Why Do You Still Have Vinyl if You Don't Play it?

Every recording and/or playback technology will have drawbacks. Vinyl is better than current digital at the moment. But with rediculously expensive digital system, they are sometimes better. The analog to digital converters and clock system must be top notch and sample at rates so high the resulting signal will look like analog. We aren't there yet. So, I have both analog and digital. When I really want to hear the soul of music, it is definitely analog. However, my digital rig is very good also. My CD transport through my DAC sounds wonderful. I do remember however, that back in the day, reel to reel blew away vinyl. But it was a serious pain to record to tape unless you bought directly from the master tape recording to reel to reel. But I can tell you that tape produced that way was much better (to me) than vinyl.

But for now, until digital surpasses vinyl, which it will eventually in one form or another, a very good vinyl rig is still better. But not by much anymore. However, a very good vinyl rig will seriously blow away an inexpensive digital set up if the DAC is not very good.

enjoy

I think the discussions were on track. They drifted because discussions do that. Why people don't play their vinyl? Well, many reasons were listed and I will list some also that I can think of.
1. Lazy
2. Cleaning records to the extent that by the time you are done you have lost all of your time.
3. Getting up every few minutes to change sides.
4. New and better phono stages require upgrading. I guess this could be true for CD transports and DACs also.
5. Totally forgot how much better analog recording/playback is to digital and can no longer remember the difference.

The other night, I was at home with a friend listening to music. I have a McIntosh Labs music server through a Theta DS Pro Gen III DAC. I also have a stand alone CD Transport through a Theta DS Pro Gen VA DAC and also my Sota Star Turn Table through an Audio Research phono stage. We had a blast listening to great music and comparing.

We listened to music via the music server/DAC combo. It was great. Then, I switched to the same CD via my CD transport/DAC combo. Night and day difference. Much more open sound and sound stage via the CD Transport DAC. Oh and by-the-way, the music server digital output through the gen VA day sounds not close to as good as the CD transport DAC combo. but wow! great sound. CD transport made you not want to get up. Then, I swithed to the album and turn table for the same recording and lo and behold, extreme night and day difference. The Turn Table/phono stage combo versus the music server and CD elements was wonderful. It reminded me why I listen to albums. I remind myself all the time why I need to take the time to clean my records and listen. One can get complacent listening to digital and then when you go and compare. You match levels and listen. The turn table analog sound is just wonderful. So add complacency to the list also as to why people don't listen.

But, for fun. turn your system on. Get the cd of your favorite music and the album (recorded analog, not from digital). match levels on your pre-amp and sit back and listen.

enjoy.

Nsgarch; your post is well stated and written. I guess the point I was trying to make but failing, was that the music was great using my digital format, but when I actually listened to vinyl and more importantly, compared using the same recordings in digital and vinyl, this showed me clearly what I am missing in digital. This is not to say that digital isn't great now. it is very good. However, there still are great differences between the formats. Not as wide a gap as before, but everyone I know that has listened to digital and then to vinyl (especially the ones that are not into music or audiophiles), jaws drop at the differences they hear.

To me, and my absolute enjoyment of good music, this is why I still have vinyl.

When a format comes that is compact as digital and as good or better than vinyl in terms of sound stage reproduction, dept, etc. I have no problem moving to that new format. having albums around and turn tables and phono stages, etc. and cds all over the place does take up room. I would love to have a music server/DAC do everything as well or better than my analog equipment. Unfortunately, it is not there yet and when it does come out, initially, I wouldn't be able to afford it anyway. So to me, it isn't about storage or space it always has been about the music. I played classical music via violin, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, sax, etc. I have a real problem if the reproduced music doesn't sound like I know it should. The worst part as I mentioned previously, is one can get use to a certain sound reproduction and come to believe it is accurate, and then listen to a different set up or analog and understand that they really are missing something.

so, really,,,enjoy