Unpopular Opinion

Just wanna say Beats are the definition of half-decent. They're not awful (I got given some) but not amazing either, they just cost a lot more than something of that quality should

The myth of the superiority of vinyl, and the idea that vinyl is inherently Authentic in a way that digital formats aren’t is one of the most successful scams in corporate history. In one fell swoop, the recording industry persuaded music fans that they need to pay extra for a format that has measurably inferior fidelity, that cannot be copied (well, you can digitise it to a WAV, but then you get a murky, crackly sounding WAV; even if the sound coming out of the speakers is identical to how it would be from the record, the fact that you’re not playing a vinyl record diminishes it), and that wears out slightly each time you play it. Meanwhile, a lot of records never get released on CD, only vinyl and streaming, closing the digital ripping loophole. Well played, RIAA/IFPI.

You're probably right, I'm not an audiophile.

I don't listen to vinyl, but I have a few of them because I like the larger album art and liner notes. My most prized one is a copy of The Kinks "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround" which includes records of when it was played on the radio.

I agree that cds are better. Mostly because they didn't degrade or make pop or crack noises. Sort of sucks that we didn't have physical flat storage for FLAC. Those are the real deal. But then it depends on the studio mix and recording.

Apologies in advance for a long, perhaps boring, old man story. Feel free to skip it if you’d like.

Somehow, I mostly bypassed the vinyl era—not on purpose, just by how timing worked out. My parents and older siblings had vinyl records, which I found fascinating and played whenever I could. We also had a few 8-track tapes, but like many, we quickly realized they were not great and stopped using them.

When I was old enough to buy my own music with my fast-food job earnings, cassette tapes were the go-to choice. I wanted to listen to music on my Sony Walkman or the cassette player in my hand-me-down car, so cassettes made the most sense. My friends and I would drive around, wasting gas but having a blast singing along to our favorite tunes and bonding over our shared love of music.

I ended up with about 25 or 30 cassette tapes. When CDs came out, they were a game-changer. They were superior in almost every way, so I replaced most of my tapes with CDs and expanded my collection to about 300 at its peak. I enjoyed my CDs for years, often playing them when we had friends over for dinner and drinks.

Then came the mp3 revolution. I painstakingly ripped my entire CD collection to mp3 format, which took ages, but I kept the CDs for a while, much to my wife’s annoyance, before donating them to a local charity.

These days, I sometimes find music on YouTube, but I’ve never let go of my personal mp3 library. I have multiple copies on SSDs for safety and occasionally add new tracks, though my taste in music is mostly set. I’m not very interested in new releases, not because they’re bad, but they’re just not to my taste. I might make an exception for a movie or game soundtrack or if a younger friend recommends something.

When vinyl made its big comeback, it seemed bizarre to me. I couldn’t understand the appeal of going backward. But as it persisted, I began to get it. With so much content digital and cloud-stored, it can feel ephemeral. Streaming services can disappear or change, leaving you with nothing. Owning a physical object with your favorite music makes sense; it’s something tangible, something truly yours. Though I stick with my mp3s, I understand the allure of vinyl now.

There’s also something to be said about the quirks and flaws of older technology. The grain of film, the pops of a record player, or the imperfections of an analog guitar amp become endearing over time. When a perfect digital replacement comes along, it can feel “cold” to those accustomed to the imperfections. There's an entire industry dedicated to reintroducing those analog quirks into the digital realm, recreating that familiar, comforting imperfection.

Considering that vinyl is shaping up to be the final physical media that ANY art is distributed on on a mass scale, why the fuck are we arguing to dissuade people from it?

CDs are so fucking sterile, when I play one I feel like I should be wearing a lab coat and latex gloves. The machine slides the disc in gracefully, as if it were my butler. The mechanical whine of plastic being spun by a precision servo while a literal laser beam seeks for the opening bits requires any robot who views a video of it in Louisiana to submit ID to prove it’s age.

Yeah of course they sound better but the experience is not the same.

The fact that you somehow don't know or pretend to not know the reasons people like vinyl makes this an easy downvote

Sure, but its also easier to push 320kbps mp3s from my tablet via Bluetooth to my Sony soundboard than it is to try and figure out wiring my living room for 7.x dolbydhsdtsxxx audio.

If you feel like coming over and helping with that, I'm open on Thursdays.

The Library of Congress prefers vinyl because CD’s don’t last as long (with proper care).

At best a CD will remain uncorrupted for 20-30 years. In a climate controlled space-station like environment, maybe 100 years, but unlikely. Then it’s gone.

For a second I thought I was back on reddit.

Are you also sad when people buy $10 bottles of wine? Most people can’t hear the difference and many are getting other sensual benefits from listening to vinyl. Most people can’t afford an audiophile setup either. Just let people enjoy things.