Vinyl Survey, help me out

[thedoorsdk]

So I'm working on an article about vinyl and how its supposedly saving the music industry, and I could use some help.
So here we have an informal survey about YOUR vinyl buying habits. Pick the option that best describes you.

Additionally, if you want to give reasons for why you prefer to buy (or not buy) vinyl, that would be helpful as well.

Personally I buy vinyl not just because I like the way it sounds, but because I enjoy having larger artwork and the physical document of the music. Records just feel tangible in a way that CDs aren't. Plus it forces you (or at least encourages you) to sit still and enjoy the music as a whole.

Anyone else?
(Oh, and thanks for contributing in advance.)

[kwami42]

I just started buying vinyl this past year. I only have 20 or so, but I like buying them because I can hear the sound difference, I enjoy the artwork, and it just feels better to me.

[idiotec]

We did not have a CD player in the house until I was about 15. All of my parents music was on vinyl, and I had a couple records but mostly tapes as a young kid. By the end of high school everything was CD's.

About 3 years ago I bought an inexpensive turntable so I could listen to my parents old records (a lot of Willie, Johnny, etc.). After that it just kind of took off. Everything sounded "right" again.

I have had a mid-fi system since college and along with the vinyl bug, I have also moved up the chain in the rest of my audio gear. It really rejuvenated my love of the hobby.

It is hard to narrow down the "why." I like going to the record shop and digging through the used record bins, I like getting them home and cleaning them, looking at the artwork, etc, and I just love the way a good records sounds. There is just a subtle realism CD's do not deliver.

[Julio_Strikes_Back]

I wish to start buying and collecting vinyl, but my dad won't let me have his record player and certainly won't buy me a new one.

[thedoorsdk]

Interesting responses so far, thanks guys.
And julio, do you have a salvation army or goodwill nearby? You can find a decent player there for pretty cheap (as long as you're just looking for something to spin records on). Just make sure it has AV outputs.

[Hungryfreak]

Well, I answered with the first option, though I truly haven't been buying for 4+ years. My parents have had a vinyl collection and I've had interest for about that long, though started buying within the past couple years, so I didn't get into vinyl recently.

[idiotec]

Just make sure it has AV outputs.
Well, not quite that easy. Some 'tables have a built in phono stage, but most do not. If not, you need to make sure your receiver, preamp, integrated, what ever it might be, has a phono input. Otherwise you will need a separate phono preamp.

[sg327]

A few years back I found a used record store that wasn't too far from me and I'd go on a weekend and try to find a lot of the music I had on my "wanted" list.

It's been a couple years since I've purchased anything on vinyl but it was a lot of fun making trips to the store and flipping through the albums and still have a few more on my list that I'd like to have.

I've used the same Technics turntable I've had for about 15 years and replaced the cartridge on it 3 or 4 times.

[afterstasis]

i've been buying vinyl for about 14 years now. prior to that i enjoyed my parents' collections.

[timmay9]

I just bought my first 6 last week, and hope to continue this. I found a pretty good record store. They had some great stuff on vinyl that I plan to pick up. Most were pretty low priced too (Except for brand new editions of huge albums, like Swoon, B*tches Brew, and Frampton Comes Alive!).

[GNRrockslife]

Started buying vinyls about 5 years ago...just after I really got into music. I've got somewhere between 500 and 600 as of now, it's what I spend most of my money on.

[Pastafarian]

I've been collecting now for 10 years or so. I only purchase albums on vinyl that have some kind of signifgance to me personally.

[TheClashTheClashTheClash]

I would buy some vinyl but I need a record player first but I'm not spending money since I'm saving up for a new bass and a drum set

[timmay9]

Definitely need to get a nice needle.

[WhiffleBallTony]

Been buying for only the last year. Got a collection of 40 or so albums going.

The reason I love vinyl is for many reasons. Primarily, it's just awesome to gaze at the artwork of some albums (In the Court of the Crimson King). Once I wear those albums out, I would love to just decorate my house with vinyl sleeves. Another reason is just the fact that you have a tangible copy of a great album. You get this with CDs as well, but not to the same degree. The last reason would be the sound. As I think we can all agree, it sounds so much warmer and beats the hell out of compressed music.

[ThrobingCane]

I have a couple vinyl records but dont listen to them, I enjoy going even older then vinyl I listen to my music on wire (jk).

