Vinyl vs. CDs
A mere young-un of 27, I was introduced to vinyl last year when I volunteered to sell off the record collection of my mother’s husband on eBay for a split of the profits. It’s vast, with material going back as far as a 78 rpm shellac copy of “Rhapsody in Blue,” and as recent as promotional 12″ maxi-singles for Tool and Nirvana.
Getting a chance to hear music I was already familiar with — or even already owned on CD — gave me a new appreciation for the format. High frequencies and tonal shifts do sound somehow more acoustically natural on vinyl, and a well-preserved and clean record exhibits little of the pop and hiss most people associate with the medium.
By comparison CDs sound almost antiseptically, clinically, unnaturally “pure.” I have noticed that some more recent discs, particularly from certain artists, do a better job of mimicking the warmth and naturalness of vinyl, however. Pearl Jam is particularly good at this, though I hear that Riot Act is less so.
I’ll probably never be a real vinyl aficionado — it’s an expensive hobby, and I already have two of those in gaming and photography. Dabbling, though, has been an interesting trip into an unknown subculture, complete with its own ethics, language, etc.
I haven’t auctioned any records since some of the 90s promotional discs several months ago, partially due to a lack of free time and partially because of the wear on Bill’s old turntable from all the play testing I did. I think it needs a new needle, but I’m clueless where to find such a thing. Any advice?
Note: This post was adapted from a post I made on the TextDrive forums. Still hoping for an answer about that record needle. 
needles and cartridges-
sales@ewsaunders.com
770-492-1025
i broke out some albums to play on my 6 year old yamaha turntable connected to my audio/video reciever. with no phono jack on my reciever i have to run the turntable through a 15 year old preamp.
radio shack (still) can sell you one!
ed saunders (above) for the needle though because radio shack or any other retail chain will be of little or no help. (salespeople are too young)
ihave a Beatles collection on both records and cd’s.
over the years i have replaced some the worn records with mint or unplayed copies and they sound GREAT!
you have to turn up the volume a bit more but they sound better than cd’s
capitol records is planning on remastering the entire beatles catalog and only then will they be a match for the analog records.
i hear everything; the bass shakes the floor and they sound warmer like tube amps compared to solid state. older but somehow better!!!
bob
Comment by robert spinello — July 25, 2006 @ 1:58 pm
I own quite a stack of records (Classical) going back to the early sixty’s. I recently found a source for a replacement belt for my 43-year old Empire turntable, and am really glad to be able to play the old records on it. The sound is so much better, partly because of the cartridge and needle, than on my newer Sony TT. If only I could afford an old tube-type amplifier like a McIntosh, or Dynacare, or even an EICO! It seems to me that there are at least two problems with CD’s:
1. They use a sampling technique which leaves out some of the sounds. This could no doubt be improved by increasing the number of samples.
2. More importantly, they can not produce the “sympathetic” sounds produced by all string instruments. These sounds are sounds produced by the struck string causing all other strings on the instrument to also vibrate, but at different frequencies. These additional strings “humming” produce the “warmth” of analog, which so far illudes the producers of CD’s.
I will stick with my records forever! When I find a tube-type amplifier and a Voice of the Theater speaker system, I will be in heaven!
Comment by Dave Boyle — September 21, 2006 @ 10:57 pm