by B.E. Batson

Created on: April 01, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2009

So anyway,when my son was about 16 he came into my "Game Room" where I was listening to some ALBUMS. Thats what we used to call them you know "in the day". Now it's CDs, except for us old timers. who can't seem to stop calling the albums. Anyway my son looked at the turntable, which he has seen in operation since the day he came home from the hospital, then he looked up at me and said "How does that work?". I just smiled at him as I roughly rubbed his head.

This is how I feel every time I hear this topic being discussed. Because if you didn't grow up playing ALBUMS on your stereo, you don't have a clue, even a hint, why anyone would consider vinyl better than a CD. Well it is better. Better in every way that doesn't consider convenience. The only categories where a CD is better is in transportability, storage and ease of play. They are the best thing that ever came in to existence for the car! No doubt, hands down! But compared to vinyl they have no MAGIC, there is no AURA. I mean, when bought a new album brought it home (you couldn't listen to it in the car on the way home!) to listen to, you would curl up on the floor in front of hopefully the biggest speakers in the neighborhood and let the magic begin. As loud as possible. Then you would bury yourself in the album jacket. The only time you would tear yourself away from the album jacket would be to play some required air guitar, or a Mick Jagger strut if you had the Stones on the turntable as I most often did.

I know you say CDs sound much better than vinyl - there's no pops and scratches, but believe it or not that's all part of the magic. Rock 'N' Roll is just supposed to sound that way. There is seriously though a brightness and a feel that you get from LPs that is not there with CDs. The separation of sounds is unbelievable. Most CDs have an up front sound mix, whereas LPs have a much wider spread sound mix and clarity that will produce chills.

If you are interested in a honest comparison search the web for vinyl transfered digital recordings. These will usually not be found in MP3s but something like FLAC files. Which is a whole other argument. But if you find some of these records for example the DESS series are excellent. I know it really seems weird to prove this point by listening to CDs! But even a CD recorded from these vinyl sources sound better than anything you've heard before. As my son would say, "whatever, Dad".

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