Why Vinyl?

I own a record player. Why? because I'm better than you.

No, not really. It just sounds great. I have it hooked up to two Bose computer speakers and let me tell you, iTunes cannot come close to producing a digital copy of a song that sounds as good as that.

With digital, recordings sometimes get muddled. Details get hard to pick out and too much middle register sound comes through. Though not bad by any stretch, it's not perfect.

Vinyl produces a much clearer tone. Details become very easy to pick out and the songs sound much closer to the original studio mix. Why is that? Because sound gets lost in the translation from the studio to digital recording. Vinyl is an analog method so virtually nothing gets lost in the transition from studio to copy. I'm not really a tech guy, but it's explained so that I could understand it here.

Also, buying a record is so much more satisfying than buying songs on the internet. You get a physical package with large artwork on the case and the sleeves. Often times it comes with a small poster/lyric sheet. Some vinyls, like the Postal Service's Give Up, come with a full lyric/artwork booklet (20 or so pages) and a poster--not to mention a full second record with 2 b-sides, 2 covers, and 2 remixes.

I would rather pay $10-20 for a physical record and packaging than $10 for digital information--but that's just me. Most record players today also come with digital converters so if you want the album on your digital library, its easy to do so. Some records also give a code for a free digital download.

There's something religious in putting a record on, laying down and listening through, turning it over and changing the record. It's a great way to sit back and relax. It's just not the same with an ipod. I own an ipod, and my iTunes library is imense. Digital allows for easier on-the-go listening and I appreciate it. But the listening experience that comes with vinyl is so much better. Instead of scrolling through your library, picking a song, not being satisfied, scrolling again, picking, getting bored, scrolling again you just sit back and appreciate what's playing, knowing that it's the best possible listening quality outside of the studio. It's a really good de-stresser.

Vinyl has its downside. Records are big, clunky and easily damageable. That's exactly the reason why sound quality was sacrificed in the transition to CDs and digital--it's easier, safer and more portable. But when it gets right down to it, I want the best quality possible and I'm willing to be a little more careful with my music to do so.

If you don't believe me, take your favorite album and find a way to play the vinyl copy. I think you'll like what you hear.