Vinyl vs CD

[MargeB]

Sorry, don't want to start a 'religion' type argument, but which is better? Would like to hear opinions as well as any science on offer.

[delboy3]

Purists tend to go for vinyl as they claim it is more 'dynamic', plus from an aesthetic point of view they prefer the labels and sleeves to be of a more readable size.

The CD camp obviously goes for the 'scratch-free' and compact storage argument, plus you can quickly jump from track to track.

Whatever floats your boat, I'd say...

[MargeB]

I'm hearin you delboy, interested in the 'dynamic' argument. It seems to produce a sound more atune to the way people hear. Your ear is, after all, an analogue to digital converter, so...

[delboy3]

I noticed early on in life that when buying vinyl, the more spaced-out the grooves (e.g. 12 inch singles), the higher the quality playback - even with a crappy hi-fi. I read somewhere that Japanese-pressed vinyl was very much sought after by aficionados as the playback quality was superior.

CDs may sound clearer, but there is also something of a 'flatness' to the sound. I avoided buying CDs for the first 10 years of their existence but had to give in some day!

[georgit79]

You can't mix with cds. And vinyl is way cooler, man..I can't fit it in my car stereo, though :-(

[bancodegaia]

Just for the convenience factor it has to be cd.

I've scratched vinyl and that's it, it's ******** whereas with a cd I've downloaded the mp3 version and re-recorded onto a fresh cd. it's easier to convert all my cds to mp3s to put on my mp3 player. To do that with vinyl would take too long and then theres the fiddling about with the file to reduce hiss or whatever.
Also, I've never seen anyone walking around with a Sony Vinylman and I'm yet to see a 10 disc vinyl changer in the boot of anyone's car.
Not particularly scientific but highlights my point about convenience...

[Sooper]

I think it also depends on the equipment that you are using to a huge degree , if you have a quality Turntable and Cartridge and good speakers and you are comparing it with a bottom of the market cheap stereo such as an Alba  system there is gonna be no contest.

Also Georgit you CAN mix with Cd's , i do it along with thousands of other Dj's. Tak a look at the Pioneer CDJ range and you will see. It is growing in poularity and some of the many superstar Dj's only use this way of Dj ing now and their decks are a thing of the past. For me though (and many others) i have combined the both . Oh and by the way Vinyl is the best !

[kwillmott]

Neither of them is "better" they are both mainly mass produced to sell at an affordable price. Each has it's advantages and problems. You become use to the sound (whatever "quality"). All my life I have listened to all sorts of "systems" and I feel that the old 78's had wonderful "sound" but many problems. LP's were great at first but during the 70's got thinner and thinner in general. CD's in general had poor overall sound when they first came out, but during the 90's they inproved leaps and bounds.

[jaydj]

You cant beat the feel of vinyl and there are many tracks never to have been made on cd's

Of course  im now buying more cd's than vinyl so im not totaly anti cd's.....but im never going throw my dusty old records out