Jimbos Audio ramblings

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Originally Posted by Macca

I usually have about a four hour session and when I was running both vinyl and digital it would be one or the other, I don't like to change lanes once I'm underway. So soon rack up the hours.

I would wait until I heard degradation before changing the stylus and that isn't a good idea as before you actually hear it going bad there's a risk of damage to the record.

I've read different things about looking at the stylus to check wear. Some say you can't tell others say that you can. Either way seems like a ball-ache too far. The CD is the same every time, no wear and when the player packs in you know right away. I mean my Audiolab transport cost the same as a replacement stylus for my cartridge and although it will die at some point it won't be after only six months and its 'objective' sound quality is better than any turntable system at any price.

Yes I like records, I like turntables, I like playing records, and good quality records on a good deck sound great but overall there's so many other problems aside from the expense (which has now got silly) - that's why the world moved on.

(Yes I do want that Accuphase but so far manage to talk myself out of it).

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Except the world did not move on - it moved backwards, back into vinyl and CD was shown the door. :)

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Except the world did not move on - it moved backwards, back into vinyl and CD was shown the door. :)

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Give it time, 15 years ago I predicted that vinyl would come back because it's cool and retro - and it did.

I'm predicting CD will come back because people will eventually realise the value in owning a hard copy of the mastering they prefer. One that is an exact copy of the recording, not a bastardization, and which doesn't warp, get noisy, need cleaning etc etc.

CD still shifting more units than vinyl, it's just the total revenue for vinyl is higher because of the premium price.

Adjust for inflation from 1985 to present:

A vinyl new release (£5 in 1985) should cost £15 but it's usually £25

For CD a new release (£12 in 1985) should cost £35 but is usually £10

In any case both a still niche formats since the vast majority of people only use 'free' streaming services. The Wetherspoons of music consumption.

Yeah true steaming is the worlds preferred choice of music consumption because its FREE!

There is a small CD revival happening already as folk can pick up true bargains in crate digging stores etc and I have started to read more articles suggesting CD is actually a better medium for digital playback than file based audio or Hi Rez streaming so I can imagine that would be another vindication for you Martin?

Like I have said before I don't listen to vinyl for anything other than its SQ. Yes its inconvenient and has loads of problems and I am not into the retro thing or even the big deal over the "ritual" and album art. Nope, I only listen to vinyl for one reason. For me it simply sounds better than any digital set up I have ever heard.

still buy cd's here. i copy them for ease of use but i wont get rid. still got loads of vinyl too but no means of play now:D

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Originally Posted by Macca

(Yes I do want that Accuphase but so far manage to talk myself out of it).

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Tis a thing of beauty, and likely the last disc-spinner you'll ever need. And most other Accuphase gear I see coming up seems to be the wrong voltage. If my numbers come up I'll buy it for you... who am I kidding, if my numbers come up I'll buy it for myself :D

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Yeah true steaming is the worlds preferred choice of music consumption because its FREE!

There is a small CD revival happening already as folk can pick up true bargains in crate digging stores etc and I have started to read more articles suggesting CD is actually a better medium for digital playback than file based audio or Hi Rez streaming so I can imagine that would be another vindication for you Martin?

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A vindication? Well not basing my life around it lol.

No I don't think streaming inherently is worse than CD there's no reason why that would be.

Can think of a couple of reasons it may be in practice - mastering version may be different - with streaming you get what you're given, CD you can choose your master (usually). Also CD playback system is simple, CD player to amplifier, that's it.

Streaming there are more places to get it wrong, in software settings obviously but also more connections and boxes and so more opportunities to put noise into the signal. But done right, which I'm sure is not hard, and with the same master, I see no reason for there not to be identical results. Especially if a person does not know which one they are listening to.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Yeah true steaming is the worlds preferred choice of music consumption because its FREE!

There is a small CD revival happening already as folk can pick up true bargains in crate digging stores etc and I have started to read more articles suggesting CD is actually a better medium for digital playback than file based audio or Hi Rez streaming so I can imagine that would be another vindication for you Martin?

Like I have said before I don't listen to vinyl for anything other than its SQ. Yes its inconvenient and has loads of problems and I am not into the retro thing or even the big deal over the "ritual" and album art. Nope, I only listen to vinyl for one reason. For me it simply sounds better than any digital set up I have ever heard.

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I do think my vinyl set up sounds better than my CDs, but I don't think the difference is night and day. And considering the vinyl rig cost 15x that of the CD player, there probably isn't a logical reason for keeping on with my records. Good thing my brain doesn't work logically :)

I'm quite happy to be playing CDs much of the time, and if I thought there was a big discrepancy in SQ I would either have to seriously upgrade the CD player, otherwise the CDs simply wouldn't get played.

I'm not into the retro thing, and certainly not the "ritual" (PITA most of the time), but I do like a bit of album art. Have some of my favourites hanging on the wall :)

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Originally Posted by struth

still buy cd's here. i copy them for ease of use but i wont get rid. still got loads of vinyl too but no means of play now:D

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Why do you still buy CDs Grant? I thought you were all-in with the streaming these days.

I used to prefer the SQ of vinyl but that changed gradually even though I improved the vinyl system over time.

I think what changed was improving the room, amplification and speakers. I started to hear the benefits of a digital source.

It's not that digital is not good enough it's that it's too good. Vinyl is more forgiving. Less top end energy to bounce around a reflective room, less bass and mono bass gives the speaker and the amplifier an easier time, especially with a two way speaker where one driver is being asked to do almost everything. Cut the low bass signal to any small two way and be amazed at the uptick in the quality of what remains.

But just my theory.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Give it time, 15 years ago I predicted that vinyl would come back because it's cool and retro - and it did.

I'm predicting CD will come back because people will eventually realise the value in owning a hard copy of the mastering they prefer. One that is an exact copy of the recording, not a bastardization, and which doesn't warp, get noisy, need cleaning etc etc.

CD still shifting more units than vinyl, it's just the total revenue for vinyl is higher because of the premium price.

Adjust for inflation from 1985 to present:

A vinyl new release (£5 in 1985) should cost £15 but it's usually £25

For CD a new release (£12 in 1985) should cost £35 but is usually £10

In any case both a still niche formats since the vast majority of people only use 'free' streaming services. The Wetherspoons of music consumption.

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Not sure that's going to happen Martin. The wider world (young folk) don't think like us dinosaurs, and will keep on with streaming/file-based, because it's a better fit for their lifestyles. They want the convenience, and have only a passing interest in SQ, where their smartphones and bluetooth earbuds and smart speakers are more than adequate. CDs (and records) are too much of an encumberence.

I predict that the vinyl bubble will burst, and sellers will be forced to stop taking the piss. And I'll be there with cash ready :) And CDs will continue to be the great VFM that they are.