Is analog & vinyl anoying? Is it worht it.

04-09-07: Dan_ed
Must be that time of the month again. Seems like once a month we get folks coming around with a thread like this.

I think threads like this are beneficial for those considering investing in an analog front end. It's valuable to know the positive and negatives with any decision before spending the money.

Don't take the negative comments personally. They're not attacks on anyone's preferences.

Tvad, I don't take them personally. It's just an old theme that obviously has an agenda. See! I'm falling for it already!

For me, high fidelity is a hobby. That means that I am not averse to taking the time to optimize the setup, hell I enjoy it and find it rewarding, and a bit of ritual - as in cleaning and maintaining records - doesn't bother me either. For me, the reason that LP replay is essential is not the sound quality, but that so much of our rich recorded history is simply not available on any other format, and probably won't be. That seals the deal, as far as I am concerned. Some secondary issues are that many LPs can be purchased for a few dollars, and the artwork can be enjoyed in it's full glory.

IMO: it is only worth it if you have access to the vinyl!
Getting a $20,000 setup to play THREE LPs is not a good investment.
Me, I got 10,000 plus aquired in three years dirt cheap! (at $0.20 or less for many!!)
So for me it is easy to say it is worth the bother.
To spend a lot to play the $28 a pop new vinyl doesn't make sense.
Please!! If you want to get into it then do! If you are waffling to 'jump on board the bandwagon' FORGET IT JACK!!!
Only if you do not care if you waste $10k and decide it is not for you, that's ok.. then yeah, go for it! If you don't HAVE a grand to blow to the wind.. FORGET IT.
Old geezers may argue about it, but I say count the $$$ and balance the cost/enjoyment ratio and ask: "Do I have the cash to throw away a few grand on a whim?

04-09-07: Dan_ed
Tvad, I don't take them personally. It's just an old theme that obviously has an agenda.

Really? The theme (thread) has an agenda? I don't grasp that in this thread whatsoever. Hmmm...

Viridian makes a good point about some recordings not being available in other formats, and the enjoyment of album artwork. For those who own (or want to collect) music unavailable in formats other than vinyl, the analog format makes clear sense.

I just framed a couple of album covers, and a red vinyl record that were my grandmother's from Hawaii. Very cool. We're glad they're displayed in our living room/listening room.