Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - i miss records: why they were better than cds

BadNick · 08-02-2007, 07:03 AM

I also grew up when an "album" to me meant the vinyl LP format, so I have a pretty large vinyl record collection, including mostly 33-1/3 rpm 12" LP's but also a lot of 45rpm discs of the typical 7" variety, these are mostly the small singles, but some large 12" discs were also cut at 45rpm for increased fidelity; and I also have some older 78rpm LP's. As it became obvious that records were becoming obsolete, I wanted to hear them as well as possible and also play them in a manner that would preserve them as long as possible, so I "tooled up" and got as good of a turntable/tonearm/cartridge system as I could afford which complemented my already decent above average sound system ...so I was a mild audiophile I guess.

I also still have my original Motorola 8 track player as well as one of the best Akai cassette tape players they ever made. Prior to CD's I used the Akai to record vinyl discs for listening as background music or at parties where the improved sound from the vinyl disc was a moot point.

The early CD's lacked most of the nice graphic and printed materials already mentioned above that were part of what you got with records, but more recently we're finding additional information on the discs that can be viewed on a computer monitor/other screen and which is a nice enhancement that I think compares favorably with the old records.

Also, I agree that the first many years of CD production mostly sounded like crap compared to records. But there have been vast improvements in CD production so now they are quite good. I probably don't have the latest and greatest CD's and digital playback hardware from a sound quality point-of-view, so the best aural experience in my home is still playback of the best produced records I have. Some of these are the "direct to disc" cuts where the analog feed from properly placed microphones was fed directly into very special amplifiers that drove the actual master disc cutting heads, and then a limited number of discs were pressed from those direct cut masters. In any case, my best vinyl discs that can demonstrate their capability for realism often ellicit comments along the lines of "...it sounds so real it gives you chills and makes your hair stand up...". But the "problem" with any advanced audio vinyl record format (or other more modern technical demonstrations) is always the limited selection of music made in that format, so if music is your primary interest and not sound quality, you have to find most of your pleasure in more conventional formats.

08-02-2007, 07:03 AM	#25 (permalink)
BadNick Riding the Ocean Spray Location: S.E. PA in U Sofa	I also grew up when an "album" to me meant the vinyl LP format, so I have a pretty large vinyl record collection, including mostly 33-1/3 rpm 12" LP's but also a lot of 45rpm discs of the typical 7" variety, these are mostly the small singles, but some large 12" discs were also cut at 45rpm for increased fidelity; and I also have some older 78rpm LP's. As it became obvious that records were becoming obsolete, I wanted to hear them as well as possible and also play them in a manner that would preserve them as long as possible, so I "tooled up" and got as good of a turntable/tonearm/cartridge system as I could afford which complemented my already decent above average sound system ...so I was a mild audiophile I guess. I also still have my original Motorola 8 track player as well as one of the best Akai cassette tape players they ever made. Prior to CD's I used the Akai to record vinyl discs for listening as background music or at parties where the improved sound from the vinyl disc was a moot point. The early CD's lacked most of the nice graphic and printed materials already mentioned above that were part of what you got with records, but more recently we're finding additional information on the discs that can be viewed on a computer monitor/other screen and which is a nice enhancement that I think compares favorably with the old records. Also, I agree that the first many years of CD production mostly sounded like crap compared to records. But there have been vast improvements in CD production so now they are quite good. I probably don't have the latest and greatest CD's and digital playback hardware from a sound quality point-of-view, so the best aural experience in my home is still playback of the best produced records I have. Some of these are the "direct to disc" cuts where the analog feed from properly placed microphones was fed directly into very special amplifiers that drove the actual master disc cutting heads, and then a limited number of discs were pressed from those direct cut masters. In any case, my best vinyl discs that can demonstrate their capability for realism often ellicit comments along the lines of "...it sounds so real it gives you chills and makes your hair stand up...". But the "problem" with any advanced audio vinyl record format (or other more modern technical demonstrations) is always the limited selection of music made in that format, so if music is your primary interest and not sound quality, you have to find most of your pleasure in more conventional formats.