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I listen to LPs in my audio system. Indeed, there're no provision for CD there. I listen to CD as background in my video system, in the car and in the office computers. Tony
Most audiophiles' record collections include LPs <I>and</I> CDs, but one format invariably is played more than the other. In yours, which one is it, and by how much?
While I still generally prefer LP's to CD's, I find that more and more CD's are recorded well enough that I tend to take the lazy way out. If 24/96 is really that much closer to LP and maybe in some ways superior, I may continue to let the LP number slip down the scale. While I appreciate what LP's do so well, I also will not ignore their limitations. Sometimes the noise and scratchs really bother me. The LP is a fantastic format that CD never quite caught up with. I hope that 24/96 or whatever they settle on will maybe finally match and in some areas surpass the old LP.
As good as my Sonic Frontiers SFCD-1 is, I still prefer my turntable and LPs. After listening to CD for a while, I long for the sound of my LPs. What can I say? My LPs simply sound better. Case in point: The other night my wife and I had finally just settled down after a long day. Since I was pretty tired, I opted to listen to a CD. It was just easier. Mind you now, my wife always listens off-axis, usually while she reads. She is a nonaudilophile but enjoys the music. When the music started up, she immedately put the L.A. Times down and said, "Don't we have this on LP?" I answered, "Yes." She followed up with, "Well let's listen to the LP." End of story.
No matter how you cut it, you can't beat a CD for convenience; just drop it in and hit Play. No cleaning and flipping it over halfway thru. But . . . some music that I have on both CD and LP I enjoy much more on LP. It also depends on what gems I have found for 50 cents or so at a garage sale! I would never sell off my LPs, but I have done very well digging thru boxes at garage sales.
It's the CD 100% of the time without a doubt. My reasons are threefold. (1). I don't have a turntable or LPs to play on them. (2). I have tapes, but the sound quality suffers over time. (3). I also have FM, but FM isn't last answer in sound quality, but occasionally, it serves its purpose. But it's there when I want relax but listen to music. I think that about sums it up..
I've have CDs 15 years old or older, and they still play---without snaps, crackles, or pops. And, I don't have to struggle with a tonearm equipped with a diamond-tipped cutting tool. Convenience won out early with this pre-slacking slacker.
Analog 12" LPs made of heavy 180gm vinyl and recorded at 45rpm are the ultimate in sound. They reproduce real music. The LPs themselves are collectibles. I wish Stereophile would review a different turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phono preamp, and record cleaner in each issue.
Although I personally prefer the warmth and intimacy of vinyl, the simplicity of a cd usually is a deciding factor for me. It takes alot more time whenever I play records-you have to clean the stylus, clean the record on the nitty gritty, and then zap it with the zerostat. Then you can't wander off too far as you will have to pick up the needle at the conclusion of each side.Before children this was not a problem. Unfortunately, now I am governed more by convenience and have to sacrifice sound. But on the weekends the vinyl rules for at least a couple of hours-that is until the kids awaken.
I used to play 1% LP and 99% CD, but recently I bought a new analog player, the Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck. This was an enormous improvement over my old Systemdek player. It is not quite the equal of my Meridian 200 transport and Bremen License No.1 DAC combo, but it comes very close for half the money. So now it is 20% LP, 80% CD. But this is mainly because it is more convenient to play CDs than LPs.
LP's are for people with quarter million dollar sound systems. In the real worls of $2000 sound systems CD's sound better. On the other hand if you are Donald Trump and have flawless vinal then LP's are the choice (if you can get past the needle noise.
The difference between 'LP sound' and 'CD sound', at least on my equipment does not justify in my mind the effort required to keep the LPs clean and dust free. CDs are pretty much forever without a lot of hassel. Proper LP maintainence is a way of life in itself which is not for me.