Home› Other Music

WHY CDS MAY ACTUALLY SOUND BETTER THAN VINYL

Comments

  • given2fly23given2fly23 Posts: 5,902
    Thanks for posting. That was a really interesting counterpoint to a lot of what we've been hearing recently.

    The fact that people buy unsourced bootleg pressings of albums or live recordings pressed from CD or worse sources to vinyl is proof that it's not all about sound quality.


    Found: Soundgarden Hyde Park DVD (Thank you for the gift!)
    Posters for Sale: http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/117469/posters-for-sale
    T-Shirts for Sale: http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/149289/pj-t-shirt-trade-or-sale
  • buck502000buck502000 Posts: 8,951
    I love music - but I prefer cd rips and having a physical copy for backup - that's not to say vinyl can't sound better, in some instances. You have to find the best mastering. I will always buy vinyl records for recordings I love. I am a nerd. :lol:
  • ikiTikiT Posts: 11,055
    edited September 2015
    Great post.
    Keep sleeping on digital, I like the dollar pickups in my Goodwill. Can you say $1 Houses of the Holy on CD? The alternative is a $35 to $300 "original pressing" crapshoot, a tick-pop-CLICK-fest during the we done four already and now we're steady and then they went one two three four...it can sound awesome, but often it does not.
    Post edited by ikiT on
    Bristow 05132010 to Amsterdam 2 06132018
  • goldrushgoldrush Posts: 7,543
    That was a cool read, thanks for posting it.
    You'll never be able to say 100% which sounds better because 'quality' is subject to personal opinion. Some people love the clean sound of digital recordings, others love the crackle and pop of vinyl. It's really the romance of vinyl that is the clincher isn't it? Sure cds and digital are more convenient, and may well sound better, but there's no excitement or anticipation in watching a download bar change colour. It doesn't come close to the experience of putting on a record, kicking back and just enjoying the moment.

    For many years I would only buy vinyl, or if I did buy a cd I'd often buy the vinyl as well. I still buy vinyl but nowadays I limit it to a few of my favourite bands (the completist part of me just can't let some things go!), and my collection is a fraction of what it used to be. I don't have any playlists or single tracks on my iPod, only complete albums, probably based on my vinyl habits.
    “Do not postpone happiness”
    (Jeff Tweedy, Sydney 2007)

    “Put yer good money on the sunrise”
    (Tim Rogers)
  • darthvedderdarthvedder Posts: 2,573
    goldrush said:

    That was a cool read, thanks for posting it.
    You'll never be able to say 100% which sounds better because 'quality' is subject to personal opinion. Some people love the clean sound of digital recordings, others love the crackle and pop of vinyl. It's really the romance of vinyl that is the clincher isn't it? Sure cds and digital are more convenient, and may well sound better, but there's no excitement or anticipation in watching a download bar change colour. It doesn't come close to the experience of putting on a record, kicking back and just enjoying the moment.

    For many years I would only buy vinyl, or if I did buy a cd I'd often buy the vinyl as well. I still buy vinyl but nowadays I limit it to a few of my favourite bands (the completist part of me just can't let some things go!), and my collection is a fraction of what it used to be. I don't have any playlists or single tracks on my iPod, only complete albums, probably based on my vinyl habits.

    Speak for yourself. I get excited to hear new music regardless of how it's delivered to me.
  • tino_11tino_11 Posts: 2,127
    I have to say, a big part of it for me is the experience of playing vinyl. Hard to say in terms of sound because my turntable set up is far greater than anything I have for digital. I also like to keep it that way, adds to my enjoyment of spinning my vinyl.
    'F*** the pessimists. F*** 'em.' Eddie Vedder
  • ldent42ldent42 Posts: 7,859
    edited September 2015
    My mom has been telling me that she doesn't understand why vinyl is making a comeback since CDs sound so much better.
    NYC 06/24/08-Auckland 11/27/09-Chch 11/29/09-Newark 05/18/10-Atlanta 09/22/12-Chicago 07/19/13-Brooklyn 10/18/13 & 10/19/13-Hartford 10/25/13-Baltimore 10/27/13-Auckland 1/17/14-GC 1/19/14-Melbourne 1/24/14-Sydney 1/26/14-Amsterdam 6/16/14 & 6/17/14-Milan 6/20/14-Berlin 6/26/14-Leeds 7/8/14-Milton Keynes 7/11/14-St. Louis 10/3/14-NYC 9/26/15
    LIVEFOOTSTEPS.ORG/USER/?USR=435
  • Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Posts: 14,352
    tino_11 said:

    I have to say, a big part of it for me is the experience of playing vinyl. Hard to say in terms of sound because my turntable set up is far greater than anything I have for digital. I also like to keep it that way, adds to my enjoyment of spinning my vinyl.

