Does Anyone Listen To Vinyl?

The local GW store sells records for 10 cents each. So naturally, I have a few. They also sell turntables for $4 when they come in but most are sad shape. I usually buy them and salvage the cartridges but two of them I've kept, a Panasonic labelled and a Pioneer pl-a45d that is missing the counterweight.
 
I am finding some listing on Craigslist locally with folks trying to sell their vinyl. This one post is asking $2 each or an offer on many bought at once. They have AC/DC's Back In Black, I want it. :) My turntable is a Linear tracking model. Technics SL-5 http://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sl-5.shtml with this P Mount cartridge in it AT92E http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technic...233411&sr=8-2&keywords=audio+technica+p+mount and this LP cleaning system http://www.amazon.com/Spin-Clean-Re...233570&sr=8-2&keywords=record+cleaning+system I really do enjoy it.
 
Last edited:
I managed high end audio shops back in the '70s and early '80s, and yes I LOVE pristine vinyl albums on a great audiophile turntable. The difference between a set up like this and what we used to laughingly call a low grade, heavy-duty "record raper" record player though is great.

There is absolutely zero debate that sonically the CD is stunningly subpar in sound quality to vinyl. I still can't believe that the public adopted such a poor sound source as a 1st generation digital source in 1980-1981 . . . and that since then the sound was never improved upon.

Of course, hi-fi shops selling audiophile gear are gone now, and we all listen to our music via headphones from our i-pods and android-based cellphones and/or the low-tech digital to analog headphone and speaker jacks on our computers. As a mass of people, we could have such better sound today from ALL these devices . . . but we don't know what we are missing so the industry doesn't supply it!

DO I LISTEN TO VINYL TODAY?
No. Although my audiophile system can still amaze those who never have heard truly high fidelity-quality sound vs. today's CD/mp3/etc. "low fi" sound sources, I KNOW that capacitors degrade in all electronic devices over time and change the way they process a signal. Thus, to truly experience that incredible sound again, I must replace all the caps in the amplifier, pre-amplifier AND the audiophile speakers that cost me $2850 back in 1977.

PLUS . . . its so inconvenient so . . . like everyone else, I play CDs or wma files off my computer's built in audio "sound card" (they all suck fidelity-wise (computers wouldn't sell if an additional $1,000 was invested into an internal audiophile grade sound card . . . then again, the sound is low grade on all the digital media types anyway so what comes first, the "Chicken or the Egg")! Yep . . . then play 'em through my computer's internal $50 sound card and then out to my separately-purchased "computer loudspeaker system" (a "great" system with a sub-woofer) that costs $49.97 at Wal-Mart.:rolleyes:

OR I play my digital audio files via my Samsung S2 android type cellphone's inner audio circuit and built in audio headphone amplifier. I wonder what little amount of money that tiny circuit costs to go into a cellphone? Some people on the street would kill you for your droid or i-phone . . . and yet the public thinks it sounds just "great."

Headphones? By Sony from Wal-mart costing about $25 bucks. Heck, I once used Fostex U-50 studio headphones just like the ones I used in the recording studios way back then . . . and they were $150 THEN. No need today! Like they say in the studios, "Garbage IN = Garbage OUT" (in other words, if the initial sound quality isn't incredible at the start of the chain, there's NO way to make it better). Thus, today the Fostex phones (I have two of 'em) sit idle too. Not worth replacing a cord with a short in it to listen via my computer's sound card or hear wma files on the Fostex headphones through my droid's wimpy, cheap audio circuit.

I grieve the loss of incredible sound quality in the consumer world and, although several efforts to introduce audiophile quality consumer digital sound were made, all have failed for consumers would have to replace all their audio equipment for EXPENSIVE equipment to enjoy the differences. Anyone remember the failed attempt at introducing SACD "SuperAudioCD" players and discs about 13 years ago)? Stunning, but consumers at BestBuy and elsewhere were satisfied with stealing low grade audio via Napster for nothing.
Super Audio CD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHERE CAN YOU HEAR VINYL QUALITY AUDIO TODAY? In a state of the art digital recording studio! The sound is STUNNING. However, it must be severely compressed before converting the sound to commercial-grade audio media. If you ever get a chance to visit a recording studio and can be taken into the control room, you'll see what we are now denied.

It's NOT going to change . . . probably ever. The masses of generations of 13 year-olds are happy, and then grow into happy adults who've never heard vinyl through someone's new audiophile hi-fi system.

Sorry for the long post . . . if any one is still reading!

TIME FROZE FOR AUDIO IN 1981 . . . VINYL IS STILL KING!
 
I have read that some people have a "golden ear," and can hear superb quality audio while many cannot discern the difference. Think I read that in connection with headphones.

I have also read that Neal Young is trying to get some sort of better audio recording format introduced.

