Why are you a "slave to the vinyl"

[Jac Hawk]

Thought this would be fun and forgive me if i'm going over old ground, anyway i've recently got back into spinning the black rather than the silver disks, and one of the many reasons i love vinyl so much is that it doesn't allow me to skip tracks, it forces me to sit and listen to the full LP, meaning that the tracks that i may not like initially get a chance to grow on me, i can think of loads of LP's that i've listened to where i've gone from initially liking one of 2 tracks to loving the whole album, the convenience of CD sometimes robs you of this journey of discovery, and because of this i'll always be a slave to vinyl.:)

[John]

I think because I became to used to albums I never really became like that I like to listen to a whole album whatever the medium
What I love about vinyl is also what frustrates me
If i get a well mixed LP then nothing quite like it. Just hair standing on the back but when badly mixed which is way to often, then also nothing quite like it, I cannot even listen to it
I hate the fact that it pushes me to be a bit of audiophile (e.g serch for well recorded albums instead of whats more important and that is of course the music), but when its good then its just makes me feel so connected to the music

[Jac Hawk]

yes i know what you mean John, when it's right it sounds glorious, at the moment i don't have much on vinyl, i'm just building up my collection again, but what i am doing is getting the records that i remembered sounded great 1st before i go and buy stuff that i haven't listened to, up to now all i'm thinking is i wish i'd gone back to vinyl earlier:)

[Macca]

At the start of this year I had to decide which way I was going to go, source -wise - vinyl, CD or computer audio. I can't afford to pursue all three to the standard I want. When I started out CD was new on the scene and expensive. I had a decent TT so I continued to buy vinyl.

I didn't get a CD player until 1995. It wasn't until I properly sorted my system out in 2001 that I got the level of CD reproduction to a point where it bettered my TT set up. When my old Sony CDP packed in (2008) I was never able to get the same sound again even with more expensive and sophisticated players. They just don't sound like that old Sony.

Then I joined AOS ( 'cause it was mentioned in HFW - prior to that I had no idea that internet forums about Hi-Fi even existed:doh:) and bought a Croft valve pre amp with a phono stage - suddenly vinyl sounded good again. However, my records were mostly well played and dirty - skipping and sticking, also my stylus was past its best and the deck and arm now old and well used. So what to do? No question that vinyl would be the most expensive route to continue down as it meant, as a minimum buying an RCM, a new cartridge and, eventually, a new deck and arm.

Not just that but there is the problem of keeping the whole thing fetteled, replacing styli, belts, mats...

But, and to get to the point of the OP - vinyl - especially with the valves - just has a magic that is unsurpassed. And I use the word 'magic' with due consideration - there is Voodoo in the sound!

So tough decision was finally made - got a Moth RCM and got a new tip for the cart to tide me over. I sit here and listen to record after record all the time thinking - 'this sounds so good that it's nonsense'.

I bought 2 CDs from Amazon yesterday - cost £22 - Same day I also bought 15 vinyl albums locally - cost £15. And they have all cleaned up lovely on the Moth.

I don't often make good decisions - but I think this time I made the right one - vinyl all the way!:cool:

[WOStantonCS100]

It's simple really. Vinyl beats me daily. :eek:

:whippin:


I love music. I love hi-res analog audio reproduction. I love art. I love having all this in the same package.

[DSJR]

I just love music and no longer care what format it's on :lol:

[Rare Bird]

Best thing i did was dump Vinyl..Never again.

[DSJR]

I can't afford to replace many of my LP's and some of those I have, have not been mastered for digital very well, with excessive "No-Noise" to remove, rather than minimise tape hiss..

[Rare Bird]

Dave i understand replacing Vinyl with CD can be a very expensive doo, Looking at my wants list i have 461 more CD's to buy yet :( but believe me CD issues Vs some of my old Vinyl issues show clearly how shite Vinyl was to me, my Genesis, Yes & Van Der Graff Generator for isnstance were totally unbearable to listern to on Vinyl no matter which issue, on CD it's such a revelation for me to hear them in such clarity i almost wet my pants.

