@brucetaylor5917
I am old enough to remember a time when the only form of recording for the home was the 78 rpm shellac record, either 10" or 12" in diameter. We simply called them records and they usually shattered if dropped. The 10" size provided about 3 minutes per side and the 12" about 5 minutes. In the early 20th century the 10" size largely set the standard for the popular song length at about 3 minutes. The 12" size was usually reserved for "classical" music. A packaged set of records by a particular performer was often referred to as an "album". A classical selection running 30 minutes required three 12" records sold in album form and required five interruptions for changing sides. The long-playing 33 1/3 rpm microgroove record, an invention by CBS (Columbia), appeared in 1948 and was usually referred to as an "LP". It was molded of polyvinyl chloride and was regarded as "unbreakable". LPs were, at first, made in 10" and 12" sizes but the 10" was quickly dropped as the dramatically increased playing time of the 12" was considered a real advantage and provided about 20 or more minutes of playing time per side. RCA, angry as being outdone by CBS, announced in 1949 the 45 rpm single which was 7" in diameter and had a large center hole. (They could have been made at 33 1/3 rpm and been given the small center hole but RCA did not want their new invention to be in any way compatible with the CBS LP record which explains how we got stuck with the three speed record player). By compressing the dynamic range to get the groove pitch as tight as possible, it was possible to get six minutes onto one side of a 45 rpm single with compromised sound quality and this was called an "EP" (extended play) but was abandoned within a few years. The 45 single was also molded of PVC. By this time the popular terms were "the 78" which was quickly going obsolete and being replaced by the "45" or "45 single". The "LP" was often referred to an "album" by collectors of popular music. Classical music collectors simply referred to it as an "LP" or just a "record" and enjoyed the increase in uninterrupted playing time compared to the earlier "78". When the stereophonic LP appeared in 1957 it simply became known as a "stereo LP". No one then ever referred to any of these variations as "vinyl" either singular or plural, although the 78 was sometimes referred to as "shellac", i.e. "stacks of shellac". The compact disc appeared in the early 1980s and quickly became known as the "CD" and began to replace the LP since it had none of its disadvantages. It has nearly perfect audio characteristics, is far less prone to damage and is molded largely of polycarbonate which has a melting point higher than that of PVC so it won't be warped or ruined if left on the hot front seal of a car and also does not hold a static charge as PVC is prone to. No one, as yet, refers to a CD as "polycarbonate". I personally find the term "vinyl" for the LP record as a bit silly and simple-minded.
@dadjohndoe
I did a spectral analysis of your video (hope you don't mind), and also my own needledrops of a 1st issue of Pyramid on a VM540ML and a 440MLa, here are my thoughts: 1. The CD sections are not properly level matched, they are about 1.5 dB quieter than they should be 2. The 440MLa has a significant upper treble hype, which does "open up" the sound. I think this is the exact reason why I also initially preferred my 440 needledrops over all others. This is because of the sensitivity of the 440 to input capacitance, and it does get much more accurate if you manage to get it down to 100pF or less. This is also exactly what the 540ML improves upon. 3. The bass on the CD is absolutely anemic, even after careful level matching.
@roblastem2905
I have Alan Parsons on polyvinyl chloride 👍
@peter_aka_hamamass
Even playing this on my teeny tiny little mobile phone speaker makes me hear the difference, and the LP sounds a lot better, it has more body to it!
@cloudymildermetalmogul
I think "record" is specific to a vinyl record. If someone says they are buying a record I would never in a million years expect them to come back with a CD or MP3 copy. If they say they are buying an album, then I'd be unsure of the format. I do though use the term vinyl to describe my collection to others. IMO the digital generation today don't necessary know what a record is, so I use the term vinyl record or vinyl to qualify exactly what I'm referring to. I'm sure you'll get a few different responses to this discussion though!
@baldmetalnerd
Wow Craig, that is definitely a big difference the CD sounded flat and not nearly as dynamic compared to the vinyl. But that's pretty common on older music recorded during the "analog era" as vinyl was the format they targeted when they mastered the record, and those masterings don't transfer well to other formats.
@MrVinylObsessive
I agree with you and i don't mind at all using the word vinyl to describe this amazing format. And it has nothing to do with being pretentious, although i recognize that in some cases people collect vinyl because it's fashionable and it makes them look cool. Those cases are more about vanity and not so much about the sound quality, i guess. As for the comparison, the vinyl version sounds better for sure. The CD has the potential for good quality but in many cases they make a sloppy work on the mastering. But in my opinion, even comparing with a nice CD, a good vinyl pressing has usually more depth in the sound... most of the times.
