Vinyl Sales Outpace CD Sales!

[Al M.]

If you are comparing physical media, sure digital is 98% migrated to streaming. The net is - 2020 U.S. vinyl sales were ~5%, the remaining 95% is essentially digital.

Another interesting stat - from 2019 to 2020 U.S. vinyl sales grew $140 Million while digital sales grew over $1 Billion.

Actually, if I understand correctly, most vinyl these days (except the niche audiophile pressings) is made from digital masters or remasters, so it is digital itself.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Actually, if I understand correctly, most vinyl these days (except the niche audiophile pressings) is made from digital masters or remasters, so it is digital itself.

That’s why I only buy special audiophile pressings.

 

[Al M.]

That’s why I only buy special audiophile pressings.

Well, you don't have a turntable with USB port either, as seems usual among young people these days . Strange that folks don't see the irony of such equipment. But then, perhaps today's "vinyl experience" was supposed to be digital all along.

 

[sbo6]

I don’t like the idea of streaming and will spin lps and cds to the day I die.

Curious what you don't like about it, the convenience, the high quality, the plethora of music, the saving of physical space or the low cost?

 

[Phillyb]

If you are comparing physical media, sure digital is 98% migrated to streaming. The net is - 2020 U.S. vinyl sales were ~5% of total sales, the remaining 95% is essentially digital.

Another interesting stat - from 2019 to 2020 U.S. vinyl sales grew $140 Million while digital sales grew over $1 Billion.

With the continual proliferation of high quality digital services and millions of songs available at your fingertips for the price of a few Happy meals a month + ultra high quality digital servers, streamers and DACs at continually lower prices and higher quality it's only a matter of time before LPs go the way of the Edison cylinder. I get the draw to vinyl, it can sound great and, for us older folks, there's that un - kickable drug called nostalgia that draws you in. But technology moves on with higher quality, lower distortion, easier access and a better user experience at lower prices. Supply, demand and competition folks...

Not to mention how good are turntables set up these days. When I had vinyl I go buy a cartridge at my local Audio Store, part of their service was set up, it took them 2 hours almost. they had scopes that showed when the highest separation was set, lowest distortion, and on and on. Today I go into an audio store I know more than the salesman who wants nothing more than to sell you and tell you what you want to hear, but to they have the skill to set up a turntable correctly, I asked about what they use, well the same as I would use, but no scopes, nothing, but done it by hand, I asked him how long it would take to set up the arm and cartridge, he said no more than 1/2 hour. Then you got those who buy them online, who going to set up their table when the time comes for a new cartridge? And do it right, many cities have very few dealers anymore and many if you did not buy the table from them may well not be willing to take the time needed to do it right.

 

[PeterA]

Not to mention how good are turntables set up these days. When I had vinyl I go buy a cartridge at my local Audio Store, part of their service was set up, it took them 2 hours almost. they had scopes that showed when the highest separation was set, lowest distortion, and on and on. Today I go into an audio store I know more than the salesman who wants nothing more than to sell you and tell you what you want to hear, but to they have the skill to set up a turntable correctly, I asked about what they use, well the same as I would use, but no scopes, nothing, but done it by hand, I asked him how long it would take to set up the arm and cartridge, he said no more than 1/2 hour. Then you got those who buy them online, who going to set up their table when the time comes for a new cartridge? And do it right, many cities have very few dealers anymore and many if you did not buy the table from them may well not be willing to take the time needed to do it right.

When I bought my first turntable again almost 20 years ago now, the dealer set it all up. He told me that in his opinion, only two dealers in MA could set up a turntable correctly. And that was then. I just had my new turntable/arm/cartridge set up by an expert. I learned quite a bit over the years, but member ddk did a much better job than I did, and the system now sounds fantastic. This is a very rare and critical skill. He used the basic tools and his ears. Sadly, this level of service is very hard to find.

I used to think my digital friends had it much easier. It turns out that this is not the case either judging from all of the complications and discussions with tech guys about set up, mostly servers, but even getting transports and DACs set up properly with the right cables and accessories and outboard boxes is not so simple. I was surprised.

