Do you still collect vinyl?

[ajlee]

What are some sources for classical lossless digital files?

[Tapio Dmitriyevich]

I buy a lot at Chandos (www.theclassicalshop.net). Linn as well.

[ajlee]

Tapio,

Aye, thanks!

[DavidW]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57360306-47/poll-why-do-young-people-play-lps/

Just curious, if anyone on this forum has jumped into vinyl and is new to it... so that it's not a matter of nostalgia... why did you do it and what is the experience like?

I'm a downloads only kind of guy now and I can't imagine collecting those huge discs, it's funny that they've made a come back (in the day and age of convenience, smartphones, tablets etc) but apparently not only is it happening but the UK sales show strong support for it not being about nostalgia.

[Todd]

Just curious, if anyone on this forum has jumped into vinyl and is new to it... so that it's not a matter of nostalgia... why did you do it and what is the experience like?

I'm not a youngster, but I can relay my recent revisiting of big discs.  I had to rely on vinyl when I was young.  Then starting around 1990 I switched to CDs and lived without a turtable until 2009.  I kept all of my LPs, though.  When I got back into vinyl, I was able to get a good turntable and cartridge and phono pre, and I spun not only my old LPs, but picked up a nice haul of used ones.

LPs do not have the dynamic range of CDs, they are more distorted, and they can be noisy, but they have their place.  To my ears, rock and jazz sound better on LPs.  Classical tends to benefit from digital, though well recorded, well pressed LPs of string quartets sound fabulous.  They sound warmer and almost as detailed.  The Ferras / Karajan LvB violin concerto sounds a bit less impressive orchestrally, but Ferras sounds better.  And Colin Davis' '70s Sibelius is superb in every way.  Note that I've bought nothing but used pressings for classical, though I have bought some new 180 gram pressings of rock (Warren Zevon, Pink Floyd, Eagles, etc).  While older LPs may may be noisier on occasion (though not always!), they sound as good as new pressings.  Indeed, it's not uncommon to read avid collectors saying that older LPs sound better than newer ones.  I can't really detect much of a difference based on age alone.  The Davis Sibelius set, for instance, was pressed in the 80s, generally considered the nadir of pressing quality, yet it sounds superb despite its flimsiness. 

One plus about vinyl is that used vinyl is cheap.  I pick up LPs for between $2 and $6 each, with sets being less per disc.  And then there are recordings that never made it CD, and may or may not become digital files.  This applies to all genres.

All that written, most of my listening is digital.  It's nice to have all formats at one's disposal.  Hell, I've thought about buying a tape deck to listen to some of my old tapes.

[Bogey]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-57360306-47/poll-why-do-young-people-play-lps/

Just curious, if anyone on this forum has jumped into vinyl and is new to it... so that it's not a matter of nostalgia... why did you do it and what is the experience like?

I'm a downloads only kind of guy now and I can't imagine collecting those huge discs, it's funny that they've made a come back (in the day and age of convenience, smartphones, tablets etc) but apparently not only is it happening but the UK sales show strong support for it not being about nostalgia.

I have been into it for a number of years now.  Fortunately for me, most of the vinyl I want the youngin's could care less about.  Here are my reasons:

1. Sound: If you buy the right vinyl, the sound is warm and clear.  However, I would add to this that it is the type of sound my ears grew up with.  Like finding that old favorite shirt....just pure comfort.  Certain labels sound great on my system (Six Eye mono Columbias, Mercury Stereo) while others are just aweful (later Columbia and many DG, even the old ones, which is surprising), so just buying any platter will not do.
2. Price: Since I am into the classical, it usually goes for a song in the shops.  For example, I came home with five albums last Friday (Six Eye Columbias) and it ran me about $17 after tax.  Usually each of the used is priced at $3-6, but a few can be a bit more.  Some on EBAY demand very high prices.  I stay clear of these.  However, most shops will give you a break and happy to see them sold.  Occasionally I will pop for some new audiophile vinyl, but only if I have a gift certificate. These run from about $25-50.  They do sound wonderful in most cases, but here you also need to know who is pressing them, because some are awful. 
3. Variety: I also love soundtracks and some of them are very expensive on disc, or do not exist.  Just a way to procure the music without breaking the bank.  And I believe I also have some classical that has not found its way to cd.  Could be wrong here.  For example, I got all of Moravecs Chopin from the 60's for about $10 in a sealed box set.
4. Nostalgia: I love the sound, smell, look ....heck, I might even try one for dinner down the road.  Even the cracks and pops are welcome.  The covers are great fun and I'll look at it and read the back when letting the platter spin.  I even have an old vinyl lounge chair from the 60's that I sit in when I put on a record.  In short, I make it an event as I usually have to clean the platter before playing it.  Some would find this a pain.  I call it fun.
5. Record Shows: Great fun and a blast to spend time with folks that love music and are into a hobby that you enjoy as well.  The brother and sisterhood is instant.

Storage is an issue.  However, I get rid of albums that I do not listen to or care for the sound of.  CDs I tend to hold on to.  Albums have to be special to take up valuable real estate.

[Bogey]

  To my ears, rock and jazz sound better on LPs.  Classical tends to benefit from digital, though well recorded, well pressed LPs of string quartets sound fabulous.  They sound warmer and almost as detailed. 

Agreed.  The bit of jazz and rock does seem to be less distorted as an overall descriptor.  Symphonies can be a bear to find without some distortion.  However, I have found some that work, like the labels I pointed out above.  Adding to your strings, I would add solo piano....at least on my system, which is not much.  I have been lucky with these.

