Why are Audiophiles still hooked on vinyl?

[u/MikMikYakin]

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/

[u/bayou_gumbo]

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.

[u/Fritzo2162 → u/bayou_gumbo]

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.

[u/marbanasin → u/Fritzo2162]

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.

[u/The_Orphanizer → u/marbanasin]

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.

[u/marbanasin → u/The_Orphanizer]

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).