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¿Question #1028?
CortexBomb: Vinyl: Still the best sound quality or outdated relic from the past?

Paradox Games: Neither.
aceclimber: Good question! I had this discussion with my brother-in-law (Dan) recently - I don't think there is a correct answer. There are pro's and cons in relation to both mediums. However, I am from an era of buying records (My first LP was Misplaced Childhood by Marillion) and there is clearly an element of nostalgia. I do think a record played on a good turntable sounds and feels "more real" and expansive. For instance, Dan and I sat on his sofa and listened to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours album and when The Chain started it was breathtaking. We then had AC DC with Back in Black tearing through the house! CD's and MP3 are have perfect sound quality and are obviously more user friendly etc, but a good quality record delivers something just a little bit special. But enough of my rambling response,here is a link to an article that answers the question much more eloquently than I can : http://www.westword.com/music/is-vinyl-still-a-viable-format-or-as-obsolete-as-pager-technology-in-the-age-of-smart-phones-5713989
spacerx: Vinyl is king. We should all have laser record players: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_turntable
Pedrolatro: Neither: Doesn't play on my car but is still the coolest thing around.
callow: Best sound, but douchiest adherents
Earl of Dukes: Outdated relic. I prefer the crisp new sound of today.
Woelf: Outdated - the only reason people say the sound quality is better is because they got used to the scratchy/static-y sound.
aardball: Both.
coyotelaughs: Vinyl is great for the music that was designed for it. CDs are the better medium for the music it was designed fro.
Jypsy: Still the best sound quality.
ThatFedoraGuy: Love the sound of Vinyl suits... oh wait...
bdegroot: It still has its uses, but modern digital media is good enough
Felimid: Better sound quality than the CD, but (for me) the CD is harder to scratch than an LP is.
DasViktor: relic
xofour: Still the only way to get a couple of albums I really enjoy. (well seasonally and probably not anymore, but i'm develoing luditish tendancies as I age)
rockusultimus: Still the best. Convenience is an issue for some, but it's still the best sound quality.
Ninebreaker2: Outdated relic from the past
VixenTorGames: Vinyl is scratchy crap. There's a reason nobody even uses album covers to separate the seeds any more.
spayne: toxic sludge
shebby: Absolutely.
Polgara: sounds different, nice
Leezer: Oh my gosh, I remember that Fisher-Price record player I had when I was a kid! Did you have one of those?
blackstratguy: Outdated relic.
waza: Cool Retro thing that costs too much to buy something decent to play them on
cgund: it has its place.
atrium: outdated
Ceryon: relict
POvidiusNaso: I like it.
matthan: good sound quality.
mpot: outdated relic
deadeyedick: Trick question... the question is framed as false disjunction... it could be both the best sound quality AND an oudated relic. People will trade sound quality (within reason) for ease of use/portability. But damn - vinyl sounds smooove.
DHEK: Outdated relic from the past.
Butterbane: outdated relic of the past ... but I still buy CD's at the Record Store
Runes: Best sound
Spinch: Neither. Not the best sound quality, but more natural, and some stuff will always sound better on vinyl due to sentimental reasons.
_Kael_: relic
Leo-T: outdated
Grumbling Grognard: I'm old. Even I know it is outdated.
PsyJam: OMG, 'the best sound quality'? Surely you jest.
Elf__Man: outdated
Blacknightjj: no interest
pitferret: Outdated
ghcstr: Outdated
them: Both (the former if you've got the right equipment and discs, the latter for the 99.5% rest of us)
Son of Murray: A terribly obsolete relic that sounds awesome.
scriptorum: Relic of a relic.
vampywife: relic from the past, but they are still pretty cool
Beelzebub: Depends on the needle.
brainrob: Best sound quality, but impractical. But MUCH better than compressed/lossy MP3s.
Avatar_69: I like my music with out static... Outdated kludge.
Rubric: It depends on whether you are asking about vinyl records, or vinyl pants.
Nekura: Outdated. It only sounded better because engineers didn't know how to master for it.
Shotmagnet: ears are analog, so vinyl still rules
gr8lookinguy: Sure
orodreth: When I read Vinyl in your question I thought you were talking about car seats, so when I then read sound quality... well... hehe.
bigbadsteve: hard to believe it was ever the best sound quality...i still listen to records from time to time though
Quest22: outdated relic
Fawkes: Relic. Digital clarity rules.
tipigi: relic
rkd9150: viny: something you stick to when its hot and you're wearg shorts
Unitbuster: What the hell is vinyl?
ssmooth: Interesting sound quality but still an outdated relic from the past.