[DavidW]

Hey do you guys ever buy your vinyl online or does it just not work that way due to the shipping cost?

[Bogey]

Hey do you guys ever buy your vinyl online or does it just not work that way due to the shipping cost?

Dicey.  Always nice to inspect.  I may go after a Bruno Walter Brahms No. 4 to complete my run....also there is the shipping, so the low price is kind of shot.  Plus, there is so much around here at the moment.  However, here are some Mercury's I might eventually buy on the net, as I do not mind paying top-dollar level for them.  They sound that good on my system.

[bigshot]

I don't see any reason to pay a lot for records. Here in Los Angeles, there are plenty of ways to get great LPs for two bucks a disk or less. In fact,all you really need to do is spread the word that you collect vinyl and records will come to you for free from friends and acquaintences. Sift out what you want to keep and give the rest to Goodwill. 78s are even easier to get. If you have a truck and can haul them away, you can get more great music than you have time in your lifetime to listen to it all. For a music lover, that's the cat's pajamas!

[Bogey]

I don't see any reason to pay a lot for records. Here in Los Angeles, there are plenty of ways to get great LPs for two bucks a disk or less. In fact,all you really need to do is spread the word that you collect vinyl and records will come to you for free from friends and acquaintences. Sift out what you want to keep and give the rest to Goodwill. 78s are even easier to get. If you have a truck and can haul them away, you can get more great music than you have time in your lifetime to listen to it all. For a music lover, that's the cat's pajamas!

Shhhh.

[Bogey]

Case in point.  Here is the Bruno I need to complete my run:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRUNO-WALTER-LP-Brahms-Symphony-No-4-1950s-Col-vg-/110799015123?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item19cc22ccd3#ht_2792wt_754

After shipping, about $13.

However, that is 3-4 times what I paid for the others and the condition is not exactly NM.

[Szykneij]

When CDs first came out, I was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital world. I loved my vinyl and wasn't excited about starting over with a new format. Eventually, the inevitable became obvious, and I began to enjoy and appreciate the advantages of CDs.
  Then, I got a CD recorder and started to rediscover my old lps. I was determined to transfer all of my vinyl to digital, and I think I got barely into the "B"s when I asked myself "why am I doing this?". Since I enjoyed hearing the albums again as I recorded them, why did I even need them all in CD format? So, I put a halt to that task and I now only record records I might want to listen to as CDs for a specific reason -- on a car trip, at work, etc.
  After returning to vinyl, I discovered what many have already mentioned. You can get good stuff cheap. There's a thrift shop nearby that I visit every few months or so and I've made some great album purchases there for only $1.00 each.
  My e-bay purchases are usually in the form of large lots. That helps keep the shipping charge per record down, and I've acquired collections of nice stuff at less than 50-cents per disc, including the shipping cost. The best have come from university libraries. Those albums generally have messy jackets with writing and rubber stamped info on them, but the vinyl is usually great. Sometimes, it appears that only one track on the whole lp has ever been played, indicating what the listening assignment was for that composer.
  As Bogey mentioned, storage is an issue, but if you have the space (as I do), the larger artwork and more easily readable liner notes are a plus.
  Also, like Bogey, I clean my records before playing them. I use diluted alcohol, an lp cleaning brush, and an old portable record player set at 78 speed that's solely dedicated to that purpose.

[Bogey]

and an old portable record player set at 78 speed that's solely dedicated to that purpose.

Nice.  I do not have a 78 setting....it has made me pass up many old beauties.

[Todd]

Hey do you guys ever buy your vinyl online or does it just not work that way due to the shipping cost?

I've ordered a few new LPs online from Amazon, and shipping is the same as with CDs.  For bigger hauls, I shop locally.  There are tons of used LPs at a local used CD & LP chain, and I haven't even begun to shop at a local LP emporium that has literally tens of thousands of LPs (and maybe even more than that).  If you live close to a medium or large city, you could buy more vinyl in one weekend than you would be able to listen to in a year, and for a surprisingly small amount of money.

[Bogey]

....and it does not hurt to find the manger when the classical vinyl is marked at a higher price and say, " What can you do if I buy a stack from you?"  Usually they will note the dust that has collected on the covers and the price tags that were used 20 years ago when the store opened and cut you a further break.

Record shows are not quite as kind, at least in my experience.  I usually have to spend at least $10-20 (or more) for an lp as their selection are the ones that many seek and the ones showing up at the show (though only a few) are the ones seeking them.  Very rarely have I seen crates of classical as most dealers do not have the table space or want to load them up.  They usually leave them at the shop.  The most I have spent on one of these is $35 which was with a 40% off coupon that was sent to me in the mail.

[Kontrapunctus]

I wouldn't say "collect"--but I do buy vinyl on rare occasions, particularly if the repertoire is otherwise unavailable. Actually, I just bought an Argo LP with Iain Hamilton's Cello Sonata and Elizabeth Lutyens' 6th String Quartet.

[Coopmv]

I have not added any titles to my 4000+ LP collection over the last 20 years ...

[Szykneij]

I have not added any titles to my 4000+ LP collection over the last 20 years ...

I'm sure your shelves appreciate it. Thats about 1,000 pounds of vinyl they're already holding.

[Coopmv]

I'm sure your shelves appreciate it. Thats about 1,000 pounds of vinyl they're already holding.

I built all the record shelves myself and they are super-sturdy with lots of reinforcement.  LP's are heavy ...