 

[Al M.]

I used to think my digital friends had it much easier. It turns out that this is not the case either judging from all of the complications and discussions with tech guys about set up, mostly servers, but even getting transports and DACs set up properly with the right cables and accessories and outboard boxes is not so simple. I was surprised.

Yes, CD transports can be optimized with re-clockers too.

Yet especially servers in my experience can be a never ending drama, with never ending complications and "improvements" that are then superseded by the next "best thing". I have witnessed this over the years in friends' systems, and really don't want to go through this myself. I have outlined my trepidations in this post.

A friend has now opted for a one box solution of DAC and streaming in the form of an MSB Premier DAC plus Renderer, which really works well, but that is an expensive option in terms of the DAC. Another friend has now a well working solution too after many years of optimizing, but that is effectively expensive as well.

It can be done, but boy did I wish it were more plug 'n play, especially on the more affordable level.

Anyone who claims high quality computer audio is so easy is free to fool themselves -- they will not fool me. Not after what I have experienced over the years.

 

[twitch]

Actually, if I understand correctly, most vinyl these days (except the niche audiophile pressings) is made from digital masters or remasters, so it is digital itself.

yep and there in lies the irony ! Thankfully like most of the other old farts on this forum I have a well cared for LP collection that goes back almost 60 years. As for modern day true 'analog', David Rawlings and Gillian Welch come to mind ........

 

[microstrip]

(...) I used to think my digital friends had it much easier. It turns out that this is not the case either judging from all of the complications and discussions with tech guys about set up, mostly servers, but even getting transports and DACs set up properly with the right cables and accessories and outboard boxes is not so simple. I was surprised.

This hobby can be as complex as we want it to be. You can have an excellent digital system that is very simple, or can make it an epic battle. The same way we can do it with vinyl.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

Curious what you don't like about it, the convenience, the high quality, the plethora of music, the saving of physical space or the low cost?

What I don’t like about is when it cuts of while you’re half way thru a song.not knowing what I wanna listen to and I perfer to flick thru my lps and cds than on a computer.

 

[Addicted to hifi]

I might be old fashioned but I just don’t like the idea of streaming when I can go to my lp or CD collection and pick something out and listen to it With out any issues.

 

[PeterA]

This hobby can be as complex as we want it to be. You can have an excellent digital system that is very simple, or can make it an epic battle. The same way we can do it with vinyl.

Absolutely. One box CDPs from the 90s were pretty simple. Then came clocks, upsamplers, power supplies, different connections, then different resolutions, now separate DACs streamers, services, etc. etc. Tell us about your four box Vivaldi, which version and updates, and all of those cables. Wait, please don't. Great analog remains great and does not change much if at all. You just have to find it and know how to set it up. Great digital seems to revolutionize every few years, or so it seems to me. MQA?

Digital must be quite simple for the billions of downloads for the many many music lovers. We here are doing something different.

 

[tima]

Great digital seems to revolutionize every few years, or so it seems to me.

The change is constant. Put simply it's data processing and everything that goes with that. There are as many algorithms as there are programmers. Instead of output going to the internet or a printer or a screen or a database, it goes to a speaker.

 

[sbo6]

Absolutely. One box CDPs from the 90s were pretty simple. Then came clocks, upsamplers, power supplies, different connections, then different resolutions, now separate DACs streamers, services, etc. etc. Tell us about your four box Vivaldi, which version and updates, and all of those cables. Wait, please don't. Great analog remains great and does not change much if at all. You just have to find it and know how to set it up. Great digital seems to revolutionize every few years, or so it seems to me. MQA?

Digital must be quite simple for the billions of downloads for the many many music lovers. We here are doing something different.

With respect, you must be joking. Vinyl requires a TT, arm(s), cartridges, a phono pre, speed controller, often step up transformers, isolation platform, footers and cables to connect it all. Not to mention mats, clamps, rings, belts and a ton of space to store media. Then there's 33, 45, 120 gram, 180 gram, direct to disc, etc. Nothing in audio is more complex, costly and time consuming than a vinyl setup and managing the media.

