There is a big revival of vinyl records now, as compared with a few years ago when CD’s came in and people gave away or sold their records.
Hear good quality vinyl (even second-hand) on a half-decent record playing system, and most people would be astonished at how much better it sounds than iphones, ipads, mp3 players.
A chap came over to collect something from the Midlands that I had sold on an auction site. I played him first a good quality CD, then the same album on vinyl. “…It sounds better than the CD !..” He said. His view on quality of records versus digital changed in minutes.
How many of you have resurrected their vinyl record players or bought a new one ? How many have played vinyl records to your children brought up on a diet of digital this and that on mp3’s, ipads, ipods, etc ?
I buy most of my vinyl from charity shops and some from record shops. A record, at £1.50 has a lot more tracks than paying the same for a single download of an mp3 track, and will sound ten times better in most cases.
If you take care in selecting equipment the pops and crackles on records mostly disappear. I have some records which are so quiet between tracks, I keep thinking the amp has switched off ! Some digital can sound very good indeed but a lot is simply awful in comparison, and that is what many hifi experts have found too.
All mine’s still here and yes it been played and played but because its been looked after it sounds amazing through our sound system.
Where as none of my CDs play properly anymore, and my CDs players have long since gone to that great scrape bin.
I don’t have a mp3 track I don’t use ipods as I can’t stand things plugged into my ears same reason I don’t use my mobile phone plugged into my ear and so will never use it in the car.
I don’t have an ipad either.
Unlike my husband I never use the mp3 player in my car as when I drive I love to listen to the music of my cars engine.
I used to pick up some Vinyls in car boot sales just for the worn covers. When I found my first few ‘The Smiths’ vinyls I took them to my taid’s (granded) house to use his Record Player- I felt quite emotional. I knew that that was the closest to hearing them live I could ever get- I was born in the 90’s, too late to hear my favourite band in their time, but hearing them being played on original 80’s Vinyl felt really special.
I don’t have a record player. I listen to most of my music on mp3 through my iPod but when I find a record player of my own I’ll be listening to my favourite songs through it. I have collected a few of my favourite singles on Vinyl ready for a magical experience.
Ah, years back, my flatmate and her bf upgraded their entire collection to CD’s. They gave me their vinyl - I still have it, as well as my own collection. I have LOADs of records and they still sound good! My husband also has some records, so we recently invested in a record player.
And my niece - aged 28 - is now the proud owner of a retro-style record player and is collecting vinyl too - the stuff her dad used to play (on tape!) in the car, when she was little.
Vinyl is alive and well!
All our vinyl is safe and sound. We were hi-fi geeks in the days of Linn-Sondek making the deck to own.Wow and flutter were nothing to do with reactions to OneDirection!
Couldn’t agree more about the quality of the sound. We bought a deck to put vinyl onto the computer, and even super-messed about by processing, the sound is so much more…something!
Have you seen the seller When the music’s over? They convert old vinyl complete with labels, into useful things. I’ve just bought a few Christmas bits and loved their clock made from Cat Stevens’ “Teaser and the fire cat” album. We still have an immaculate copy of it safely tucked away.
Showing my age again.
Linn is still around, and now charging extortionate prices for their lovely record decks.
There are great bargains to be had new from British firm ‘Rega’, (really nice well-made decks, and even decks in different colours and one in a union jack version), and I think eastern european firm, ‘Project’.
There are so many record deck manufacturers out there now, many are British too.
A lot of the cheaper record decks sold as USB decks are actually not very good, but there are exceptions. ‘Project’ do a USB deck of reasonable quality, and Audio Technica does a good one the AT LP 1240 USB which will even play 78’s !
There is one below it, the ATLP 120, at a lower price, have just sold one of those, after I modified it. You don’t actually need a USB version vinyl deck to transfer to computer/digital, but it helps.‘Audacity’ is a free programme which is great for transferring audio.
I like the idea of some vinyl being converted into other items of use. A clock based on an LP is a great idea.
It’s great to hear that younger people are trying out and listening to vinyl.
Out of all the formats for audio out there, vinyl, if looked after, should outlast most other formats.
CD’s deteriorate over time, and the range of digital file formats now available, may not even be around in a few years time, as there is constant change in digital.
I know a young lady who makes clutch-bags out of vinyl records. She’s a bit of a Vintage '50’s freak and uses funky fabrics to make the sides and linings of her bags. They’re very popular (and very attractive too).
I prefer to Listen to my vinyl, but I suppose if a record was badly scratched, it would make a decent “melted round a jam-jar” vase (remember those?)
I’d love to see records come back. Having grown up in the 70s I have fond memories of stacking LPs on the record player and having the volume up so loud I couldn’t hear Mum calling me down for dinner! There was just something so tactile about holding a vinyl record in your hand; rather like reading a book and turning the pages I suppose, instead of e-book readers. The world is so robotic and digitalised now, it would be great to see a bit of organic past come back!
I just bought a double LP of ‘Miss Saigon’ today, original cast recording in almost mint condition for 99p. Amazing what you can get second-hand if you look around. New vinyl is always going to be much more expensive, but you can then have up-to-date artists. Lots of record fairs becoming popular, but do look also in car boots, charity shops, etc.
I found a great vinyl shop in Rye, Kent, in a converted old grammar school. A very wide range of LP’s. Gave discounts if you bought a few, but average prices were around £8 - £10 and upwards for used vinyl, although condition was pretty good. They have a cheaper selection too, and do online sales.