    Yeah, I'm like this as well. When I started listening to vinyl, I noticed that I can crank it up more. My neighbour actually started complaining :lol: He asked if I had a new sound system. But I still had my shitty little all in one hifi thingy with the record player hooked up to it. The sound was just so much more rich. What I also love about vinyl is that if you take good care of it, it can be played forever. I have had CDs of lesser quality where the layers started to peel off. And when my moving container was flooded in the harbour of New York by that hurricane, my vinyl survived pretty good, but the CDs were so nasty and crusty that nothing could save them. I'll stick with wax for now. And isn't is awesome when you get an LP that is 40 years old or more from the cheapo bin and it sounds just like on the first day? I love that.

    Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
    http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/148993/please-pearl-jam-consider-a-vinyl-benaroya-hall-re-issue


  • HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Posts: 16,444
    I grew up with vinyl. To me, there is a disconnect with digital music. There is something about holding a tangible item, admiring the large format artwork, reading the lyrics without squinting. I love that when I put an album on, I listen to the whole thing instead of just hitting the track forward button halfway thru a song. Listening to vinyl has a ritual feeling to it that's missing from the digital world.
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 (xx) / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24
  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    edited September 2015
    CDs definitely don't sound better at my house. My CD player isn't anywhere near as good as my TT setup.
    Also, I don't love CDs at all. I love records. I also find CDs to be way too delicate.
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • lolobugglolobugg Posts: 8,192
    "CDs are like bad acid"

    livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446

    1995- New Orleans, LA  : New Orleans, LA

    1996- Charleston, SC

    1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN

    2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN

    2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA

    2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)

    2006- Cincinnati, OH

    2008- Columbia, SC

    2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2

    2010- Bristow, VA

    2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL

    2012- Atlanta, GA

    2013- Charlotte, NC

    2014- Cincinnati, OH

    2015- New York, NY

    2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA

    2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY

    2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2

    2020- Nashville, TN 

    2022- Smashville 

    2023- Austin, TX x2

    2024- Baltimore

  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    PJ_Soul said:

    CDs definitely don't sound better at my house. My CD player isn't anywhere near as good as my TT setup. Also, I really do hear the "warm" sound difference with vinyl. It's not just my imagination, lol.
    Also, I don't love CDs at all. I love records. I also find CDs to be way too delicate.

    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • MedozKMedozK Posts: 9,209
    edited September 2015
    buck502000 said:

    You have to find the best mastering.

    I love music also... all kinds, i'm no snob. Love everything from classical, rock, to bluegrass & country. BUT above all for ALL music the above statement is what makes the music sound great or bad. And this is true, imo, about ALL formats.
    PJ_Soul said:

    Also, I really do hear the "warm" sound difference with vinyl. It's not just my imagination, lol.

    A properly mastered CD can sound just as warm. You need to find some original early to mid-eighties pressings, and see what CD can truly sound like.

    And just to be clear I LOVE vinyl and I LOVE CDs.... again its about the music and finding the best mastering.
    Post edited by MedozK on
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,057
    I will take any of those ridiculous cumbersome inferior sounding LPs that are in good condition of anyone's hands here. Hell, I'll even pay for the shipping! Pack 'em up, PM me and we'll work something out! :lol:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • PJ_SoulPJ_Soul Posts: 49,958
    MedozK said:

    buck502000 said:

    You have to find the best mastering.

    I love music also... all kinds, i'm no snob. Love everything from classical, rock, to bluegrass & country. BUT above all for ALL music the above statement is what makes the music sound great or bad. And this is true, imo, about ALL formats.
    PJ_Soul said:

    Also, I really do hear the "warm" sound difference with vinyl. It's not just my imagination, lol.

    A properly mastered CD can sound just as warm. You need to find some original early to mid-eighties pressings, and see what CD can truly sound like.

    And just to be clear I LOVE vinyl and I LOVE CDs.... again its about the music and finding the best mastering.
    Maybe, though i sure don't have any system that would make them sound good either way. But besides that, I just don't love CDs. I did the CD thing all through the 2000s, and, while of course i still loved the music, which is first consideration, I never thought of them as anything more than some disc that scratches too easily. But with vinyl, and love the WHOLE package. I care about it more, and that actually does affect how I feel about the actual music coming off of them. It's like a stronger emotional connection overall when I play a record, and that means a lot to me.
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,057
    edited September 2015
    R. Crumb of Zap comics, album cover, book illustrations, (etc.) fame collects old 78 RPM singles, mostly blues. That's all he collects. He's being quoted as saying it's not only because that's the music he likes most but because the act of playing a single RPM record almost forces one to fully take in the one song. I like that concept. I've been spinning 45's lately and noticing how it really does work as Crumb described. And they sound great!

    Speaking of records, check out my "Mono stylus for turn table thread in AET. I'm curious about what others think about mono cartridges.
    Post edited by brianlux on
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Sign In or Register to comment.