Evilnames: Outdated
ststrat: relic
erli: Give me MP3s!
EDS Teioh: nah, vinyl is the best
GrandpaDave: I love my vinyl. Touch them and I'll kill you
skrutsch: no.
Hawklord: Outdated relic from the past that still has the best sound quality.
CharlieWonka: Outdated relic
Puny_Viking: Best sound quality for old people
Megadev: still the best for music released when vinyl was the only option
rdmasters: As a general play source, relic, unless you use a non-contact needle. As an archive medium, though...
Gecko23: Relic.
maka: a bit of both :)
The Unbeliever: 42
Igmatto: The interior of my car
2amp: outdated relic, just like i am!
sbszine: As a DJ I must go with vinyl. And yes, it does sound better and if you take care of it, it lasts longer than CDs.
EYE of NiGHT: Analogue is better than digital, but needles should have been replaced by lasers by now. Yup, you can read a vinyl disc with a laser.
Lord_Prussian: Still the best
Basilius: anyone who says it has better sound quality than CD is listening with their nostalgia muscle, not their ears.
melissa: Outdated relic
snoozefest: latter
nexttothemoon: Relic.
rawk: both
BengalBandit: relic.
MisterCranky: Assuming a pristine pressing, the quality of the needle comes into play. After that (or completely alongside) every other mechanical aspect of the turntable is involved. Later, I don't even want to think about how many ways there are to introduce distortion and other unwanted noise into the output. However, if all you ever listen to is an old 45RPM single of Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Greenjeans singing "The Horse in Striped Pajamas" then it's all pretty moot.
CameronL: Vinyl sucks. Always has and always will. Too high maintanence, like my last girl friend. And I'm old enough to have grown up with vinyl. I heard my first CD when I was about 20, and swore I would never go back.
markhu: Outdated relic. The one thing I did like was the big album cover art, especially the double fold-outs.
Randy Cox: It's the last kind of music I ever bought.
DenverWolf: outdated relic
gnomehome: Relic, but a lot more character and style.
puffinge: both
AlorielLelyn: oudated relic from the past. However, it is really a depiction of sound. A CD does nothing without serious technology. A record can still be played by holding a needle to it.
BaSL: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.... vinyl
tragicpoet: Relic, if I want static I'll leave the radio between stations
kracken: Best sound for some music, outdated for others.
solove: Relic
BilboAtBagEnd: Good for cutting down Zombies.
GuyHill: definitely outdated
Blackwind: Soft, scratchy relic from the past.
Ludocrazy: It had more depth and body, but it crackled and popped after a while.
Bluenose: Er...wanna buy 2400 vinyl relics?
darthcliff: Best sound if left in the sun
WasQ: Still the best but a relic today
nnf1: Best baby!!
djlg: Outdated relic of the past.
ScottBecker: Totally both.
phantomvortex: Relic.
Steve Leach: Still the best sound quality, with a vintage amp that is.
Flyspeck23: Vinyl's good. And every scratch tells a story.
djflippy: The artists seem more "present" on vinyl, in my opinion.
skelebone: Vinyl is great, and still has a lot of versatility and durabilty that is lacking in CDs. I like to get some new releases on vinyl for price and longevity.
netfilterz: Vinyl, outdated nostalgia...
P.O.G.G.: I don't know. I was just debating that today, but haven't come to any conclusions.
Eric Haas: Definitely outdated
fsumarc: I enjoy clarity of digital. and LPs melt in the car...
raolsson: Ask an audiophile. I play games as a hobby.
BobDodgerBlue: Both
louiseh: Too much trouble
Shakar: I have no clue. But it gives a certain style.
dakarp: Could be both.
geberus: Relic
chaddyboy_2000: Outdtaed.
ValJor: Second option
ynnen: relic. even at its height it was scratchy, unwieldy and a pain
CDRodeffer: Still good, but not the best.
CortexBomb: I'm a bit of a vinyl whore, dance music still is always released on vinyl first and I love the sound, as well as the pleasure of putting it onto the platter for the first time, the degradation is a serious issue though
jttm: Outdated relic