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

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