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Which is better, vinyl records or CDs?
Results so far:
| CD | 62% | 979 votes | Total: 1583 votes | |
| Vinyl | 38% | 604 votes |
CD
by Ill Cosby
Created on: March 06, 2008
Vinyl Versus CD
This debate has caused great rifts between music lovers and it seems as if this debate will probably never end. Audiophiles have argued the necessity of listening to music on vinyl only, but it makes sense for the average consumer to purchase a durable and portable product. So who is right? I will review the pros and cons of both formats.
* Portability
Winner: Compact Disc. In our on-the-go age; compact disc, of the two formats we are debating, is the more portable format. Compact discs can be played in walkmans, car stereos, and are easier to play and cue on home stereos. The digital information on compact discs can be easily converted to MP3 for stand alone MP3 players and use on computers, where vinyl is more difficult to transfer directly to MP3 (though new software and hardware units make it easier, vinyl ultimately must be copied in real time).
* Durability / Lifespan
Winner: Compact Disc. Though the lifespan of CDs are currently just under 100 years (and less for CD-Rs and CD-RWs) and vinyl, in perfect storage conditions, has been showed to outlast 100 years; compact discs ultimately win on the side of durability. Vinyl is sensitive to light, temperature, and humidity where compact discs are able to take more of a beating in all three areas. Vinyl is more prone to surface damage (scuffing, scratches, etc.) that will quickly affect play compared to compact discs that are built to resist minor scuffing and still play perfectly.
* Playback
Winner: Vinyl. This is the most controversial element of this debate, but it all comes down to numbers. Vinyl can hold a wider range of sound than compact disc. Compact discs are engineered to subtract anything beyond the 20-20 range of audible sound for humans (20hz to 20khz). Though anything beyond the 20-20 cannot be heard, studies have been shown that low frequencies can be felt and have an effect on the human brain (ranging from dread to nausea). Vinyl is full range, and does not exempt any frequencies. Though it may not be fun to listen to music engineered to make you nauseous, it may be the intent (or mistake) of the artist and should be a part of the listening experience even if it is inaudible.
* Mastering
Winner: Compact Disc. Vinyl, especially with full length albums cut to LP, have issues with the volume in their playback. Total volume is based on how much or how little music is cut to a surface. For instance a single can be cut very loud as there is only 3-5 minutes cut to a 7" surface, but a 25-30 minute half of an album must be cut more quietly to a 12" surface or the needle will skip out of the groove. Compact discs are only limited to length, but not volume. It has been argued that the compression of CDs, allowing for louder playback, is not good for a listener's hearing; but ultimately this is not an argument against the compact disc format as much as it is an argument against the procedure in sound engineering in recent history.
* Packaging / Art
Winner: Vinyl. This may not be an issue for most listeners, but it is for me. Great packaging is a piece of art and vinyl's larger art simply looks better than a piece of art a quarter of its size inside of a plastic jewel case. Additionally, there is the art of inserts, printed record sleeves, and run-out groove etching (lending enigmatic messages to rock fans for decades). Though there are examples of fantastic compact disc packages, you cannot beat the twelve by twelve inch canvas that record covers provide.
After reviewing all of these points, I think compact disc is the better format for the average listener. In an increasingly digital marketplace, the places where vinyl excel (audio playback and packaging) are trivial with the advent of MP3 players and digital file delivery.
Learn more about this author, Ill Cosby.
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Vinyl
by Amelie Mueller
Created on: June 18, 2009
An often overlooked view of this age old debate is the collective nature of vinyl LPs versus CDs. In this ever changing music industry, musicians are always trying to figure out new ways to not only earn a profit selling music but also create a degree of interactiveness and participation amongst their fan base.
With the onset of the digital mp3 era, CD sales have not only drastically decreased in record numbers but they are also showing no signs of slowing. Interestingly, the sales of vinyl have dramatically increased to the point where even big name chain stores are now clearing out precious floor space where fancy CD display racks once reigned to make room for the bulky but better selling vinyl.
As an avid music head and recording artist, I've witnessed the power a vinyl record has firsthand. Indie musicians are learning to harness the power of vinyl by offering fans special edition pressings and limited edition colored vinyl as ways to get the consumers interested in collecting the artists work as opposed to simply downloading the work off the internet, often illegally. To counteract the general lack of portability and convenience of a vinyl many smarter musicians are also offering up a free mp3 download with the purchase of each record. In this regard, vinyl is not only helping to resurrect the drowning industry, it's also an attainable method in which artists can use to make a living.
Ask anyone with a respectable amount of knowledge of music what the appeal of a vinyl is and you will undoubtedly hear the same answers time and again. Vinyl offers the listener more of an involved experience. To listen to a vinyl isn't to just pop a disc into a player, press play, and let the music fade into the background. Listening to a record requires more user interaction and encourages us to vest more time and interest into the overall experience. Vinyls are not stored in zippered cases away from the original artwork and packaging. Vinyls ask us to choose the sleeves, explore the artwork, smell the pleasantly unmistakable scents, take in the texture of the pressing. Vinyl gets all of our senses working in overdrive and creates an unmatched atmosphere that is perfectly complimented by the tones the album itself plays when the needle is set to the groove. One cannot simply walk away from album as it spins on a turntable.
Sometimes we become so enchanted with the new technological advancements that whenever we see the word "digital" our minds automatically registers the product as being better. Technically speaking, analog vinyl recordings actually offer up the truest and highest quality sound when compared to a CD.
Simply put, in order for audio to be digitized to a CD it is recorded into 44,100 bits of sound per second and then transformed into a relatively speaking very limited number of sound possibilities, thus resulting in a loss of original sound. Whereas, an analog LP records and plays back the exact waveform as the original tune. The groove on a vinyl LP has not been digitized therefore, the audio is not limited to record at a select number of samples per second.
The sound of a vinyl is more wholesome. Think of it this way: If you were going to commission a photographer to shoot some art for you, you would expect an original piece that fully represented the actual scene or subject of the print. You would not be happy with a broken down pixelated print that had to be restructured and retouched because of a computer's limitations.
Learn more about this author, Amelie Mueller.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.
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