Ditched vinyl in favour of digital . Any regrets?

[TIU]

Don't get me wrong, I have a few records and still buy them but, if I were starting again ......

You would be idle with no drive?

 

[Von Krolock]

Don't get me wrong, I have a few records and still buy them but, if I were starting again ......

Agreed - it ain't worth it - starting from scratch.
A ten LP collection for example might cost around £300 quid after you've bought that iffy
starter deck. A money pit.

 

[Idlewithnodrive]

I think that those of us who have reasonable record collections already are very lucky.

 

[Pennypacker]

I‘m 41 now and CD generation, I miss the tangible part of looking at the collection, putting something on and the stacks of cases in the leaving room. Vinyl always seemed attractive due to the tangible part, history, artwork and I like old stuff, add that to the amount of enthusiasm surround by it on forums like these.

So started with vinyl a couple (5-6) years back and always had a love/hate relationship with it, then received approximately 200 LPs from a friend on loan which wear practically a rock/prog-rock goldmine. In the meanwhile moved up the chain from old AKAI/JVC-somewhat via Thorens TD160 to Technics SL1200G, swapped some carts MM-MC etc on the way.

The SL1200G with Linn Adikt was on par with my Akurate streamer, I loved the TT itself as an object, it oozes quality IMHO but my god the pops and crackles drove me up the wall. Second hand LP’s are hit and miss and the new ones a tad to expansive to my taste. Tried washing with als sorts of solutions, rags, brushing, inner sleeves and other YouTube-Voodoo, however the bad taste remained. Sold the lot last year at last to better owner, never missed it and my streamer has at least 2 hours airtime per day.

Understandable medium if you grew up with it, but to start with it no. Hifi’s biggest money-pit/black-hole/worm-can AFAIK.

 

[meridian man]

Can't you have both?

 

[bencat]

If you had have lots of money and limited music tastes yes . If not then no .

 

[Topkho]

Vinyl is king, most of the times (depends on the pressing). But expensive, and impractical.

Streaming can be spectacular sounding if you really know what you’re doing and put $$$ into it.

 

[Andrei]

I‘m 41 now and CD generation, I miss the tangible part of looking at the collection, putting something on and the stacks of cases in the leaving room. Vinyl always seemed attractive due to the tangible part, history, artwork and I like old stuff, add that to the amount of enthusiasm surround by it on forums like these.

So started with vinyl a couple (5-6) years back and always had a love/hate relationship with it, then received approximately 200 LPs from a friend on loan which wear practically a rock/prog-rock goldmine. In the meanwhile moved up the chain from old AKAI/JVC-somewhat via Thorens TD160 to Technics SL1200G, swapped some carts MM-MC etc on the way.

The SL1200G with Linn Adikt was on par with my Akurate streamer, I loved the TT itself as an object, it oozes quality IMHO but my god the pops and crackles drove me up the wall. Second hand LP’s are hit and miss and the new ones a tad to expansive to my taste. Tried washing with als sorts of solutions, rags, brushing, inner sleeves and other YouTube-Voodoo, however the bad taste remained. Sold the lot last year at last to better owner, never missed it and my streamer has at least 2 hours airtime per day.

Understandable medium if you grew up with it, but to start with it no. Hifi’s biggest money-pit/black-hole/worm-can AFAIK.

Well said sir! My situation is that I decided to return to vinyl about 10 years ago. Pretty much the same issues as you. However I have kept my vinyl rig (modded SL1200 series). I don't mind the pops and crackles as they are still less distraction than the rustles, coughs etc in a live concert. What does get my goat is a persistent tic where you get a click on a regular time interval ie once a revolution. The anticipation is totally distracting. However a cart with a good stylus will sit away from the surface. This has to be combined with fastidious setup - think alignment, azimuth, tracking force etc. Now the stylus is not subject to surface imperfections. So in my experience vinyl noise can be brought to within acceptable limits.

My main reason for sticking with vinyl is that there is a lot of music that is either not available digitally or has been has been transferred to CD etc without regard to the medium. This is especially true for classical music from the 60's through to the 80's.

Given the 100 + hours work on my TTs and the expense involved, for example a high end Phono Stage, I would advise against a vinyl rig. The money involved can be spent more productively in a speaker upgrade. However having gone down that rabbit hole I am going to stick with it.

 

[ROOG]

No is the short answer, but I don’t have a large vinyl collection and most of it dates from my late teens early 20’s and is dont listen to that music anymore. I have a friendly 2nd hand record shop just down the road from where I live and I have bought a few records for nostalgic reasons And play records very occasionally just for old times sake, but as a rule I much prefer streaming from online sources such as Qobuz, Spotify etc as it has given me much greater access to new music which I wouldn’t have tried otherwise and old stuff which I wouldnt buy but like to listen to.

 

[Thomasb1982]

I tried to get back into Vinyl again a few months ago however I have already lost interest. Record quality is poor and it's all just too much hassle. Plus the expense.

I wish I had spent the money on a better streamer.

At least I've scratched the itch.

 

[Hornucopia]

My vinyl went years ago, couple of thousand LPs. I hated the whole business of setting up a turntable, cleaning records, replacing cartridges and getting up every 25m to change the record. Madness.

