  just as good as it can be.  Every playback of every LP is indistinguishable  from live musicians playing in the room.  I don't know what got into me that I forgot all that for a minute.  Thanks for correcting my thinking.

Ralph, I don’t want to have this discussion. That’s why in my first post I said:

The CD vs LP debate is about preference, not who’s right or wrong. I hope we can get past that old argument someday. Both formats are capable of very good and very bad sound.

and I’ll leave it at that.