Vinyl or CD?

[,elaboratedolls]

It's the ultimate showdown. Vinyl vs. CD!
So what one do you prefer? I personally like vinyl more. Has more classic songs - none of that pop ****.
What about you?

[Suspective]

I've never really used or even been in contact with vinyl. And I haven't used CDs for literally years - I usually listen to music digitally through either my computer on on an iPod/MP3 Player.

If I had to choose between the two however, I'd go for CD. :D

[-Eyeless-]

I prefer Vinyl, sounds better, and you can still get more recent music on Vinyl. Makes me feel old that I can remember using Tapes too xD lol

[Metric1]

compact discs.

[Rozi]

With MP3's being around now, a vinyl will always beat a CD for me :)

[Judas]

So what one do you prefer? I personally like vinyl more. Has more classic songs - none of that pop ****.

a lot of "that pop ****" gets released onto vinyls nowadays anyway so that as a reason for preferring vinyl is invalid

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lihtfj5j5L1qc4xim.gif

[Recursion]

Why would you even use CDs now, let alone vinyl. It (vinyl) sounds terrible, even if you're a DJ you can get away with MP3 based decks now.

[Chris]

I never use either of them anymore, but if I had to pick then it would be CD.

[Eoin247]

It's the ultimate showdown. Vinyl vs. CD!
So what one do you prefer? I personally like vinyl more. Has more classic songs - none of that pop ****.
What about you?

There's just as much (if not more) classic music on CDs.


I prefer Vinyl, sounds better, and you can still get more recent music on Vinyl. Makes me feel old that I can remember using Tapes too xD lol


Sorry but a vinyl record for a fact doesn't have as good of a sound quality as a CD.

Why is this even a showdown nevermind an "ultimate" one? Vinyl has absolutely nothing going for it compared to CDs. The only reason i can see people using vinyl is for nostalgia purposes.

[Plebings]

Mostly get CDs, if I get hyped for a release I'll end up buying the vinyl for 'collectors value', large artwork, etc

Some find the sound of vinyl 'warmer', which could either be a pro or con

[beth]

i buy vinyls mainly because my favourite band (johnny foreigner) release alot of eps on vinyl and i like to have them, even if i can't play them.

[AgnesIO]

The only reason anyone in their right mind would consider using vinyl is to look 'cool'.

CD's are the past, Vinyl is just.. ancient.

[Mark]

I'm not sure if this thread is serious or not... Most people if not all will not remember or even use vinyl on a daily basis. If I were you I'd change it to CD or MP3 as that is where we are at in terms of that aspect of technology. In terms of this thread I prefer CDs as I don't have a vinyl player and never really want to have one as I have more faith in CDs, iTunes and Spotify.

[AgnesIO]

I'm not sure if this thread is serious or not... Most people if not all will not remember or even use vinyl on a daily basis. If I were you I'd change it to CD or MP3 as that is where we are at in terms of that aspect of technology. In terms of this thread I prefer CDs as I don't have a vinyl player and never really want to have one as I have more faith in CDs, iTunes and Spotify.

Yeah. It is a bit like asking video or DVD - hardly a difficult choice.

[beth]

The only reason anyone in their right mind would consider using vinyl is to look 'cool'.

CD's are the past, Vinyl is just.. ancient.

orrrr to support their favourite band? i don't buy vinyl to look "cool", i just buy them to help support bands i like who MAINLY make their money off e.p vinyl releases.

i listen to alot of indie/alternative/electro stuff and regardless of what technology defines, they still use vinyl as a main form of selling music.

[Plebings]

Vinyl will always be collectable due to the extremes they go through to make it, it is also very unlikely there will be reissues, unlike CDs which are basically just blank disks with downloaded files. Should people stop buying physical releases? No, not really.. Getting rid of artwork, sleeve notes, lyric sheets.. Think most artists would revolt against that happening

[Judas]

Should people stop buying physical releases? No, not really.. Getting rid of artwork, sleeve notes, lyric sheets.. Think most artists would revolt against that happening

agreed. having a physical copy of a record is much more special than getting a download, whether CD, vinyl, or friggin cassettes (okay maybe not) i'd be so pissed if one day they became a thing of the past. i think i've downloaded an album from itunes once only. i buy individual songs online sometimes, but not having a physical copy takes away the magic for me.

[Plebings]

Kinda related - It's Record Store Day today!

Spent too much I think, did anyone else buy stuff? Did you know about it? etc.

