Why Vinyl is Better Than Digital
The argument over which is better—music played on vinyl records or digital platforms— is a heavily debated topic. Any audiophile is bound to have very strong opinions either way, depending on who you ask. Some answers are subjective, but in the end, there are definitive reasons why vinyl is better than listening to music digitally. Let’s explore the discussion about comparing these two mediums.
Vinyl Vs. Digital Sound Comparison
Digital music, in contrast to vinyl, is analog that is converted to digital formats. Digital recordings take snapshots of the analog signals at certain rates, so what we hear are recordings of analog. There is a lot more to it, technically speaking, but we’ll spare you the gritty details. All you really need to know is that in the end, digital music is not capturing the complete sound wave that a recording is producing.
So, by definition, vinyl is a more absolute form of listening to music. This is a huge reason why vinyl is better than digital; the vinyl vs. digital sound comparison of how each is captured is hard to argue with. Vinyl records are far more high quality than their digital counterparts, and no audio data is lost when musicians record on them. They sound exactly as they did when the songs were played in the studio that day.
Vinyl Is an Experience
Besides the fact that vinyl objectively sounds more complete than digital recordings, there are many other reasons why vinyl is better overall. The act of physically walking into a record store and browsing for music is an experience in and of itself. Sure, you can discover new artists online, and listen to every kind of music at the click of your mouse, but there is something very special about tangibly holding and playing music.
Looking through hundreds of records is like exploring Wonderland: finding something new or something known, choosing one that piques your interest, falling in love with the record jacket art, carefully placing the LP on the record player, and listening to the smooth sounds as the artist intended you to. That is a very important reason why vinyl is better than digital. You can savor the experience of music, rather than shovel it all down like fast food from the internet.
Expand Your Music Taste
When you’re browsing through music at your local record store, you are much more likely to stumble upon great artists you’ve never heard of. Most older music is recorded on records, and often, artists will release deep cuts and rarities only on vinyl, as well. There is a vast catalogue of lesser known musicians out there who are waiting to be rediscovered on vinyl. Choosing different records that look interesting to you and giving them a try is a fun and exciting way to expand your music knowledge.
Plus, the vinyl vs. digital comparison when it comes to listening to old tunes is no contest—older music was absolutely intended to be played on records. If you enjoy music from the past, you’ll quickly understand why vinyl is better.
Vinyl Is Yours
It’s a fact that vinyl sounds better than digital music, and the experience of finding and playing records is incredibly special. But those aren’t the only reasons why vinyl is better. In the end, when you have a record collection, you own physical objects that you can enjoy listening to but also enjoy displaying in your home like art in and of itself.
Having thousands of songs and albums saved on your Spotify account is convenient, particularly when traveling, but you don’t really own any of them. When you collect vinyl records, they are physically yours and an extension of your personality. They can even become a monetary investment that you sell someday, so long that you preserve them as well as possible using vinyl cleaning and storage supplies designed to extend and protect your treasured vinyl!