[Thing Fish]

For me vinyl wins hands down no question!

Its a much more tactile medium which for me adds to the overall experiance.

Searching for and finding that elusive first recording is also a joy that can't be surpassed.

You can pretty much just go out and buy a CD or download an mp3 at will. (who is this will?) and I do download the odd mp3 to check out new artists but will always seek out the vinyl version if its a keeper.

You can keep your CD's as far as i'm concerned the fact that Viny is still around after all these years is a testament to its longevity and strong audio qualities.

Those that think otherwise need to be locked in a small dark room with no dinner for a week...:lol:

[Jac Hawk]

Dave i understand replacing Vinyl with CD can be a very expensive doo, Looking at my wants list i have 461 more CD's to buy yet :( but believe me CD issues Vs some of my old Vinyl issues show clearly how shite Vinyl was to me, my Genesis, Yes & Van Der Graff Generator for isnstance were totally unbearable to listern to on Vinyl no matter which issue, on CD it's such a revelation for me to hear them in such clarity i almost wet my pants.

Is it the case that it's hard to get a good copy of what you want on vinyl :scratch: apart from needing a good clean all my recent purchases have been great, ok the odd crackle but nothing to loose any sleep over, and in my opinion vinyl has a nicer sound, not better but nicer.

[WOStantonCS100]

Ugggg... :doh: I thought this was a "why are you a 'slave to the vinyl'" thread. This kind of thread pooping gets :wheniwasaboy: quick. I'm sure there's plenty of space for a "why I love my silver puck" thread. Sheesh.

[Jac Hawk]

Ugggg... :doh: I thought this was a "why are you a 'slave to the vinyl'" thread. This kind of thread pooping gets :wheniwasaboy: quick. I'm sure there's plenty of space for a "why I love my silver puck" thread. Sheesh.

:lolsign::lolsign:

[Thing Fish]

I was thinking the same myself...!

Vinyl haters take a hike...:ner:

Today I picked up a mint 1970s copy of 'Tears for the tellerman' Pink rim Island label for a not unreasonable £8. It sounds georgous...:)

The last owner coudn't have played it much if at all?

It's finds like that that make vinyl collecting rewarding for me.

[chris@panteg]

[QUOTE=Thing Fish;219525]I was thinking the same myself...!

Vinyl haters take a hike...:ner:

Today I picked up a mint 1970s copy of 'Tears for the tellerman' Pink rim Island label for a not unreasonable £8. It sounds georgous...:)

The last owner coudn't have played it much if at all?

It's finds like that that make


Thats great , i guess if some folk don't like vinyl , then they don't like it lol.

I love the stuff.:)

[Jac Hawk]

I sorta get why some folks are put off though, some of the paraphernalia is kinda expensive and buying new vinyl isn't cheap either, i like to look at it more as a hobby rather than a way to enjoy music

[Thing Fish]

Buying new vinyl can be expensive now but that wasn't always the case. I like to spend less than £10 an album second hand but will part with a few sheckels more if its worth it.

I can't just give up on over 35yrs of vinyl collecting they mean too much to me.;)

Once you have a good vinyl setup its just a question of changing the pointy bit every few years.

The trick is to be satisfied and not to fiddle too much. Hard I know...:doh:

Being made redundant a few years back was a good way of stopping the flow of endless pennies into the dealers pockets. Now every small upgrade is carefully weighed up and considered before folding changes hands.

Now the pressure is off to upgrade that standard power lead to one sheathed in unicorn foreskin its actually a relief...;)

I just look forward to finding that elusive pink island label down the charity shop...:)

[Rare Bird]

When some of your albums go for around £800 second hand that alone puts me off Vinyl, yu say to yourself 'Ballerkz to that for a lark' i don't hate Vinyl Biff it's just that a lot what i listern to sound medicore on vinyl..

[WOStantonCS100]

When some of your albums go for around £800 second hand that alone puts me off Vinyl, yu say to yourself 'Ballerkz to that for a lark' i don't hate Vinyl Biff it's just that a lot what i listern to sound medicore on vinyl..

