Analog playback on computer.

@gdnrbob 

For me, it's that I grew up with vinyl. I remember the pops and ticks, the stuck needle, having to walk carefully so as not to have the needle jump, and getting up every 1/2 hour to turn the lp over.

Yes, also digging in the crates for vinyl, old dusty vinyl, to find something that you never heard before, something that wasn't digitalized yet, something rare. This is about new discoveries, this philosophy is completely oppisite to the digital world of streaming. Millions of records from the golden era are unknown, not the mainstream music, but very interesting music from all over the world in different genres. Recorded on independent labels, private presses etc. 

This is all about record collection and this is why record collector and audiophile is not the same.

Audiophiles are more concerned about quality, but the record collectors are about new discoveries on original vinyl. Nothing can replace the original vinyl for the collector. Digital is nothing, really. 

In my opinion Record Collector & Audiophile is the best combination, but it is all about analog, digital has no value!  

@chakster ,
Yes, there are many great LP recordings that haven't been digitized. (I bought a few that I need to send to get converted).
Though I must admit that what is now offered on Spotify is much greater than anything I could have imagined. I have discovered composers I never knew existed.
B

@chakster    digital has no value!

I.m sorry but I couldn't disagree more, I think we are all audiophiles and also record collectors. Why else would we buy recordings and also try to update the sound quallity on our equiptment when time and money allows us to do it. What I will throw into the pot is the term Music Lover. That is what got me into hi fi in the first place as I used to listen to music on valve radio when I was a boy and I derived a lot of pleasure from it. When I got older and started working for a living I then could buy Hi fidelity equiptment to play recordings on so that I could get more pleasure from my first love, being a music lover. Now there are some audiophiles and some record collectors who are not music lovers, you just have to look at their record collections to find it out. They generally have their music and hi fi bought from suggestions garnered from music and hifi rags . I have seen it first hand on many occasions and on visiting some of them they have usually told me they have bought from reviews from Hi Fi News and Gramophone and never even hear before they purchased. Some have even said they have bought because they liked the nice glow the valves gave off or their wife liked that box because it would fit in with the decor and again not hahing listened before purchase. I would have a component in a biscuit tin if it gave better sound.
No I shall always remain a music lover and I love streaming now because I have a computer that is as good sounding as my Gryphon CD player and I can also listen to a recording before I decide to buy it in hi rez format and it won't deteriorate no matter how many playings.

I've been scrutinizing HD downloads all morning, and they are the ultimate; no cracks or pops.

I can understand how much fun people derive from playing with their very expensive "eye candy" toys, and refuse to admit that there is a new "high end" kid on the block; never the less, the new kid is the winner; less money and baggage.

No cracks, no pops, no phisical media, no sleeve, nothing ... and easy to copy. I can understand if you're talking about new music recorded digitally, but if you're talking about great heritage of the 50s, 60s, 70s which was recorded 100% analog on mastertape, how come your digital high-resolution files can be better? Digital remaster of the analog source is the worst thing on the planet, it's better to not touch the great recordings from the past, just playing the original LPs on our expensive toys. 

The difference is that some of the old LPs are highly collectible and the prices goes up every year. I'm not talking about some pop sh*t. I'm about real music. 

The vinyl has value, it's an investment. It's real thing.
And like the collectors of Art no one interested in digital copies, only originals. 

Even 20 years old hipsters are into vinyl nowadays, because it's the real thing and digital generation of kids realizing it. 

Vinyl can not be replaced by any other media, it's the best media out there and that's why it's still alive. Pressing plants are still working all over the world.