The guy infront of me bought the last Radiohead 12'', it was £8, now going for £80 on ebay. Not impressed.

They didn't stock Panda Bear either which was my other main priority, didn't have enough money left over to buy the Lady GaGa 12''. HOWEVER I GOT:

Xiu Xiu
Fleet Foxes
Wild Beasts
DOM
Foals
Rolo Tomassi
Flying Lotus
The Go! Team

Pretty impressed in getting the Wild Beasts single - only 250 out there - had to wait in line at about 8:30am though, and there were still around 30 people infront of me. OVERALL I AM KNACKERED.

[AgnesIO]

What the hell is record store day?

[Plebings]

http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases

Record Store Day releases hundreds of limited edition and pre-released records on a certain day each year. Most of the stock is usually sold out by noon, so there are lots of dealers (e.g. these (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RADIOHEAD-SUPERCOLLIDER-12-RECORD-STORE-DAY-RSD-2011-/280660532215?pt=UK_Records&hash=item4158abdbf7) people).

[Jahova]

Why would you even use CDs now, let alone vinyl. It (vinyl) sounds terrible, even if you're a DJ you can get away with MP3 based decks now.

You are incorrect. Vinyl is analogue meaning it is one continuous wave. It is the highest quality audio format anyone can get. A CD is digital meaning the sound is chopped up.


Sorry but a vinyl record for a fact doesn't have as good of a sound quality as a CD.

Incorrect. The sound quality of a vinyl record is far superior than to any CD, see above.


The only reason anyone in their right mind would consider using vinyl is to look 'cool'.

CD's are the past, Vinyl is just.. ancient.

Incorrect:

People may appreciate the highest quality audio;
People may want to own their favourite music on a nice physical format;
People may want to "read" their music (you can read the grooves of vinyl, looking at loudness, etc);
If you are a DJ, you may want to play using vinyl (as they're more impressive & have a better feel) to DJ with;
And yes, there are some people who buy vinyl to look 'cool'.


Also, a lot of modern dance music is released on vinyl record. Literally every track from the genres of Dubstep, Drum & Bass, House and Techno are all released on vinyl record.


Kinda related - It's Record Store Day today!

Spent too much I think, did anyone else buy stuff? Did you know about it? etc.

The guy infront of me bought the last Radiohead 12'', it was £8, now going for £80 on ebay. Not impressed.

They didn't stock Panda Bear either which was my other main priority, didn't have enough money left over to buy the Lady GaGa 12''. HOWEVER I GOT:

Xiu Xiu
Fleet Foxes
Wild Beasts
DOM
Foals
Rolo Tomassi
Flying Lotus
The Go! Team

Pretty impressed in getting the Wild Beasts single - only 250 out there - had to wait in line at about 8:30am though, and there were still around 30 people infront of me. OVERALL I AM KNACKERED.

Yeah, I DJ'ed at my local record shop, it was a 100% vinyl set (Dubstep) and it was a fantastic day! Was going to get the flying lotus release but then I spent my money on other things including a limited edition t-shirt ;) Pictures at the bottom of my post :)

Finally, vinyl sales have actually increased hugely in the past few years, meanwhile, CD sales are decreasing rapidly. People want high quality audio and a good looking cover / artwork to play and collect for home use. Vinyl records are perfect for this. Want to argue with me about anything I've said? Go ahead, I have only stated facts.

Two pictures from record store day (not sure if I'm breaking rules, I've blacked out other peoples faces and only left mine):

http://i.imgur.com/sjljc.png

http://i.imgur.com/mqEmL.png

[AgnesIO]

You are incorrect. Vinyl is analogue meaning it is one continuous wave. It is the highest quality audio format anyone can get. A CD is digital meaning the sound is chopped up.



Incorrect. The sound quality of a vinyl record is far superior than to any CD, see above.



Incorrect:

People may appreciate the highest quality audio;
People may want to own their favourite music on a nice physical format;
People may want to "read" their music (you can read the grooves of vinyl, looking at loudness, etc);
If you are a DJ, you may want to play using vinyl (as they're more impressive & have a better feel) to DJ with;
And yes, there are some people who buy vinyl to look 'cool'.


Also, a lot of modern dance music is released on vinyl record. Literally every track from the genres of Dubstep, Drum & Bass, House and Techno are all released on vinyl record.



