Digital music sales decrease, vinyl continues to grow

[Fatdog]

Joe, be careful about buying new vinyl releases. Some companies might take final mixes meant for CDs and press them onto vinyl. While it is possible, the vinyl will sometimes sound over-saturated. Read reviews for a particular album if you can find them. You don't have to worry with older vinyl. I think mastering for vinyl is a skill that has been lost in the loudness war. Check out these links for more info:

Loudness War

DR Database

And yes, having good quality hardware definitely makes a difference. Even with my defective ears, I could tell a noticeable difference in my old Stanton Trackmaster cartridge and my new Shure M97XE installed on a Technics SL-1200 MKII.

 

[baddboybill]

Got this MJ album brand new and sounds amazing!!!




Bad Bad Bill

 

[superlew]

Sorry to detract from the "Vinyl Love," but I have started picking up CD's again lately. I can usually get a CD for less than iTunes or Google Play charges for a full album. Then I have a hard copy and I can simply rip the CD to my library and sync it to my Android. I stopped using iTunes when I installed v.11 a while back. The "Upgrade" was like taking a buzz saw to my library. Once I got rid of the iPhone, I swore off Apple for good.
And, to get back on topic? - yeah, I pick up plenty of vinyl too.

 

[ford93]

Remember those DDD LP's digitally recorded LP's. I wonder what you guys think of that format on Vinyl.

I think all in all it's your ear that has the final say on what appeals to ones taste in sound. I know for me vinyl wins me over. Although I have to admit most of my recordings are done on MP3 format maybe because I'm just lazy.

I remember every time I would start a recording session I would first clean the tape deck heads, then demag, and then insert a high quality blank tape. Start spinning some vinyls on my 1200's. Then enjoy the playback.

 

[blu_fuz]

Sorry to detract from the "Vinyl Love," but I have started picking up CD's again lately. I can usually get a CD for less than iTunes or Google Play charges for a full album. Then I have a hard copy and I can simply rip the CD to my library and sync it to my Android.

I have been doing the same thing. Been buying USED CDs off ebay and Amazon so I can have an original hard copy to load to my iTunes.

 

[Ken]

I think when your collection gets as deep as some of the ones here, you're happy to take ANY format you can find to fill in holes in an artists discography.

A personal favorite of mine is mp3city.com.ua/ It's licensed (I think), but it's out of the Ukraine so the cost per album is really quite low. I discovered it years ago and to tell the truth, I've never even BEEN on iTunes.

I see places advertised that are even lower cost. Granted, the bitrates vary.

Still, a vinyl score is top of the line for me. All my gear is Sony, and I really need a new stylus for my old BSR.
My cans gave out years ago. If I knew now what I didn't know then, I really would be sitting pretty. (sigh)

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I still need to get my VZ2000 working. I really want to add to my vinyl collection. But to be honest with you, my ears are so F#$%ed up from 25 years of live Heavy Metal that spending money on a nice set of head phones would be a waste for me. I have a nice pair of PreSonus recording headphones that I use, never plugged them into a radio though

 

[2steppa]

Early CD's mid 80s to early 90s were waaay better than (most) current CD's - the emphasis was on sound quality not sheer brickwalled volume and a complete loss of one of the chief benefits of CD - dynamic range.

Also, when buying online MP3's (I always go for 320's) I have been disappointed that some are clearly transcoded and not 'proper' 320's. For my own purposes and with disk space so cheap these days I just record everything to WAV as archive quality and then create MP3's if needed, or rip CD's to MP3 if I know they're for phone / iPod use.

To me, you can't beat a good 80's 12" single - a 5 or six minute track spread over a whole side means excellent freq range, good pressing volume and s/n ratio and dynamics to rival CD

Of course, there is a valid consideration that 'hifi' sound quality is largely irrelevant for 'da yoof' of today but there are a LOT of us out there that still care passionately about it.

 

[DKVII]

I highly agree on the older CDs. I try to avoid the remasters at all costs, unless it is simply not financially possible.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I highly agree on the older CDs. I try to avoid the remasters at all costs, unless it is simply not financially possible.

 

[erniejade]

Lp vs digital, vs cd, vs sacd, vs dsd is more like it. First off, lp vs cd. It depends on how the original mastering was done and how the remastering to cd was done. To me a lot of my lp's that were recorded till early 90's the lp 9 out of 10x sounds better. After that, the cd or sacd sounds better vs the lp. A lot of todays music is recorded digital ( yes there are exceptions but in general) they go from a digitally recorded piece and make them to analogue. If the recording on the newer master was originally done in full dsd or high rez, the
196k flac or dsd sounds better vs the lp version just about every time. If its an old recording pre 90, I find the lp usually sounds better vs the cd or sacd. Again there are a few exceptions like mofi or audio fidelity re-mastering.

To me there is not a clear cut winner. It all depends on when it was recorded, format the mastering was done in, and can your equipment show the difference. I do have all the formats I have mentioned. My turntable isn't anything too special but its solid enough. Technics 1200 with upgraded wires and a denon dl160 cart. Cd and sacd is a tube cayin, flac, high rez, dsd handeled by a wyred for sound dac2.

 

[erniejade]

Forgot to mention, unless your trying to save space, buy flac or some other type of lossless format. Mp3 is not a lossless format. Lots of sites now sell high rez flac! Mp3 vs cd or lp isn't a fair fight since mp3 isn't a lossless format! Even with the best dac mp3 cannot hang unless your equipment isn't revealing enough.