@DjEle1979
the vinyl record wins over the flac cd..even though im not listening to it on headphones from my phone...the vinyl sounds more alive
@gabrieljose5027
Hi, Craig! I've just subscribed to your channel this evening, and I've watched 5 of your videos so far. I really love your passion for music on vinyl LPs, but I absolutely appreciate your open mind, when it comes to CDs. I started collecting records back in 1970 and I have several thousand in my collection. I've loved them and cherished everything about owning them to this day. However, I came to a point in my life, when CDs took over. They were easier to store and maintain, you could listen to them on the go via portable CD players, and face it, there were years when the vinyl version was no longer available in the stores. So I am now solidly in the CD camp. I especially enjoy the special anniversary editions of my favorite albums, which include alternate versions in multi-channel, blu-ray, etc. I have replaced about 50% of my vinyl on CD and I'm thrilled! My CD collection is at about 5000 discs, and I sincerely doubt I'll ever go back to buying my albums on vinyl, but I do make exceptions. I will get an LP version of a CD if that album has a particularly interesting cover, e.g. Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick. Just the same, I still get that special thrill when playing and album on vinyl. Now, regarding your Vinyl + Vinyl CD Shootout, in this video, why didn't you rip your vinyl LP onto CD and then make the comparison? In my opinion, that would have been fairer. Perhaps you will do another such comparison in the future? In closing, I wish you great success, and many more video reviews. - Cheers! Gabriel, Brooklyn, NY - P.S. I'm not hung up on whether or not you call it vinyl.
@donwest5387
I find going by date the best way to equate mastering
@TheMentalblockrock
The sound seems to open up on the vinyl versus the CD, dynamic range as well as frequency response and much more sense of space and depth from the vinyl than the CD.
@DrOz-007
Surely a question of mastering? I see that a "remastered" CD was released in 2008. Do you have a copy of this, Craig ?
@Bardamu
Back in the '70s I think I was only vaguely aware of what records were made. I recall "records" or "albums" being the most common terminology with "LP's" being used at times but not as often.
@TheMentalblockrock
Craig, have you ever tried the wood glue method for cleaning vinyl???
@CarattiniGarage
Analog wave form are continually. Digital wave form is not continue it form the wave with series of independent points.
@thecowwarrior3
The record sounds better - the FLAC file sounds thin and tinny. I am a little bit confused about the FLAC files though.. you got them online, but you don't have any info about the source? What was the equipment setup when the audio was ripped, etc? Just because a song is in FLAC format doesn't mean it will sound good - there are many factors at play here. Do you own an actual copy of the CD? Playing the legit CD and vinyl record side by side, with all variables accounted for, is the only fair way to test your theory. You can get the CD on eBay for a few dollars, it's not exactly going to break the bank. BTW - I hope you don't take any of my comment as criticism. Love the channel - very informative without being dry or boring. Keep up the good work!
@metallion0738
The vinyl lp sounds warmer and better to my ears, the CD sounds trebly and digital
@dheerajjadhav12
Night And Day Difference!!! Its always been a pleasure to listen to "Records"
@justski5046
I was born in the early 70's, grew up with records, tapes, CD's, mp3's. (kept my records, not my CD's though, to me, MP3's made my CD's obsolete) 'Record' can be too generalised unless used in a specific context. i.e. a background song is playing, and to say "i have this on record" could be almost nonsense unless the context is explicitly given first, whereas "i have this on vinyl" describes exactly what you mean. I refer to my collection in different ways depending on the context, i.e. "i have a record collection" refers to it in its entirety, "i have a vinyl collection" sounds odd for someone from my era. Similarly, if i were to say "i am going to buy this album on record" instead of "im going to buy this album on vinyl" would make me sound insane in my part of the world. Its just language, and as long as the meaning gets across, then any word is the right word. However, as with everything, Snobbery is rife in all aspects of life, but to me, it says far more about the person laughing up their sleeve, than the innocent using an incorrect word, exposing their depth of knowledge in what could be a new hobby to them. I have recently started listening to Vinyl again, not because it sounds better, worse, deeper, fuller, muddier, etc etc. i don't care about the difference between digital and vinyl, (and in this case, the vinyl recorded version sounds far more expansive than the CD digital recording, even though they are now both digital recordings). It's the ritualistic approach to playing a record that i love, it's the fact that you have to be farm more physically involved with the process, the artwork, the smell of the record, you have to handle it with such care, you have to visually inspect it, you never skip a track, you play every track through, visiting record shops for hours and buying some old record from an unheard-before artist that you just happened to like the look of, and playing it in its entirety when you get home and inexplicably knowing that you will just love listening to that album. Analogically, to me, music on vinyl can be breathtaking art; experienced in the flesh, whereas the same music on an ipod era digital format, is the same art but watched distractedly on a television somewhere.
@vwestlife