Yeah, I DJ'ed at my local record shop, it was a 100% vinyl set (Dubstep) and it was a fantastic day! Was going to get the flying lotus release but then I spent my money on other things including a limited edition t-shirt ;) Pictures at the bottom of my post :)

Finally, vinyl sales have actually increased hugely in the past few years, meanwhile, CD sales are decreasing rapidly. People want high quality audio and a good looking cover / artwork to play and collect for home use. Vinyl records are perfect for this. Want to argue with me about anything I've said? Go ahead, I have only stated facts.

Two pictures from record store day (not sure if I'm breaking rules, I've blacked out other peoples faces and only left mine):

http://i.imgur.com/sjljc.png

http://i.imgur.com/mqEmL.png

I do not wish to argue with you.

I apologise, my knowledge of club dance is appalling! Didn't realise club dance still used vinyl.

Also, although CD sales have fell, downloads have rocketed. Just like book sales fell, whereas e-book sales trebled.

[Eoin247]

orrrr to support their favourite band? i don't buy vinyl to look "cool", i just buy them to help support bands i like who MAINLY make their money off e.p vinyl releases.

i listen to alot of indie/alternative/electro stuff and regardless of what technology defines, they still use vinyl as a main form of selling music.

What bands still use vinyl as their main source of income? Might as well just donate money to them if the only reason vinyl is bought is to support the band.

[Plebings]

What bands still use vinyl as their main source of income? Might as well just donate money to them if the only reason vinyl is bought is to support the band.

yeah we could give them money for nothing, BUT BANDS EXIST TO MAKE MUSIC?? If a band decides to only release their music on vinyl, that's their choice.

Tours are really bands main income, but there are acts (like the one beth is talking about) who feel that vinyl have a more communial feel (again, the effort it takes to create, artwork, inside notes, limited pressings, etc) than CDs (blank disc, etc)

[lawrawrrr]

Vinyls are gorgeous - I usually buy music in electronic form but I do occasionally buy vinyls as collectibles/decorations - they're so pretty and classic :D

[beth]

What bands still use vinyl as their main source of income? Might as well just donate money to them if the only reason vinyl is bought is to support the band.

www.bloggyforeigner.blogspot.com feel free to browse their blog and look at their releases on vinyl. and yeh i might aswell donate money because i'm not using the vinyl but if they're selling it i will buy one to support them.

[FlyingJesus]

i listen to alot of indie/alternative/electro stuff and regardless of what technology defines, they still use vinyl as a main form of selling music.


Also, a lot of modern dance music is released on vinyl record. Literally every track from the genres of Dubstep, Drum & Bass, House and Techno are all released on vinyl record.

I'm certain a large part of the reason for these (especially in light of the fact that vinyl sales have shot up in recent years) is that it's currently the cool thing to have *+_*ViNtAgE+&* items and vinyl records are one of these omgindividual items. That said I do agree that for a lot of dance music it's a great advantage to be able to work with vinyl and if you can afford it then it's almost certainly worth getting into for any aspiring dance DJ

ALL THIS ASIDE I'd still choose CD over vinyl because it's so much easier to use and I don't keep my record player in my car

[beth]

I'm certain a large part of the reason for these (especially in light of the fact that vinyl sales have shot up in recent years) is that it's currently the cool thing to have *+_*ViNtAgE+&* items and vinyl records are one of these omgindividual items. That said I do agree that for a lot of dance music it's a great advantage to be able to work with vinyl and if you can afford it then it's almost certainly worth getting into for any aspiring dance DJ

ALL THIS ASIDE I'd still choose CD over vinyl because it's so much easier to use and I don't keep my record player in my car

vinyl is v.hipster.

[Plebings]

vinyl is v.hipster.

IT'S WHY WE LOVE IT

[N!ck]

You are incorrect. Vinyl is analogue meaning it is one continuous wave. It is the highest quality audio format anyone can get. A CD is digital meaning the sound is chopped up.

Incorrect. The sound quality of a vinyl record is far superior than to any CD, see above.



You are only correct with this because it's your opinion, not factual.

Technically speaking, CD should be of higher quality.

Let me put it like this, imagine a video cassette compared to a DVD/Blu-ray. Using your analogy, a video cassette is analogue meaning it is one continuous wave. It is the highest quality video format anyone can get. A DVD/Blu-ray is digital meaning the video is chopped up.

