What Was the Moment When You Realized That You Loved Listening To Audiophile Vinyl Records?

For most audiophiles it is different. Some old school audiophiles date back with vinyl to the 1960s. Some back as far as the 1950s or even before. Many of the establishment audiophiles talk about the golden era of rock music from 1967 to 1970 and how the music was so good that it was a nearly every week experience to plunk down some new, (soon to be historically) important LP on their audiophile turntable and heard the magic for the first time. For some it was albums like Led Zeppelin I. For others it was Sgt. Peppers by The Beatles. For others The Rolling Stones were their guide. The Doors were a classic band. Early Pink Floyd was kinda out-there as King Crimson from that era was a little more economic in terms of progressive rock. Any way you cut it, the music drove audio sales and LPs sold more and made more money than all of movies/Hollywood combined.

For Generation X, the advent and launch of the Compact Disc in 1983 was a game changer and put a serious hamper on their enthusiasm for vinyl records. The Compact Disc was originally as “Perfect Sound, forever” which was a bit of hyperbole but you can see what they were talking about. The CD didn’t get more and more damaged with every play like an LP. The Compact Disc had twice the dynamic range of a vinyl record. The Compact Disc had way, way, way less distortion than a vinyl record and still does to this day. Buying CDs was a rite of passage for Generation X as they grew up. They spent much of their disposable money going to places like Tower Records, Warehouse, Virgin Megastore and Sam Goody to find that latest record on CD. They traveled with CDs. They lived for music in digital and most stayed that way until this day that is now dominated by digital music streaming.

Millennials, Gen X and even some burned out Gen Exers have come back to vinyl for its swan song during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many were rejecting the number of devices that introduce blue light to our eyes all days long. Playing music back on a turntable is an analog experience. Audiophiles rave about “the ritual” of playing an LP as if it was rolling a joint. They revel in the fact that they listen to the music that they love on the format that many classic records were released in. They love the idea that you have to flip the record and that there is no shuffle button on a good audiophile turntable.

However you choose to listen to your music, be it streaming or vinyl, as long as you are having a good time and enjoying your tunes then it is good. Don’t let others shame you for how you listen to music. That is in no way, the essence of the hobby.