And great digital is evolving quickly because it's not 100 years old like vinyl. And within a significantly shorter time due to significant advances in technology it already caught up to vinyl. Imagine where it will be in 100 years from the first CD players in the 1980s. It's analogous to the guy touting his combustion engine big block '69 Chevelle and putting down the all electric 2020 Tesla roadster. ;-)

 

[tima]

Micro Seiki SX 8000 II, (2) NOS SME 3012R, Technics MM: EPC-205CMK3, 3X vdH Colibri, Loricraft, KLAudio, Lamm LP2.1

--- That is: a turntable, 2 tonearms 5 cartridges, 2 record cleaners, a phono amplifier

Paul Hynes SR4T + HDPlex HD500 PSUs -> Music PC w/JCAT Femto nic, HQPlayer, Roon, Tidal / Qobuz | HDPlex HD100 PSU -> OCX clock + EtherRegen | Aqua Acoustic Quality LinQ streamer | Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. 2 DAC

--- Kinda guessing here: a music server, a quiet case w/ special power supply for the music pc(?), a music pc with a special network card, an upsampler(?), 3 music sources, a power supply, a clock, a switch, a network device maybe something like router(?), a digital to analog converter

None of which has anything to do with vinyl or compact disc sales.

 

[the sound of Tao]

I never understand the need people have to take a crack at something that is other than their preference.

If you love CDs, or vinyl or a server based replay more power to you as long as it is making you happy. But why frame the defence of your choice by taking shots at the other ways fellow audiophiles choose to enjoy music or sound or gear? Just because something is not to your particular liking or you struggle with it doesn’t then make it bad. Might just be about your preferences or your particular sensitivities or you or your systems strengths or weaknesses.

But whether you love sound or love music or love both it’s all good. But I’ve yet to meet an audiophile who makes everything genuinely simple in their approach to this. We are all the architects of our own complex responses.

This is the completely simple way that I started my love of audio and music…


I was totally fascinated by the music and my first record player experiences as a kid… the drives to be an audiophile lead us to somewhere possibly fantastic and different, but I’d suggest rarely any simpler

 

[bonzo75]

Micro Seiki SX 8000 II, (2) NOS SME 3012R, Technics MM: EPC-205CMK3, 3X vdH Colibri, Loricraft, KLAudio, Lamm LP2.1

--- That is: a turntable, 2 tonearms 5 cartridges, 2 record cleaners, a phono amplifier

Paul Hynes SR4T + HDPlex HD500 PSUs -> Music PC w/JCAT Femto nic, HQPlayer, Roon, Tidal / Qobuz | HDPlex HD100 PSU -> OCX clock + EtherRegen | Aqua Acoustic Quality LinQ streamer | Aqua Acoustic Quality Formula xHD Rev. 2 DAC

--- Kinda guessing here: a music server, a quiet case w/ special power supply for the music pc(?), a music pc with a special network card, an upsampler(?), 3 music sources, a power supply, a clock, a switch, a network device maybe something like router(?), a digital to analog converter

None of which has anything to do with vinyl or compact disc sales.

Your digital equivalent is more tweakophile, so to make equal you have to add in your analog example wally tools, various destat and flattening machines, Richard Mak's, Feickert's and Dietrich's set up tools, other isolation devices.

 

[tima]

Your digital equivalent is more tweakophile, so to make equal you have to add in your analog example wally tools, various deaths and flattening machines, Richard Mak's, Feickert's and Dietrich's set up tools, other isolation devices.

Not mine and I noted no equivalencies. The items are from the signatures of sb06 and Peter.

 

[bonzo75]

Not mine and I noted no equivalencies. The items are from the signatures of sb06 and Peter.

Yes I got that. My point was that these are just different examples of OCD, nothing to do with vinyl or digital

 

[tima]

My point was that these are just different examples of OCD

Many high-end hobbies are - we look past that and enjoy the detail of doing something well.