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When do you choose vinyl over digital?

For those who play (and buy) both vinyl records and CDs (or digital downloads or CDs ripped to a server), here's my question:
When contemplating a new purchase, something that is available on vinyl and on CD, how do you decide which to get? For me, the choice is sometimes easy -- when, say, a longtime favorite artist comes out with a new album, I'll most likely get the vinyl, adding to my collection. Others, whose work I've mostly got on CD (or don't have much of in any format) might lend themselves to picking up the shiny disc. But sometimes I can't decide.
One example: I've heard (and enjoyed) some Vampire Weekend and felt like giving them a listen. I can pick up their three CDs for a bit less than $30, or could get the trio of vinyl recordings for not quite twice that amount. I haven't pulled the trigger because I'm not sure which way to go.
When in similar straits, which way do you lean -- and why?
Thanks.
-- Howard
hodu

Showing 2 responses by heyraz

heyraz
177 posts
 
I'm with Hevac1. If it was recorded for vinyl release (old stuff), that's when vinyl shines. If it falls into the "CD is Best" abyss and wasn't recorded with vinyl in mind, most of the time I find the vinyl re-issue isn't so good.
So I stick with the media for which it was originally meant to be played on.
heyraz
177 posts
 
The problem with some vinyl is that different issues of the same recording often don't sound the same. If I'm buying used, I look for the original press, which is difficult unless you know what you're looking for. First pressings are usually the best, everything after that seems to degrade. Some of the new re-masters have been outstanding, some are an embarrassment.
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