I see no end to the interest in collecting/playback of LPs. I bought a bunch on eBay this weekend - including a 70's German Atlantic Led Zeppelin I ($23.50). Today's new artists want their music released on LP. Pressing plants have backlogs of orders to fulfill. Nagra has announced the production of their first turntable.
The past meets the future
I have become a huge advocate of streaming over the last few years as streaming has at long last reached audiophile sound quality. So, for someone that is new to audio or does not have a lot of money invested… it is hard to recommend this route.
However, as an old fart. One that suffered through low end turntables, unbelievable surface noise, scratched records, and debatable fidelity for much of his life. Owning a tremendous analog end is such a pleasure. I recently upgraded my contemporary Linn LP12 to nearly the maximum. I have a Audio Research Reference 3 phono stage so the sound quality is simply stunning.
Taking a Covid break and going to my local record store… buying a half dozen great old blues albums… cleaning up to pristine condition. It is such a pleasure to hear such fidelity and musicality from a ritual I have performed since a teenager… record store, spinning. That has been mainstream for me for over fifty years. I guess it is like the old Shortwave radio guys when I was growing up. They had the 25’ antenna sticking up above their suburban houses in the 1960’s.
Just a nod to the era and tradition that will soon pass into history. It has been a blast.