First, a little back story. I love to listen to music. During middle school, I listened to CDs. By the time high school rolled around, I had switched over to MP3s. The digital files were easy to get, very portable and versatile, and sounded decent. I’ve been listening to MP3 files ever since.
But a while back, I got interested in LPs and record players. The idea of an old-school analog music player appealed to me because it seemed like a better overall music experience. Here’s why:
1) You can’t beat the sound quality of an LP. CDs and MP3s are just digital replications of music. No matter how high quality they are, there will always be something missing in the sound that LPs successfully capture.
2) This “warm” sound really envelops the listener and captures the nuances in the music.
3) You get to listen to albums all the way through, and since you can’t take record players on the go, you have to sit there and enjoy the music. I believe this is what listening to music should really be like.
4) There’s a connection in holding a physical copy of the music, along with the cover art and liner notes, that makes you appreciate the artist that much more. Plus, the cover art is just plain awesome to look at – you can see intricate details that is lost in digital versions.
5) You can find rare songs and albums that are no longer produced and aren’t available online. Plus, there are two record stores near my apartment that sell used LPs for as little as $1.95.
My Audio Technica AT-LP60 was a steal at $60 used on eBay. It’s fully automatic, there’s a built-in pre-amp so you don’t have to buy one, and it was easy to set-up (hooked it up to my 5.1 Logitech surround sound system in 30 seconds). You can also transfer music to your computer via USB. Most important, it sounds great.
I played Electric Ladyland by the Jimi Hendrix Experience and was instantly transported to the recording studio. The guitar solos, charged drum beats, background instrumentation, and Jimi’s voice were all very clear yet combined splendidly into the songs.
I have yet to try out the two other albums I bought (an Eagles greatest hits, and John Coltrane’s Trane Tracks), but I’m definitely looking forward to it.
Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase, and I plan to enjoy good music in the years to come.
Return of vinyl at randomtidbitsofthought.wordpress.com.