Now, I don't know the technical details about how exactly the audio is etched on the vinyl, but none of the equipment used to create the medium (the manufacturer) or to read it (your decks) is infinitely accurate as it must be to work in the way that you suggest. Also, because the vinyl is an analogue medium it means it's fundamentally impossible to reproduce an exact copy of it when being made. This means that theoretically every vinyl of the same thing will be slightly different (impossible for a human to hear, but there all the same).

The radio is also analogue (I'm not talking about DAB of course). Are you telling me that this is of the exact same quality as vinyl and superior to CDs?

A digital signal is chopped up into bits as you correctly state, which means it has a bandwidth. Without going into the mathematics of it all, you gan break an analogue signal down using a Fourier transform and will find that there is also a finite bandwidth to an analogue signal. I had the unfortunate pleasure of learning to do Fourier analysis as part of my degree course earlier this year.

Now, I haven't done any calculations or research, but I believe that if you did then you'd find that CD is a theoretically superior medium to vinyl.



Of course music is all about what you enjoy and vinyl does supposedly give a "warmer" feel to audio.

If you prefer the sound of vinyl to CD, then for you is is better, but please don't go around with the idea that it is the be-all and end-all.

[Jahova]

Indeed, the radio's sound information is transported in an analogue wave (sine), however this does not mean it is of the same quality. Radio is generally at a 96kbps quality. Of course, both TV (well, it used to be) and radio are sent through the air in an analogue form (sine wave) but that doesn't mean it is of the highest quality (I'm repeating myself, I know).

Then again, a vinyl's quality could again vary depending on the input's quality, so yes, it could be said that at times a CD would be of better quality but I'd estimate 85%+ of vinyl records have a better audio quality compared to a CD.

[N!ck]

Ok, here's a back of envelope analysis I found to prove my point.


A typical vinyl LP has a bandwidth of about 18kHz (when it's brand new, it might get up to about 22kHz). There is certainly some audio stuff above that, but it generally bears no relation to meaningful programme material (ie. it's noise and distortion). So let's be generous and assume a bandwidth of 22kHz: you'll need to sample this at 44kHz. The dynamic range of a beautifully pressed LP on virgin vinyl can get to about 65-70dB on a good day with a following wind, which equates to slightly less than 12 bits. So the bit rate required is 44,000 x 12 x 2 (for stereo), giving about 1030kbs. A more typical LP (18kHz bandwidth, dynamic range of 55dB) needs a bit rate of about 650kbs. For comparison purposes, the CD bit rate is 1378kbs.

If you're unsure on what any of the terms mean I'd be happy to explain. Put simply, a typical vinyl might be equivalent to around 650kbps and a CD is double that.

[Jahova]

Hmm, but how could anyone compared an analogue and digital signal. Surely as vinyl is analogue, it doesn't have a bit rate as it isn't chopped up at all?

Maybe I'm not understanding something.

[Alexx..]

I prefer Vinyl, but that's because I don't own CD's it's either vinyl or mp3.

[AgnesIO]

Hmm, but how could anyone compared an analogue and digital signal. Surely as vinyl is analogue, it doesn't have a bit rate as it isn't chopped up at all?

Maybe I'm not understanding something.

Well, digital is better than analogue in my opinion. That is a comparision.

[Andy-]

I go for CD's but I listen to music on the internet or on iPods etc.

[N!ck]

Hmm, but how could anyone compared an analogue and digital signal. Surely as vinyl is analogue, it doesn't have a bit rate as it isn't chopped up at all?

Maybe I'm not understanding something.

It's not chopped up, but you can work out what it's approximately equivalent to I think.

You said yourself "Radio is generally at a 96kbps quality". I think this is a similar sort of calculation.

I don't really not clued up on it enough to discuss further I'm afraid, but I'm still pretty certain CD is theoretically slightly superior to vinyl.

Of course there are big advantages with vinyl for DJing etc, but I'm just talking from an audio quality perspective.

[beth]

IT'S WHY WE LOVE IT

VERY TRUE. just gonna post me and ma vinyl on ma tumblr.

[matt$]

Most people don't bother with CDs anymore its mainly MP3s so if they were to choose between CDs and Vinyls i reckon most would pick vinyl cause of its retro factor but that might just be me.

[peteyt]

I believe you don't actually need a license to play a Vinyl live and mix it unlike with CD's and digital downloads, thus a lot of DJ's buy vinyl as it's a lot easier for them.

I don't buy them myself but I do buy CD's. I like to have something to hold, to show I actually have the album. Some albums have brilliant artwork. I have a Sigur Ros album that's made a bit like a book, special paper, wood or what not.