But seriosly I chose the last option, just not that into vinyl, Im more of a digital efishienado. I wish DVD audio cought on.

[idiotec]

I wish DVD audio cought on.

I agree, both DVD-A and SACD sound really good. I am hoping at some point hi-res downloads catch on. There is no need for compression with how cheap storage and bandwidth is today, and why down sample to CD quality if it doesn't have to fit on the disc.

There are some places doing it, but the selection is pretty bad, but give me an "itunes" with uncompressed 96/24 and I think I would bite.

[ThrobingCane]

I agree, both DVD-A and SACD sound really good. I am hoping at some point hi-res downloads catch on. There is no need for compression with how cheap storage and bandwidth is today, and why down sample to CD quality if it doesn't have to fit on the disc.

There are some places doing it, but the selection is pretty bad, but give me an "itunes" with uncompressed 96/24 and I think I would bite.

The download places are down sampling worst then cd quality, Unfortunatlly.

[idiotec]

The download places are down sampling worst then cd quality, Unfortunatlly.
There is this one....

http://www.hdtracks.com/

[Aragha]

I'd definitely buy some if I had a record play.

And my dad said he's gonna break down and buy one that can transfer from vinyl to CD, so looks like I'm gonna be needing some vinyl :D

[ThrobingCane]

There is this one....

http://www.hdtracks.com/

Thats cool,

Whoa! Your avatar moves:eek:

[idiotec]

Thats cool,

Whoa! Your avatar moves:eek:

He's watching you!

[jsorge]

Been buying vinyl for about 6 years now and have about 850.

However, these are all electronic music vinyls because they don't release most of the stuff on other formats (even though I would prefer vinyl anyways). All of my non-electronic music is CDs (a few hundred). The day music is released as computer-file-only is the day I stop buying music altogether.

[hmxhenry]

I've been buying vinyl for around 8 or 9 years, and was buying records before I even had a turn table. I started picking them up because the bands I was listening to had all sorts of weird vinyl only tracks, so random 7"s were sometimes the only way to hear new material.

I still buy a lot of vinyl. I listen to a lot of punk and hardcore stuff, and for dirt poor bands vinyl is usually cheaper to press and distribute than cds. It also allowed for a lot more creativity. I love the variations, and if I like a band enough I'll pick up multiple variations of the same record.

There's an awesome site called The Collection Space (http://www.thecollectionspace.com/Collections/Aaron/Records) and I have a bunch of photos of my record collection posted there... you may notice that I have upwards of ten different copies of some records, depending on variations in color, special jackets for tours or specific shows, multiple pressings, etc. So I figure I'm single handedly saving vinyl by buying multiple copies of the same record. I just love the presentation, and part of it is the collector in me. Damn them for looking so nice!

[Parodygm]

I have to be honest, I haven't bought any vinyl since about 1987. I love the format: love the feel of a record, love the large artwork and the wonderful lyrics sheets and inner sleeves you'd get and love the sound of vinyl on a quality turntable.

I just don't like the lack of portability and the wear and tear.

[ThePinkFloyd]

May I say that your survey is not including the people interested in vinyl within a year or less. Furthermore, your survey lacks external validity due to your cluster sampling, thus the results won't be able to be extrapolated.
On a side note, I do like buying Vinyls for the quality of the harmonics.

[thedoorsdk]

The "I just recent;y got into vinyl" selection covers a year or less. It's within the last 2 or 3 years, which by most accounts is when major record labels started to support it again.
And also I called it an informal survey in my OP for a reason. Clearly I wouldn't be making a survey about this on an internet forum if I was looking for scientific accuracy.
But thanks?

[Alright_Computer]

May I say that your survey is not including the people interested in vinyl within a year or less.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it does say "within 2-3 years", right? That would include people who got in within a year or less.

Anyway, more on topic, I've only gotten into vinyl within a year or so ago, and while vinyl is great, it's a bit of a letdown for me since I don't have a decent turntable. Still, I love the overall feel of vinyl better than any other format.

[trench762]

Not a vinyl collector yet, but I do plan on starting a collection in the near future. Mostly for appreciation of artwork, but I'll be buying alot of my favorite less known albums just for the heck of it. And as far as older stuff goes, it's easier to find the classics pretty cheap used so that's a plus.