Which is best - vinyl or CD ?

When I got married 4 years ago and I moved in with my new wife the only place to put my 6 orange crates of LPs was in a closet so small that I couldn't get to my records without taking everything out of said closet (my wife is a pack rat so you do the math) which usually turned into an hour-long (at a minimum) ordeal.  About 5 months ago I decided to go back and write reviews of my catalogue of progressive rock so I started listening to vinyl again.  I have to say that the "warmth" concept of analog records is true.  It's not a myth or a figment of nostalgic imagination.  I still enjoy cds just fine but last weekend I put on my pristine copy of ELO's "Eldorado" and was blown away by the rich depth I was hearing.  Now, I don't have a hi-fi system to brag about (Sony amp, JBL speakers, Fisher turntable) but it's not a heap by any means.  It's a real treat to hear albums this way.  I'm not saying LPs are better, just amazingly different.

Vinyl ~ best for sound.

CD ~ best for convenience.

Of course I'm keeping an eye on this thread ... but what would be the point in starting the whole discussion again? Ultimately these arguments are decided by our ears, not by theoretical considerations.

^ interesting analogy. But while I believe in bumblebees I still don't think that humans can hear beyond 20khz (make that 18khz for almost any adult person) ... which is why I don't think that Olivier's usual "numeric is bad" argument is valid. 

well well - one of the first posts i made almost the day i joined PA -  it certainly put the cat among the pigeons!

mystic fred wrote: well well - one of the first posts i made almost the day i joined PA -  it certainly put the cat among the pigeons!   I'm still very much into my vinyl these days, the fascination hasn't abated especially  since upgrading my system, and digging through my old records is great fun, so it's lucky i never got rid of them!   Still play cd's, though wish some new releases came in LP  form, such as the new PT album.

Has the new PT already been released as LP? I bought the limited edition (DVD-Audio) instead ... I think that 5.1 DVD-Audio is currently the best possible format, but whether it works or not of course depends on the mix.

I do prefer ELP's Brain Salad Surgery, Genesis Nursery Cryme, and Pink Floyd's Meddle on vinyl its just a real shame that vinyl is fading away.

Philéas wrote: Certif1ed wrote:   Indeed - science can prove that the bumblebee cannot, in fact fly.   The bumblebee does not know this... A couple of years ago it was proven that bumblebees actually can fly. That's probably the reason why they do.

oliverstoned wrote: Exactly! I've never heard a good one yet.

mystic fred wrote: oliverstoned wrote: Exactly! I've never heard a good one yet.     the new PT one's pretty good though!

Agreed ... Steven Wilson is a sound quality perfectionist. I'll definitely buy the vinyl edition too if I get the chance ... I also have the DVD-Audio version.