Hey Andre, never branded you a hater... It just wouldn't make much sense (to me) to jump in your recent thread and say something along the lines of "...old Trio amps always sounded like shite to me, so I moved on...". There's no point in it. Why wreck the good time folks are having looking and reveling in the memory of a particular amp, the Trio?? (They look cool to me.) I just dislike that type of posturing because it does little for "building up the community" and throws a thread way off track.

As with gear, great, horrible or in between, vinyl is loved for many reasons. Continually increasing vinyl sales attest to that fact. It may have slowed down seriously in the past few years (what hasn't?); but, it is still on an incline. CD's conversely are undoubtedly on a serious decline.

Dave eluded to the "tactile" thing and I agree. With vinyl, you have the real sense of "ownership"; that you own something of value. However, the sound is really thing. There's the love of that sound that, despite some very valiant attempts, you can still only get from an analog recording, LP or tape.

[Slippershod]

Today I picked up a mint 1970s copy of 'Tears for the tellerman' Pink rim Island label for a not unreasonable £8. It sounds georgous...:)


is that title right - or is it 'tea for the tillerman' which is one of those lps that seems to have been recorded (levelled?) so well that is sounds great almost regardless of use etc ? (sorry if I'm being stupid about the title).


I think there are lots of good reasons for not listening to vinyl ( I stopped using the Vinylengine website, fearing for my own sanity, when a thread was started about enlarging the centre hole in the disc to counter hole eccentricity ) but I haven't been able to kick it yet.

(Mind you, made me wish that nakamichi dragon 'centering' t/table I bought from the emporium a few years back had actually reached me in one piece .... :rolleyes:)


I can't deny the aesthetic (if not fetishistic :o) element is a strong one for me: I love the way many t/tables, arms and cartridges look, together with a disc with a cool label.

However, as with the OP's starter post, now I'm actually working through my records, and ripping them to file, some of the obsessiveness is paying off, as I'm hearing 'new' music (to me) at last.

And I think there is certainly truth in an original pressing in good nick sounding better than it's equivalent CD re-issue in some cases (if they've been re-issued at all of course).

[Thing Fish]

is that title right - or is it 'tea for the tillerman' which is one of those lps that seems to have been recorded (levelled?) so well that is sounds great almost regardless of use etc ? (sorry if I'm being stupid about the title).

AAaaaargh thats why it was cheap...!!!

No you are right its 'Tea for the Tillerman'

I must stop snorting Vim...:lol:

[WOStantonCS100]

Looks like a 200 gram reissue (http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/75015/Cat_Stevens-Tea_For_The_Tillerman-200_Gram_Vinyl_Record) is coming very soon. I always see this one in the record shops; so, I'm not sold on getting a reissue just yet. Hopefully, I haven't waited too long to where I have no choice (like I did with LZ II).

[Thing Fish]

That's a reasonable price for a 200g pressing providing it's good. Personally I always choose a first UK pressing given a choice.

Its a great record for those of a certain age.

[Jac Hawk]

Not really a cat stevens fan myself, but one of my newest purchases was a 1975 pressing of Elton John "Captain Fantastic" as far as i'm concerned it's his best work period, and the recording is fantastic, from start to finish a job well done IMHO, ohh and apart from needing a new inner sleeve and a clean, the record is mint, the best bit was it only cost me 99p on ebay

[Thing Fish]

What a result 99p!!!!

It's a great record for sure. And great album cover art.

[Jac Hawk]

What a result 99p!!!!

It's a great record for sure. And great album cover art.

even though it's a single album it comes in a gatefold, imagine my surprise when i found the artwork and lyrics booklets in the other half of the sleeve and again in mint condition

[Thing Fish]

I'm jealous! Mines a single sleeve but I did get a poster! Which was nice.

[Jac Hawk]

I'm jealous! Mines a single sleeve but I did get a poster! Which was nice.

think yours must be a reissue mate

[Thing Fish]

Thanks...:(

[Thing Fish]

I suspect it was and forever will be a reissue...:)

[WOStantonCS100]

Great record! I've got the US first pressing with gatefold and other assorted stuff. I like how they extended the artwork to the label as well. Very cool, indeed. I'm not sure how much it cost me at my usual haunt; but, somewhere around 99p (maybe a tad more) sounds about right. This is an album very much deserving of a heavy vinyl reissue, IMO.