Happy with everything on my Mac Pro and all the sounds on an external Hard Disc. Having ripped the CDs I want, they're in storage. I love playlists - so convenient.

Me too.

 

[paraheadache]

and getting up every 25m to change the record. Madness.

Better than just sitting according to the health bods

 

[Pkay]

Gave up on vinyl about twenty years ago. (Linn LP12/SME Series 2/ ADC ZLM)

Listening to Classical music on CD, minus the snap crackle and pop, was a revelation.

Server, streamer, and internet these days...even better.

I like both and have managed to ignore the pops and crackle. Unless they are loud.

Digital is incredibly convenient, easier and cheaper.

 

[Pkay]

For anyone considering getting into digital without wanting to spend silly dollars I can highly recommend the Matrix Sabre X 3. I think it’s as good as the Chord Dave at a much cheaper price.

https://www.matrix-digi.com/product/14/X-SABRE_3

 

[nickcavelover]

I never regretted going from vinyl to digital... And I never get drawn into discussions about which "sounds better" as the sheer convenience of digital playback more than outweighs the subjective qualities of playing a record.

Yes , the sounds better is rubbish .
I'm a analogue guy ...but it just sounds different thats all.
Just enjoy

 

[bilspe]

This always reminds me when photography was a big passion of mine and the analogue vs digital debate was a hot topic around the early 2000's
I started out with film & chemicals and hand printed all my work in a darkroom. When digital came along, the image quality couldn't match a well crafted traditional print but now it does, even on a phone.
I never went down the digital path because always preferred the hands-on approach and the challenge of working with mechanical cameras and raw materials. You had to really put the work in, be patient and make alot of mistakes to get a fine print but when it all came together the reward was much greater. We used to argue that a digital image / inkjet print wasn't even a real photograph, in the true sense of the word
I kind of feel the same about hifi. Have been using CD's mostly and will continue to do so but am currently in the throes of restoring a TD124 and building a plinth. I don't actually own much vinyl so it's going to be a bit of a journey with alot of frustration and effort (and cost, although am happy to just buy an album or two once a month)
The music though when it finally comes is going to be all the more sweeter.
Streaming is like fast food..... quick easy and tasty, but what if you actually enjoy cooking : )

 

[maddog_007]

I gave up my excellent Linn Ikemi when I discovered this streaming malarkey.

Bought a NAS and ripped all my silver discs.

Would never give up my vinyl collection /LP12 replay system.

So today I have the luxury of streaming AND the bliss of that black plastic stuff!.

 

[Pennypacker]

I gave up my excellent Linn Ikemi when I discovered this streaming malarkey.

Bought a NAS and ripped all my silver discs.

Would never give up my vinyl collection /LP12 replay system.

So today I have the luxury of streaming AND the bliss of that black plastic stuff!.

An Ikemi, something to admire. Still kinda eyeing on them.

 

[maddog_007]

Latecomer to cd's ...while the majority were ditching their vinyl I was buying/collecting as much as I could afford!. Started with Marantz cd63 se..then I walked into Stereo Stereo in Glasgow. Bought a Mimik. Was at the launch of the CD12 in the above shop...nearest I've come to one since!. Then I upgraded to the Ikemi which had the same drawer mech as the 12. Then I investigated streaming and bought a Squeezebox/Duet/ Logitech Transporter. Linn's early DS's weren't a patch on the Transporter mainly because their radio function was poor. Couple of years later I bought the shops dem ADS a grown up affair with the new casework. Had it upgraded to Katalyst in 2018. Then Selekt/Organik and the writing on the wall was clear that Linn's excellent Akurate line was a dead end. Bought a KDS3/Katalyst and yesterday had the new Utopik p/supply fitted.I never took to the Selekt styling of the NGKDSM....always thought the milled from solid was a beautiful piece of hifi artwork...it ; my KDS/Organik with Utopik sits on the top shelf of my Qaudraspire rack in stealthy black .

 

[Pennypacker]

Latecomer to cd's ...while the majority were ditching their vinyl I was buying/collecting as much as I could afford!. Started with Marantz cd63 se..then I walked into Stereo Stereo in Glasgow. Bought a Mimik. Was at the launch of the CD12 in the above shop...nearest I've come to one since!. Then I upgraded to the Ikemi which had the same drawer mech as the 12. Then I investigated streaming and bought a Squeezebox/Duet/ Logitech Transporter. Linn's early DS's weren't a patch on the Transporter mainly because their radio function was poor. Couple of years later I bought the shops dem ADS a grown up affair with the new casework. Had it upgraded to Katalyst in 2018. Then Selekt/Organik and the writing on the wall was clear that Linn's excellent Akurate line was a dead end. Bought a KDS3/Katalyst and yesterday had the new Utopik p/supply fitted.I never took to the Selekt styling of the NGKDSM....always thought the milled from solid was a beautiful piece of hifi artwork...it ; my KDS/Organik with Utopik sits on the top shelf of my Qaudraspire rack in stealthy black .

I went Yamaha CDxx, AMC CDxx, Linn Mimik, Linn Genki and then Squeezbox touch with Musical Fidelity DAC endend up with Linn streamer so somewhat of the same path.