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You probably should have added a "ten years or more" choice.
Downloads are taking off and it has been 25 years since CD was launched, yet audiophile demand for turntables and vinyl continues unabated. When did you last spin a record?
I recently got a Music Hall MMF-5, Creek OBH-SE phono stage and Kimber Heros to connect to the amp. It has allowed me to rediscover my old LPs and to once again take up the hunt in used record stores in Boston. A couple weeks ago I found an unopened copy of "Monk's Dream" for $6. Sweet! As for the sound, my new set-up beats the hell out of my old Kyocera table, which definitely lacked the defined bass that I enjoy now.
I haven't listened to vinyl in over 15 years. I often feel like purchasing a decent quality turntable (Rega) in the $1000 range and return to vinyl after reading all the reviews by vinyl lovers. I don't remember what analog sources sounded like anymore. The problem is I sold all my records years ago and don't see the advantages in starting again. If I had a few hundred LP's in the garage, I do it in a minute. I am drawn to the romanticism of a tonearm on a turning record and full-size album covers. Oh well - maybe someday.
I have a steamer trunk full of excellent vinyl, largely jazz. I purchased a Music Hall MMF-5 turntable, Rega turntable shelf and a used Monrio phono stage in April. The jury is still out, but my preliminary view is that good LPs can sound as good as the very best 20 bit CDs, and better than most.
Just a few minutes ago. Ah, the joy of working from home. Notwithstanding SACD, which I also appreciate greatly and hope that it will survive the format wars, analog will live on as long as there are people who connect to their music deeply and profoundly. Yes, inspite of occasional snaps, crackles and pops.
Since I got rid of my 8 tracks in 1976, vinyl records have been an integral part of my system and in continous use! I have too many records that have not been released on CD to give it up. Plus, my record player still sounds better than any CD player I've heard. I can't even picture my system without a turntable!
I still have an old turntable. Mounted a new Grado cartrige about 5 months ago. I still find good LPs at garage sales and have more LPs than CDs. Besides, why would I throw away my "investment" on something not quite as good (CD) that plays on a device that depreciates to a null value every 6 months?
Vinyl sounds like music while CDs sound like compromises and limitations. For years in the pro-audio market various manufacturers have been trying to sell CD players as DJ turntables, and the problem is that CD sound simply can't get people on the dance floor.
I recently upgraded the arm RB300, cartridge Dynavector 10x4 on a Thorens TD125 MkII. I also replaced the phono stage in my preamp with a Camelot Lancelot Pro. With this simple setup, vinyl is every bit the equal to my CD front end. I play records everyday.
Last night I listened to a record of Ivan Moravec playing two Beethoven piano sonatas. I picked this record up for 50 cents at a garage sale. I had never heard of Moravec and would never have gone out to find a Moravec CD (if there are any). Vinyl encourages this sense of discovery. I got into the audio hobby about 7 years ago by reading Stereophile. Though I still subscribe, I admit to enjoying it less than before. Other than Michael Fremer's fine writing and reviewing, the magazine seems clearly more interested in SACD/DVD, computer playback, and surround at this point, while my interests are going in the other direction.
If (and it's a big if) you have a properly set-up front end and a good system, vinyl beats your typical CD hands-down. I've heard it on my own system and so have many others. That's why it survives. I only play CDs in my car these days.
More than ten years ago when CD come on full force, I was so dissapointed with the sound that I gave up on hi-fi-of I sold off everything except my records.About four years ago I bought back a used LP12, update to the full monty LP12(ittok/lingo/Arkiv B/Linto). My passion for music was rekindle and now I almost listen to at least 1 lp everyday!