Poll - Vinyl, CD, Squeezebox/MP3, Radio?

[dub-revolution]

For me it is always vinyl first - it has more depth, engagement and vitality. CD's are a bit like pre-sliced bread - they offer convenience, and yes some material is quite well suited to them for example Brian Eno's 'ambient' recordings.
Cd's are great for background music when doing something else or burning in valves, but I prefer vinyl for 'focussed' listening; with cd's too much information goes missing taking the dynamic frequency range with it.

[lexi]

I think vinyl is like making tomato soup. Cd is like using the Heinz stuff. You`ll find the Heinz is as good as most home made without the ritual.

It is the ritual and the collecting that is the key. Recording techniqie and processes apart Cd is easily as good. Why are we spending fortunes on cartridge etc.? Leveling turntables made of Constrained Layer Damping and searching for mint vinyl. Paying through the nose for new vinyl when perfect S/H cds can be got for £2. This isn`t a rediscovery. We are standing still in Hi Fi due to nostalgia and choosing the sounds we like rather than for Hi Fi and closer to the master tape. Maybe that is the consequance of no real new advancements .........I don`t know.

CD collecrions and lovely CDP are worth nowt. Where is the collectors attraction in that? If the CD had come first and the values were the other way around ? I just pick up whatever I`m in the mood to play. Old Frank Sinatra on CD sounds better than my Lps.......perfect just the music

I have two lovely turnatable set ups and a decent vinyl collection though so I am gulilty as charged M`lud............Black Cds for me too mostly

[BOONDI]

Valve amp is what I listen to most. Any half decent source will do, be it radio,tv,xbox,mediacenter or whatever as long as the quality is good....

Local radio in car and at work bbc radio2 home vinyl,

But it's all best through valves so mostly i'm listening to the amps.....

More later.....

[BOONDI]

Originally Posted by Greg.

I really don't understand the arguements that suggest that all recorded music lovers sold off their vinyl and record decks and then subsequently discovered they had been misled with the arrival of digital sources such as CDP's. Surely this cannot be the case if you have the ears to hear properly? If you have, you would readily have identified at the introduction of CDP's that the sound reproduced was inferior or, your LP replay systems were at the time well sub-standard. That point may well be significant on this. Sorry, but these kind of arguements are frequently quoted on the forums and in my view are rather economical with the truth. If you got sucked into believing that CD sounded better, maybe at the time it actually did in your system. Now that you have the experience and money to afford a decent LP spinner, maybe now it is better than the digital option?

Who knows? Personally I'm not guilty here. I've always retained an LP spinner and when I did seriously sell off or destroy parts of my collection it was because I thought some albums morally bad and thereafter, at the time, I needed some cash. I've spent many years recovering my vinyl music libarary after that rash moment.

Best wishes,

Greg

It's not offten I agree with you on most things Greg but, on this one you nailed it.....

[Greg.]

[michael orme]

I listen to cassettes more than cd.

[rivendell]

Had a squeezebox, but its J RIVER for me from now Fantastic and very easy to use once you get into it

[FreddieT]

About 50:50 Squeezebox (FLAC) and vinyl whilst listening at home as I have half my music on vinyl and about the same on CD. I'm not mentioning my dozen or so SACDs until I get something better than my Sony Bluray to play them on!

iPod in the car, radio at work. Sadly these add up to more hours a week than the real music above.

As an aside, my neighbour popped round with his Linn Sneaky on Saturday which was better through my Rega DAC than the SB. Typical! The theory says a streamer is a streamer, the ears dispute it, placing Sneaky + DAC ahead of Sneaky with internal DAC which was ahead (just, very marginal) of the SB + Rega. Started wondering what a Majik DS might be like, both with and without the Rega.

Maybe I should suspend curiosity whilst I get my LP12 serviced.

F.

[bencat]

At home CD without a doubt. In the car iPod . Also listen at night to some radio mainly late on to get me to sleep .

[alnewall]

Originally Posted by Greg.

I really don't understand the arguements that suggest that all recorded music lovers sold off their vinyl and record decks and then subsequently discovered they had been misled with the arrival of digital sources such as CDP's. Surely this cannot be the case if you have the ears to hear properly? If you have, you would readily have identified at the introduction of CDP's that the sound reproduced was inferior or, your LP replay systems were at the time well sub-standard.

Best wishes,

Greg

1980s.

Didn't like the current music trends much.
Started to lose interest in serious listening.
Get married and spend time working on house.
First child arrives and damages turntable.
CD begins to look a sensible alternative.
First CD player sounds disappointing compared to lowly TD150.
Loose even more interest, and take up building remote control planes.
Third generation CD player now sounding nicer, and interest re-kindled.
Give up flying planes, spending to much time repairing the things.
CD collection grows and LPs go. Lots of extra space and wife happy.
Enthusiasm returns and start building speakers again, wife not happy.


20 years on and well developed CD playing system now sounds much better to me, than budget vinyl system. No regrets any more..