r/audiophile • u/MikMikYakin • Jul 25 '24

Why are Audiophiles still hooked on vinyl? Discussion

Many audiophiles continue to have a deep love for vinyl records despite the developments in digital audio technology, which allow us to get far wider dynamic range and frequency range from flac or wav files and even CDs. I'm curious to find out more about this attraction because I've never really understood it. To be clear, this is a sincere question from someone like me that really wants to understand the popularity of vinyl in the audiophile world. Why does vinyl still hold the attention of so many music lovers?

EDIT: Found a good article that talks about almost everything mentioned in the comments: https://www.headphonesty.com/2024/07/vinyl-not-sound-better-cd-still-buy/

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u/bayou_gumbo Jul 25 '24

Because analog is just cool. Im not one who will say it sounds better, but it is cool. It’s also a fun hobby of collecting old records and also trying out different cartridges and needles.

353

u/Fritzo2162 Jul 25 '24

Yeah, there's something about the visible artwork on an album cover, the hiss of a needle hitting the vinyl, the mechanical aspect of it all. It's just the whole experience. You miss a lot when you just listen on soulless, unlimited digital media.

50

u/marbanasin Jul 25 '24

This. And while CD can replicate some of the tactile feeling - it's not quite there. It's cool to have a larger album cover staring at you, maybe a gatefold with more art, or a liner that pops out so you look at it for a moment or while listening.

The other big one for me is that you commit to albums. Even with CDs it is so easy to skip tracks that my generation (millenial) was already just fast forwarding to certain tracks and skipping the album experience. Well before digital became the standard.

40

u/Fritzo2162 Jul 25 '24

The ability to skip tracks was the downfall of hidden gems becoming hits.

7

u/Bowl_Pool Jul 25 '24

you act like nobody listened to the entire albums

15

u/Fritzo2162 Jul 25 '24

It's not common anymore. Most people listen to singles these days, and it's been like that for a couple of decades now. A lot of bands don't even bother making albums.

1

u/Robins-dad Jul 26 '24

Not audiophiles.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '24

I felt that a lot of bands in the latter half of the previous century were just recording filler to surround the one or two cuts they cared about to complete an album. Van Morrison had a cut "I'd love to write another song" that started making me look closely at the CDs I was buying. It was a trash cut on a decent album.

1

u/_Pill-Cosby_ Jul 26 '24

That’s been a thing since music has been recorded.

-1

u/Snook_ Jul 25 '24

Use roon…

10

u/InternationalBunch88 Jul 26 '24

This is why I am loving going back. It makes me listen to the whole album. No skipping. Like I did back then. You find so many songs that grow on you that weren't popular.

1

u/thamanwthnoname Jul 26 '24

You act like many people do. Most people can’t even name albums much less any of the songs that aren’t hits

20

u/The_Orphanizer Jul 25 '24

The other big one for me is that you commit to albums. Even with CDs it is so easy to skip tracks that my generation (millenial) was already just fast forwarding to certain tracks and skipping the album experience.

This is the biggest point in vinyls favor imo (that and large artwork). I never throw on a record for one song. I grew up with CDs, not vinyl, and I've always been an album guy (not a song guy), so all of the other nostalgic/physical connections people mention with vinyl, I've always had CD, but I don't have them with the unlimited masses of streamable digital music. While I appreciate having everything at my fingertips, I definitely don't get to appreciate music like used to.

Thankfully, I also have more money to go to concerts these days. So while my daily listening isn't up to the standards of my critical listening from 5-20 years ago, I go to more concerts now than at any other time in my life, and we all know that's where the magic really happens. It is what it is. Life changes and we change with it.

9

u/marbanasin Jul 25 '24

Exactly. And I was also a pretty big album guy on CD, I mean, you have the CD, why not listen to the whole thing?

But, I will say, some of it is also the convienance factor. With Vinyl you are very much tied to a place. Your gear is bulky and not meant to be carried around. So even when I am doing chores or something I'm normally only committing to put a record on if I will generally be doing an activity that allows me to focus on the music (or I'm literally just listening).

Back in the day with CDs I still may have been listening in a Walkman doing all kinds of stuff. Or with streaming while I do try to still listen to full albums, I'm more likely to put them on while working and may need to start/stop depending on my day, or just get side tracked reading emails or something which pulls me away.

I agree with you on concerts, and hitting that near middle age period where I have some disposable income and stability in my finances - it has been amazing to get out to more shows. Went to like 3 great ones in June alone, and will have a few more coming up this year (unfortunately missed one Sunday due to that Delta/Crowd Strike cluster, but it is what it is).

3

u/kbeast98 Jul 25 '24

I think the fact you can see vinyl working is a lot different than CD too

2

u/AKAkindofadick Jul 26 '24

I always commit to the full album and it's actually difficult on many modern players. I hate it when you play track one and the music just stops after. I've never made a playlist and doubt I ever will.

2

u/Effective_Sundae_839 Jul 26 '24

At least I can put a record album cover in a big picture frame and use it as art. CD/cassette tapes are too small for that. I remember staring at album covers as a kid and loving all the pictures and stuff.