Seems to me that initially compression was important because digital storage was expensive. Nowadays you can get 64 gigabit micro SD cards as small as a fingernail. I would think the storage half of the equation would no longer be an issue...
 
Onomea said:
I have read that some people have a "golden ear," and can hear superb quality audio while many cannot discern the difference. Think I read that in connection with headphones.
Click to expand...

That was the conclusion I came to when putting my system together years ago.
I could have gone a little better than I did but figured, at a certain point,
that it would be more than the mk 1 ear could benefit from.

I have well over 1,000 LP's, not to mention quite a few 45's, but haven't
listened to them in years, something I keep meaning to change.

I remember when one of my motto's was, "Vinyl is final," and
was the last of my group of friends to switch over to CD's.

I also have about 400 cassettes that haven't seen the light of day in years. :o
 
Another takeoff of this thread would be the audio systems those of using vinyl have. As one poster said, the audio shops of our age are gone so how do the audiophiles of today even know what good music sounds like.

I put my system together in the mid '80's and looked at a HK, Denon, Yamaha, Klipsch, etc. but settled on the sony ES line for amp, disc player, tape player and turntable and polk tower speakers. All are still going strong today. Just trying to remember all those manufacturers names brings back memories!
 
tom turner said:
I managed high end audio shops back in the '70s and early '80s, and yes I LOVE pristine vinyl albums on a great audiophile turntable. The difference between a set up like this and what we used to laughingly call a low grade, heavy-duty "record raper" record player though is great.

There is absolutely zero debate that sonically the CD is stunningly subpar in sound quality to vinyl. I still can't believe that the public adopted such a poor sound source as a 1st generation digital source in 1980-1981 . . . and that since then the sound was never improved upon.

Of course, hi-fi shops selling audiophile gear are gone now, and we all listen to our music via headphones from our i-pods and android-based cellphones and/or the low-tech digital to analog headphone and speaker jacks on our computers. As a mass of people, we could have such better sound today from ALL these devices . . . but we don't know what we are missing so the industry doesn't supply it!

DO I LISTEN TO VINYL TODAY?
No. Although my audiophile system can still amaze those who never have heard truly high fidelity-quality sound vs. today's CD/mp3/etc. "low fi" sound sources, I KNOW that capacitors degrade in all electronic devices over time and change the way they process a signal. Thus, to truly experience that incredible sound again, I must replace all the caps in the amplifier, pre-amplifier AND the audiophile speakers that cost me $2850 back in 1977.

PLUS . . . its so inconvenient so . . . like everyone else, I play CDs or wma files off my computer's built in audio "sound card" (they all suck fidelity-wise (computers wouldn't sell if an additional $1,000 was invested into an internal audiophile grade sound card . . . then again, the sound is low grade on all the digital media types anyway so what comes first, the "Chicken or the Egg")! Yep . . . then play 'em through my computer's internal $50 sound card and then out to my separately-purchased "computer loudspeaker system" (a "great" system with a sub-woofer) that costs $49.97 at Wal-Mart.:rolleyes:

OR I play my digital audio files via my Samsung S2 android type cellphone's inner audio circuit and built in audio headphone amplifier. I wonder what little amount of money that tiny circuit costs to go into a cellphone? Some people on the street would kill you for your droid or i-phone . . . and yet the public thinks it sounds just "great."

Headphones? By Sony from Wal-mart costing about $25 bucks. Heck, I once used Fostex U-50 studio headphones just like the ones I used in the recording studios way back then . . . and they were $150 THEN. No need today! Like they say in the studios, "Garbage IN = Garbage OUT" (in other words, if the initial sound quality isn't incredible at the start of the chain, there's NO way to make it better). Thus, today the Fostex phones (I have two of 'em) sit idle too. Not worth replacing a cord with a short in it to listen via my computer's sound card or hear wma files on the Fostex headphones through my droid's wimpy, cheap audio circuit.

I grieve the loss of incredible sound quality in the consumer world and, although several efforts to introduce audiophile quality consumer digital sound were made, all have failed for consumers would have to replace all their audio equipment for EXPENSIVE equipment to enjoy the differences. Anyone remember the failed attempt at introducing SACD "SuperAudioCD" players and discs about 13 years ago)? Stunning, but consumers at BestBuy and elsewhere were satisfied with stealing low grade audio via Napster for nothing.
Super Audio CD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHERE CAN YOU HEAR VINYL QUALITY AUDIO TODAY? In a state of the art digital recording studio! The sound is STUNNING. However, it must be severely compressed before converting the sound to commercial-grade audio media. If you ever get a chance to visit a recording studio and can be taken into the control room, you'll see what we are now denied.

