Do you still listen to vinyl?

[Katzenjammer]

I got rid of most of mine when I upgraded to CD. I doubt I'll upgrade any further.

Tidying some boxes out a few weeks ago I came across some LP's I had kept including the first one I ever owned, bought as a birthday present by my Mum and Dad in 1962. I was 8 and it must have been not long after Dad had gone HI-FI stereophonic with some expensive Dynatron. Beethoven's 6th Columbia Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bruno Walter. Still regarded as a classic interpretation.

I took it over to my parents to listen to it, a bit scratchy but given the years and some 10 moves it wasn't surprising really. Dad played a few of his from that period. Nigh on perfect but they have been stored in the same cabinet and location since that period. As I will inherit them I thought I might invest in a deck to go with my system. The sounds were warmer in tone tbh.

So does anyone still listen to their vinyl and what condition is it in?

I've just spent a year listening to all my CD's playing two or so a day on average, well the "pop" collection that is. I've just started on the classical stuff.

[ajs]

I still have all my LPs but no means to play them.
They should all still be in near perfect condition, I used to record them to tape almost straight away, so most of them will have only been played a handful of times.
My January 1978 Bat Out of Hell LP did get covered in beer at a party though

[Katzenjammer]

In hindsight I should have taped them. I know a lot did that like you. I take it was on to cassette rather than a reel to reel? I never had a cassette in my early collecting days, only a 3 inch reel to reel which would take 4 inch spools. Borrowed and open mike taped loads on to that. Sadly that conked out years ago so the tapes have been binned. The recorder I may take to a few museums to see if they want. I had heard Beamish near me was starting to collect fifties stuff so may ask them. I think they aim to build shops and houses from later periods and not just Victorian/Edwardian.

Beer and coffee and worse were a hazard to vinyl

[ajs]

Initially, it was with a cassette recorder sat next to the single speaker of the record player lol
Then progressed to a music centre with built in cassette deck, so could tape it directly.
Probably still recorded the Sunday night chart show too

[gary martin]

i only have one piece of vinyl. i only bought it for the novelty value. the answer of course is no. to be fair i only listen to music in the car, and my car is not fitted with a Deck, sounded like i knew what i was talking about then CD only for me, i know vinyl is cool again, but even when i was young i was never cool.

[Brooksy]

Vinyl is still the only medium to give true bass in that the groove physically moves the needle with a comparatively massive force which is then amplified. CD and mp3/mp4 etc have to simulate bass. I was impulsive and skint years ago and sold my Thorens deck but my mate still uses it with a valve amp and a huge pair of Kef speakers, it can move walls I promise you.
I saw one of those pawn broker programmes on TV the other day, you know the ones, the cameras always happen to be there when something interesting comes in, and a 1978 Linn Sondek went for £1,200 and it needed restoration.

[Sake-san]

There are more high end turntable manufacturers around today than ever in history, so we may assume that the format is alive and well. With a Classical and Jazz cd library nudging 7000 titles safe to to say they shall not be replicated in vinyl!
These days I rarely even play the physical cd as most of the library is copied in a bit-perfect format onto hard drives and the reproduction through a dedicated pc with the appropriate software is excellent.
Should add though that between the digital to analogue converter and the amplifiers sits a valve powered analogue Pre-amplifier!, crazy, a bit like shooting springers

[granville]

we kept all of our records and have turn table to put them on to itunes then on to ipod .
£50 great bit of kit .

[Katzenjammer]

Well they say the old valves give a better sound as well. I saw those converter turntables advertised and have seen the olde worlde ones advertised in various magazines and brochures. I'll pop down to Richer Sounds in the new year.

One of the records I did keep is a Mono recording by the Rolling Stones, Out of our heads. I was given this when at work in 1977 by a renowned parsimonious scots colleague called Bill Craigie who came in one morning and 'said you can have that Steve'. Another colleague commented after ' you were honoured there mate - a freebie from Bill!'

[Raj]

Still got the vinyl ... still got the Philips turntable but it needs a new needle