[Rare Bird]

Hey Andre, never branded you a hater... It just wouldn't make much sense (to me) to jump in your recent thread and say something along the lines of "...old Trio amps always sounded like shite to me, so I moved on...". There's no point in it. Why wreck the good time folks are having looking and reveling in the memory of a particular amp, the Trio?? (They look cool to me.) I just dislike that type of posturing because it does little for "building up the community" and throws a thread way off track.



Thats right Biff, believe me i tried everything, the blinding cost of my musical selections on Vinyl, lead me to buying new re issues but they sounded no where near as good as the first issues :steam: .I'd hit a dead end every corner i turned, if i were to afford the required 1st issues i then be stuck with worn vinyl & packets.Me being me i expect everyone to look after stuff the way i do & when i can't get my hands on 40 year old records as mint as the day they was pressed something wouldnt register right in my head! Yeh i might seem a nutter i know but that's me..So you can really say i'm a slave to CD..

Sorry for going totally the opposite of what this topic is about :lolsign:

[WOStantonCS100]

Thats right Biff, believe me i tried everything, the blinding cost of my musical selections on Vinyl, lead me to buying new re issues but they sounded no where near as good as the first issues :steam: .I'd hit a dead end every corner i turned, if i were to afford the required 1st issues i then be stuck with worn vinyl & packets.Me being me i expect everyone to look after stuff the way i do & when i can't get my hands on 40 year old records as mint as the day they was pressed something wouldnt register right in my head! Yeh i might seem a nutter i know but that's me..So you can really say i'm a slave to CD..

Sorry for going totally the opposite of what this topic is about :lolsign:

There's still hope out there. I have several reissues that sound better than the original presses and certainly better than a worn copy. Just like CD it all depends on the selection. Not all vinyl pressings are good; neither all CDs. One of the main reasons why I stayed with vinyl is because very good LP pressings (still easily obtainable) and even some reissues were (and remain) far below the cost of a new CD and I prefer the sound of analog. Here in the US CD prices got up to and above $18-$20. That was the norm a short while ago. Pricey as that is, if my choice is to pay that much for a CD or an LP... ...it's the LP, for me.

Even while acknowledging the vinyl "oportunist pressers" putting out garbage, I have to give a nod to Acoustic Sounds and several others who are going out of their way to press high quality LPs, and again, there's a good lot of them that are comparatively priced.

[chris@panteg]

I recently bought a number of Stones remasters on vinyl and its all digital DSD , yet i really like the way they sound:scratch: makes no sense really , may as well buy them on CD , last week i got their 1st album in the post and played it on the QL1 , yes its a thin tinny , mono recording but i enjoyed it :)


I can't really explain my love for vinyl , its more than just the sound ! Its something else , i understand Andre's point of view , vinyl can be oh so frustrating and incredibly anal , but when its right and everything's on song , it can be such a joy , getting there is often a bumby ride though :)

[Clive]

I can't really explain my love for vinyl , its more than just the sound ! Its something else , i understand Andre's point of view , vinyl can be oh so frustrating and incredibly anal , but when its right and everything's on song , it can be such a joy , getting there is often a bumby ride though :)
Maybe that's part of it, it the weather is sunny all the time you don't appreciate the sun. If it comes and goes you really appreciate the sun when it appears.

[Slippershod]

Looks like a 200 gram reissue (http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/75015/Cat_Stevens-Tea_For_The_Tillerman-200_Gram_Vinyl_Record) is coming very soon. I always see this one in the record shops; so, I'm not sold on getting a reissue just yet. Hopefully, I haven't waited too long to where I have no choice (like I did with LZ II).


oops, realise I was referring, in my previous post above, to 'teaser and the firecat' in terms of recording and pressings quality; receiving the diverse vinyl newsletter this morning, looks as though the same company will be doing this one too (or am I really getting confused :rolleyes:)