It's NOT going to change . . . probably ever. The masses of generations of 13 year-olds are happy, and then grow into happy adults who've never heard vinyl through someone's new audiophile hi-fi system.

Sorry for the long post . . . if any one is still reading!

TIME FROZE FOR AUDIO IN 1981 . . . VINYL IS STILL KING!
Click to expand...

I was raised in the era of cassette, then cd, then mp3. Growing up I had a kids record player. I got in to vinyl when I got older. My apartment 2channel system costs about $600 so nothing high end here. Oink yo receiver and CD player, Technics SL-5 linear turntable, Cambridge Soundworks Model Six (Henry Kloss) speakers on 24inch stands. I have the iPod dock for the receiver. The iPod has music on it only in Apple lossless. On my iMac I use a Headroom Total Bithead USB amp/dac with At M50 or Sony MDRV6 or Shure 225 IEMs headphones. What I own is better than what you get from a big box store but not really high end gear.
 
There's still a lot of new audiophile gear being produced, but dealers are few and far between. Instead of one or two in every college town it's down to one or two per state. There are a few internet dealers for "low-high-end"...Cambridge, NAD, etc., and a few of the home-theatre places may carry brands like Rotel & Marantz. VPI, Rega, Music Hall & Clearaudio are making great turntables ranging in price from $500-$2000 and the 'tweak' stuff of all types; TTs, electronics, & speakers are all out there in the $5-50k range. If I was a PowerBall winner I'd have a $50 VPI/Audio Research/Magnepan system and a big rack of new limited pressing vinyl.
 
CW Spook said:
There's still a lot of new audiophile gear being produced, but dealers are few and far between. Instead of one or two in every college town it's down to one or two per state. There are a few internet dealers for "low-high-end"...Cambridge, NAD, etc., and a few of the home-theatre places may carry brands like Rotel & Marantz. VPI, Rega, Music Hall & Clearaudio are making great turntables ranging in price from $500-$2000 and the 'tweak' stuff of all types; TTs, electronics, & speakers are all out there in the $5-50k range. If I was a PowerBall winner I'd have a $50 VPI/Audio Research/Magnepan system and a big rack of new limited pressing vinyl.
Click to expand...

I have called that budget high end as well. I have only heard one truly high end home system in my life back about twenty years ago and it was about a $20k system back then, but the source was CD not vinyl. I have never heard a high end vinyl system.
 
Any value?

Just grabbed the first five albums from the closet...are these of any use/value?

photo-3.jpg


Covers are NOT pristine but vinyl looks perfect.

Reckon about fifty (50) more in the case. :cool:

Be safe.
 
The Big D said:
Just grabbed the first five albums from the closet...are these of any use/value?

photo-3.jpg


Covers are NOT pristine but vinyl looks perfect.

Reckon about fifty (50) more in the case. :cool:

Be safe.
Click to expand...

Very nice. You know you could send me a nice Xmas gift. You could call it a giveaway or something. Lol
 
amazingflapjack said:
does anyone have a suggestion for a reasonably priced simple turntable? Thanks. Please PM if possible.
Click to expand...

You can pick up a good used Japanese'table for about $150.00 from some of these shops that sell the LP's used. It depends on where you live.
Otherwise, a decent one will cost about $350.00 new. but that comes with a Phono Cartridge.
 
I love listening to LP's. I have been an audiophile for years,and can't believe how much time/money I wasted listening to CD's.
They sound completely lifeless,compared to records..
 
I bought a 1982 Technics SL-5 linear tracking model for $100 from a Goodwill. I then got a new cartridge for $20 or so from Amazon. It is my first real turntable and I enjoy listening to it.
 
So where are vinyl produced these days? I grew up in Terre Haute IN where Columbia master Classical were pressed and considered some of the best available in the 60s & 70s. I remember they did a lot of pressing for small labels such as Wyndam Hill. The factory outlet had overstocks on Fridays once per month for $1.00 each. I switched to CD when moving alot with work that was a mistake. Switched to Nakamichi receiver and CD player and Paradigm speakers. Original was a dual 1229 Sansui receiver and JBL speakers. I don't thind I made much progress with the change.
 
Pioneer Quartz PLL 540. When the bride goes away I bring up the Cerwin Vega 10" Thumpers driven by the Yamaha 496. Run in parallel with the Bose Surround. If you have to ask you wouldn't understand. Got @ 200 vinyl +. Including all my 'rents JAZZ from the 50's.
Me, I'm Floyd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

straightshooter1
Audio Book Karma (again)
Replies
14
Views
555
mtgianni
M
s1mp13m4n
Revisiting An Electronic Friend
Replies
13
Views
915
ditrina
ditrina
Bratastic007
Thoughts on Freedoms and Firearms
Replies
5
Views
1K
Yeutta
Y

Latest posts

Back
Top