Zer0

When we buy a new album or reissue on vinyl do we really know what we're getting? With this age of digital recording and digital remastering it doesn't really make much sense to buy a record that possibly doesn't sound any better than a CD. A couple of months ago I picked up the Sony reissue of Slowdive's Souvlaki on vinyl (I got excited, who could blame me?) and when I listened to it the sound didn't quite seem as good as I thought it would. Later I found out that the reissue had been mastered from a digital source, which pretty much defeated the point of having it on vinyl since it was nothing more than a glorified CD. Lesson learned. It made me think twice about getting new releases on vinyl, especially reissues, since they could even be mastered from the CD itself.

Has anyone ever thought about this or had any issues? I know old vinyl will always sound the best but as regards new releases is there a way of knowing you are going to get a quality product superior to a CD?

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Paedantic Basterd

I do know that a number of modern CDs are remastered for vinyl. Sometimes it's so subtle that the difference is irrelevant. I've seen vinyl labeled as "remastered" and that's usually where it matters.

And you can always collect it for the artwork, I suppose. I don't collect vinyl. I might buy some of my top albums ever on it, but I don't feel much inclination towards it.

Zer0

I like collecting older second-hand vinyl but I've become very weary of newer vinyl. You really don't know what the source of the master is. I know it's the actual music that counts but sometimes you just want to enjoy it to the full.

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lucifer_sam

All records have been digitally mastered since the early 1990s. It's nothing new. The resurgence of vinyl is marketed towards people who prefer being music collectors rather than music appreciators. Nothing wrong with that, it's nice having a physical copy of a work of art instead of an impermeable file source.

There are certain things about vinyl records that actually DO sound different than their CD or digital counterparts; dither, for example. When an LP is spun, the needle mechanically responds to discontinuities in the analog medium by the curvature of the needle. This introduces an oscillatory frequency mode which is construed as pleasing to the ears, even if it isn't necessarily an accurate reproduction of the original recorded work.

In essence, our ears love randomness...and that's why vinyl sounds "better" than digital at times.

Whether or not you feel that extra effort is worth the $20+ you end up spending on the vinyl, that's up to you.

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RVCA

I was considering buying some vinyls of my favorite albums just to frame them and put them up on my wall. I don't own a vinyl player, and like Zero said, it seems silly to buy a vinyl for the music when I probably have a better quality, easier to access copy of it right on my computer.

But it also seems silly to buy a vinyl just for the artwork.

lucifer_sam

Acoustic records sound phenomenal played on vinyl. It creates an added warmth to the resonance of the instrument that is, for lack of a better phrase, pure ear sex.

I never understood why Elliott Smith's Either/Or was so revered over his other recordings until I heard it on vinyl.

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Alfred

I've been buying vinyl since September, and I primarily buy new (post-1990 releases). My reasons for buying them are...

1. I like to own physical copies of records I love. I still buy CDs every now and then (if they're cheap or I can't get said record on vinyl), but I see them as kind of unnecessary since I own an iPod and, 9/10 times, already have the music they contain on a computer. If the latter wasn't true, then the main purpose the CD would then serve is a source for obtaining the song files.

2. The artwork, packaging, and size. Again, back to owning physical copies of albums I love, vinyl is the best possible way to do this. You get a much larger version of the album than you would on CD, and often times there's goodies inside like posters etc. Gatefolds are usually really cool too. And finally, there's coloured vinyl. This is one of the silliest, but most fun parts about vinyl for me. About half the records I own are on plain, black vinyl, but the rest are on all sorts of awesome colours; clear blue, purple with orange splatter, white marble, etc.

3. Vinyl is released in limited quantities, which makes it more collectible than CDs. CDs don't really have a whole lot of value or rarity since it's easy and cheaper to produce a whole bunch of them. Vinyl, especially punk vinyl, often comes in quantities of less than 1000. It's a great feeling knowing you own one of only 100 copies of an out-of-print variant. Additionally, many records (especially EPs, remixes, singles, etc) are not available in any other physical format. Now, don't take this like I'm only in it to collect them...

4. The sound. Yeah yeah yeah, you've heard this a million times. Vinyl sounds warm and all that stuff. Well, it's true. In many cases, I notice a lot more depth to my records as well, as opposed to digital formats. I'm no audiophile, but if I'm in my room, studying, I'm not going to listen to This Will Destroy You's Young Mountain on my iPod, I'm going to play it on my turntable.

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lucifer_sam

Dude. The Blue Record by Baroness hits every single one of the points you raised. Beautiful artwork. Novel record color. Awesome presentation and packaging. IMMENSE sound. And it even feels awesome -- having the whole double LP, gatefold sleeve & additional artwork. I was absolutely thrilled to get it from the label, packed and shipped for $27. Because it's worth it.

But you probably have it already.

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Alfred

I don't own it yet, but I actually just ordered it tonight, haha. I can't wait to finally get my hands on it!

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lucifer_sam

I bought it for my brother for Christmas and almost creamed myself when I opened the package.

I don't have a turntable myself (too poor), but I was on tenterhooks about leaving it in the shrink wrap before I give it to him, haha.

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