It's all good if you didn't spend it on audio you would be spending it on your psychiatrists spending it there.enjoy the music .I have spent money on cars that I wish I hadent but I had fun went fast was in many competing races and still do my corvette has been the best bang for the buck lt always works.im sure there is stuff in the audio world that is the same.stay healthy enjoy it all.
Records and CDs
I’ve just spent a couple of weeks exclusively going through my extensive record collection playing hardly any digital media and have come to some conclusions.
Records are fun and enjoyable to work with, but ultimately for a music lover they’re a dead end. Since very few new titles are being released on records these days I find myself going through mainly old familiar performances. Then there’s the age old problem of comparing the SQ of both media which is maddening. I just today went back to streaming (and CDs.). I clearly see, for me this is the way to continue my listening habits. Records can be used as a diversion but not the main event.
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- 76 posts total
I split my listening time between vinyl, CD, and digital (high-res files and streaming service like Spotify and Radio Paradise) and the sound quality varies greatly depending on the year something was originally issued and the specific medium, or the original master recording source (tape vs digital). Heck I have new records where the digital version is better (cleaner and more detailed and revealing) than the same album pressed on brand-new vinyl. I have recordings by artists whose catalog was predominately issued on CD and only now are being "remastered" for vinyl reissues. When I go to my local record store and I'm looking for new-to-me jazz/funk/R&B records I tend towards the used vinyl vs the new re-issues will most likely not be great and have less dynamic range. Heck, even the mid-80s 'cheap' reissues of jazz, blues, and R&B are closer to the original master tapes than today's reissues, and often the used copies sound way better. For newer electronic and ambient artists, most are releasing only high-res digital files, CDs and maybe special vinyl pressings. I tend to stick to digital files with a preference for CDs because I like having the physical package and the SQ of the CDs on my system sound great. I don't lean strongly towards one medium or the other as I buy music that is important to me personally for my collection. For everyday background listening with the family, it's strictly streaming. I use RP and Spotify as "new music to me" sources as well. I can dig deep into an artist's catalog without the expense of trying to buy every release. At the end of the day, listening enjoyment and getting the most out of my collection is what it is all about and seeking out the best recording version is what I try to do without bias towards one medium or another. |
As @benanders points out, the comparison can be invalidated just by the difference between the masters. You just don’t know what version the streaming services have. Most of the time it isn’t the same. Pressing itself matters even if it’s the same master. There are so many variables there’s just no way to win for either of the formats. |
- 76 posts total