Vote

It's a better media for music.

Found a great local store with lots of used vinyl (and CDs), most of it at least interesting, some of it great, and all in very good to mint condition. Why buy a CD reissue for twenty bucks when you can get the original vinyl for five? Many of the comments on last week's question about new music comment on the high price of CD's. And this week's soapbox prompted a lot of talk about inflation. Vinyl, albeit used, costs about the same now as it did in the '70s when everyone was wearing those stupid WIN (Whip Inflation Now) buttons. Talk about inflation busting.

Theoretically, I accept the view that LPs' are superior to CDs'. However, I tend to buy used and new CDs' because the sound is acceptable and the format is convenient I believe that upgraded equipment plus better mastering has also contributed to my reluctance regarding LPs'.

With upsampling and the other advances in digital I don't really see what all of the hoopla is about? Vinyl is and always will continue to be a pain in the butt!

No copy protection and an average price of $3 per disc, What a deal!

I bought a little less, but only because my local vinyl shop closed after decades of great service. I'm still finding good bargains on ebay, so all is not lost.

New reissues are amazing!!!Clearer, softer.

Not only did I buy more vinyl last year than ever before, I enjoyed music more last year than ever before. I bought zero CDs but purchased several DVDs.

I find that most vinyl sounds very good in comparison to CDs, even if its not the expensive audiophile quality 180 gram. For convienience, I simply make CDR copies for the car and for listening to favorites while I'm at work. As for the other formats, I'll consider them only when their software and hardware reach the point of popularity as the CD. No matter how good, I'm not converting to any new format unless prices are even lower than the CD.

I've stopped buying CDs because I refuse to buy any copy-protected media. Only vinyl for me, from now on. I'll burn my own CDs for the car, thank you.

I think a good CD played on a good player is more enjoyable than putting up with the pops and clicks. Still have my turntable and still listen to my LP's (but rarely these days) but spend most of my time listening to CD's.

It's interesting to note that I bought a CD player this year so that I could get CDs from the library. While I've checked out many, many CDs, I have yet to buy a CD of my own. In the same period of time, I've bought many, many records. I'll probably be going down with the vinyl LP Ship.

Never die without vinyl.

Vinyl is still a compelling medium, particularly as the digital media clash.

I upgraded my vinyl front-end in 2001 -- twice

Greetings! Keep it up Stereophile! I may have to subscribe again! I recently obtained a JA Michell Focus One table w/ a Mission 774 Arm. I had a Shure V-15(newest) so I put it on. I had collected some AWESOME LPs (eg: 9 CBC half-speed masters, unopened!) I sat spellbound for 13 hours NONSTOP, as if hearing good music/audio for the first time all over again! Shit man, I wasn't prepared for the orgasmic rightness and dynamics! My system is a SF Line-3, POWER-2, ProAc 3.8, vdH the second vdH Revelation speakerwire, Michell Focus-One,'table, No Cd yet, (but soon-when I can decide which one! It will have to have up-sampling) Vinyl RULES!

Vinyl kicks the CD's ass! Listening to CD is like having sex with condoms.

I find it rather difficult buying more music than I do, approx 100+ records a year. Not so much because of limited availability of interesting music, rather than limited time to listen to the music I buy. I owe some 1 moth (approx. 750 hours) worth of continuous playback, without a playing one record twice. About 80 % of the music I buy is on vinyl.

Vinyl still rules. The new pressings of jazz and rock are getting better all the time. And no watermarking! I bet this new digital watermarking thing is just a scheme so the labels can raise prices to $25 list. Analog is so much more musical. I bought about 20 records this year. But I probably already have 3000. Happy birthday Stereophile!

When CDs came out I thought it was a bad joke. New CDs sound better, but the sound they make tires me out in less than an hour. I can listen to vinyl for hours and all I want is more.

A lot more, just like previous years. For mainstream artists and labels, I still find that used vinyl is the same cost or even less vs the comparable CD reissue. In addition, the internet has made it very easy to find what you are looking for, especially if you do not live in a major metropolitan area.

I got over vinyl in 1988. Haven't missed it either. Recently listened to some vinyl on a fairly expensive rig and for the life of me cannot understand why Fremer and his disciples think it sounds better; it's just different.

Other formats fight each other, are hurt by copy protection schemes, emphasize multi-channel over quality, etc. Vinyl, at least, is clearly NOT more than two channels, has NO copy-protection fouling up the sound, and seems to be becoming the medium for people who want quality sound.

Probably 85% of my music software purchases are used vinyl. Complete opera recordings for less than $15.00—the exact same CD releases new are often priced over $40.00. It's a no-brainer!

To those with time, I am sure that vinyl is rewarding. Unfortunately, I have never listened to a system where vinyl actually sounded better than a Compact Disc (Yes, I have heard a system that costs more than a quarter million). I have also heard that the only way this would happen is with tens of thousands of dollars worth of phono equipment and VERY careful maintenance of the LPs themselves.

Not a lot of great venues for LP purchases in the Denver area, so did some catalog purchases with great results. Been buying mostly reissues but plan on trying my hand on the Internet this year with used purchases. We shall see if that turns out to be wise or a folly.

i love this format(lp) and thank you for having michael fremer on board

More! A helluva lot more, in fact. I've been to library sales, I hit the thrift stores as often as I can, I look for used vinyl stores in new towns, go to yard sales, or just about anywhere there might be some vinyl for me to take home. I also buy audiophile and regular new issues if I like what's on them. New 'table last year, more vinyl than ever. And I still buy plenty of CDs.

mostly used due to high prices & low quantity of reissues

Vinyl's days are gone. When you consider how primitive it is (dragging a tiny "needle" connected to a magnet through a vinyl groove and then amplifying the minute current produced as the magnet moves in a wire loop) and the ever present problem of keeping the (usually flawed anyway) record surface clean of dust and static, that goodness those days are gone. And let's not forget that every time you play a record you damage it.