Who listens only to vinyl?

I've had a CD payer hooked up to my main cd less for than 3% of the time in the past 5 years. Haven't had any digital hookup for several months now. So that's pretty close to exclusive analog. Also have a R2R deck I'd have used a lot more if a damn channel hadn't gone intermittent - it sounded phenomenal while it worked.

Was 28 years old when I first "discovered" vinyl in my 2ch system, and became immediately infuriated from having been lied to about digital's "perfect quality" for so long. That had a reactive effect, and thus an analog snob was born.

I DO kinda fondly remember my Meridian G08 purchased in 2004, but only because it steps out beyond the unlistenable hash of most digital players & DACs below that price point. That it was pitched to me as an "analog-like" CD player was a damn lie, and the $4.5K retail is way too much compared to what you'd get for that investment in vinyl playback. Though I'd gladly pick one up (or the 588) if they could be had for low-$1K used - then I'd be covered for those FEW albums I can't get on LP.

There is more good music on LP alone to last me a couple lifetimes, so I can't complain about being limited by exclusive vinyl playback - it renders the BEST sound quality for the MAJORITY of the available recordings of good music that's out there.

My CD player can go months at a time with out use. My vinyl rig is much better sounding. That makes it worth the extra effort.

TD

I have not posted for many years but your post has prompted a reply. I have a custom CDL plinth with Lenco particulars, an Alphason HR-100S tonearm, and a Monster Cable Sigma 2000 MK2. cartridge. My Pre is a Rogue Magmum 99 with NOS tubes of my preference - amp is a McCormack Deluxe with Mods.

I never play cds even though I have a Jitter sink made by a well established designer.

Vinyl is the path for those seeking a higher plane. If you are not into vinyl you will never understand. It is the Alpha and the Omega of life.

The Bordeaux continues to call and I must obey. End of transmission.

I listen to only vinyl. In the past I would warm up my system with my CDP, dont even use it for that anymore.

Just a personal point. I recently upgraded my CDP to the ARC Ref CD-8, which is very very good. I think my vinyl set up is pretty decent too: VPI classic, ARC PH-7 phono pre and Sound Smith VPI Zephyr carty.

Here are the challenges I face. First, source material, be it CD or vinyl, can be a a challenge unto itself. Some of my CDs really shine on my rig, but many simply do not. I attribute this more to the CD than my system. The same is also true for my LPs, although by and large, my old collection from the 70s and 80s are a pleasure. So I bounce back and forth.

The second point is practical. I rediscovered vinyl about a year and a half ago. I liked it a lot and played it a lot. Just recently, as a couple of my threads will explain, I sent my Zephyr back to Sound Smith for a check and a retip. The cost wasn't too bad - about $250. But removing and resetting my cartrige was inconvenient. Also, Peter Ledermann of Sound Smith said that I will probably need to retip every 1000 hours, which is easy to rack up over a year or so.

So the bottom line is that I really enjoy both source inputs, subject to the quality of the CD and vinyl. But in light of the somewhat limited "shelf life" of my carty's stylus and the simple convenience of sitting down and listening to about an hour of music on CD versus 15-20 mins for each side of an LP, I'm kinda biased in favor of my CDP for now. Who knows -- if I pick up a stack of new LPs from my local vintage record store, I may shift back.