Vinyl Vs. Digital: Which Is Better?
This month’s case study is dedicated to the age-old debate: vinyl vs. digital! The vinyl market continues to grow, for some very good reasons. But is it truly a better way of listening to music than digital files and CDs? Let’s find out once and for all! (The answer may surprise you…)
Do you agree with me? Disagree? Do you wish I had more CD copies of Eiffel 65’s Europop? Let me know in the comments below!
Stock footage from Videvo (https://www.videvo.net/) and Beachfront B-Roll (http://www.beachfrontbroll.com/)
Music Used:
– “All That” and “Straight” from Bensound.com
– “Pine Apple Rag” by Scott Joplin
– “Moo Moo Valley” by Kenta Nagata
– “Pinzin Kinzin” by the Avishai Cohen Trio
Discovery Pt.1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUGRRUecBik
Discovery Pt.2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IReDh9ec_rk
Computerphile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RIA9U5oXro
How Vinyl is Made:
– https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/record-player3.htm
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaz15u7cJLQ
– http://www.soundmattersblog.com/vinyl-records-made/
– BBC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw4YmbAKocM
– Refinery29: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPreRQbRWcc
How Digital Files Are Made:
– https://www.cnet.com/news/how-digital-sound-works/
– https://docs.cycling74.com/max5/tutorials/msp-tut/mspdigitalaudio.html
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiZqYnd5g8M
– http://introduction-to-music-production.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-analog-to-digital-conversion-process.html
Other Sources:
– http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2014/11/does_vinyl_really_sound_better.html
– http://now.tufts.edu/articles/does-music-sound-better-vinyl-records-cds
– https://www.quora.com/Nostalgic-feelings-apart-is-the-audio-from-a-vinyl-really-better-than-from-a-CD-or-a-digital-source-MP3-or-FLAC-lossless
– https://pitchfork.com/news/high-definition-vinyl-is-happening-possibly-as-early-as-next-year/
– http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36027867
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eC6L3_k_48
@pavaomrazek
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
As a kid who grew up in the 2000s, basically living my whole childhood with CDs, DVDs, and digital music on my phone, vinyl gives my music a whole new perspective. I feel like music is being made while a record is spinning, whereas with CDs, I have a feeling like I'm just listening to a pre-programmed digital code that's being transferred to music (which, by the way, is the way a CD works). So, for me, vinyl feels like an experience, and CD feels like file storage.
@Rozenxz
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Both good.
@Solitaire001
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Concerning Laserdisc (LD) : The sound quality of ranged from good (for the analog channels, which had the sound quality of good FM radio), to excellent (for the digital channels, which had the same sound quality as compact disc). Although the focus on LD was movies, there was also number of musical discs too. An example of this is the LD of "Unplugged" by Eric Clapton which was excellent sounding but (IIRC) also had music that wasn't featured on the CD. There were also some 8" LDs which were used for collections music videos (I've got two by Sheena Easton, and one by the J. Giles Band).
@JosefKlier
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Habe kein vinyl mehr ,es fehlt bei vinyl die atemberaubende attacke ,cd klingt einfach viel dynamischer ich habe die abgabe des plattenspielers nicht bereut
@homemark22
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
yeah youre right at the end bottom line there is you need to support the artist you hearing it because it is no easy to composed or make the music perfect
@artdeco64
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
I’m still waiting for 8 Track to make a comeback.
@baronofgreymatter14
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Except digital DR is 9 usually and LP is 13 . Fact
@shiznit_50
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Just bought a turntable by audio technica last week with rca cables and headphone amp with tubes on Amazon and bought 3 records on Discogs hip hop related one def jam vendetta promo vinyl mint condition krumbsnatcha wolves single from training day mint condition gang starr hard to earn album mint condition and I already have Ultra 85 on vinyl I bought by Logic
@TheEnding2035
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
cd come on anybody
@tmjcbs
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Sorry, but the advantages of vinyl mentioned are complete nonense: that your record is unique because of its crackles and pops…you can't seriously call an advantage!
And that you are more involved when listening to a record, that's simply a matter of mindset: I have no problem playing a CD as a whole, which btw keeps sounding perfectly however much you play it…
@rockpapersniper5105
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
I listen to both
@RM-lv9ng
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Both have their stong points.
@madmeister407
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Wrong, the goal of recorded music is to promote the artist an make money. Regardless of the format, it is a business with targets to meet and expectations to accomplish. On the other hand, if you cannot attend a live concert of you're many favourite artists, then yes recorded music is the answer. It's only in the last 50 years or so when the HI FI press came to fruition and the audiophile came into existance, that all this became an issue. Live performances sound crap in the home, and to try and replicate a live concert in you're living room or lounge is not going to be successful. Studio recorded music became the norm for the masses in the 50's and how you replay that music on whatever equipment or format is a matter of conjecture to everyone else but you. Enjoy you're music.
@GID-GR
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
7:26 The answer is a resounding "objectively, yes". 7:45 Right, it means SO much to me that the crackles and pops I hear from my vinyl are MY crackles and pops and no one else's. Sure.
@cosmiccharlie8294
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Very much depends on the engineers who did the recording.
@scottborenstein8291
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Digital is better. Vinyl is obsolete and is in my view a retro fad.
@abertolucci9780
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
CDs superior in every way. Being there in the 80s firsthand seeing the transition from vinyl to CD was revolutionary.
@4034miguel
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Mastering is the important point here. The worst sounding disc I have is a CD, the best sounding disc I have is a CD. So it is the capturing and mastering of the sound. But I prefer no surface noise and no inner grove distortion, very noticeable in, for example, Yes's Close to the edge. I could finally listen to the title track without that distortion when it was transferred to CD.
@ramonchiritoiu6131
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
You made a mistake in presenting digital sinwave.
There is no "square", there are just samples, just vertical lines of bit information with nothing between.
Old vinyl is priceless.
Instead new ones, better buy CDs.
@Gzus
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Your summary at the end hits it perfectly. For example, I went to a concert last night and the singer announced that he had worked on a project that he never released, but that there were copies available at the merch booth. I walked over and discovered that there were only vinyl records available, and no CDs. When I got to the front of the line, there were a bunch of records available, but there also happened to be ONE signed vinyl. Even though I don't own a record player (yet), I bought it for $100 to support one of my favorite bands. This is how I found your channel. Anyhoo.. Do you have a recommended listening setup for a record player + speakers? Since this is my first record, I'm not trying to break the bank, but do plan on buying more over time.
@agegroot5666
October 28, 2025 at 1:36 pm
Overal i prefer vinyl over cd although many cd's sound great too like with classical music with it's soft parts. Jazz sounds great too on cd. Vinyl sound more pleasant…depending on the choice of cartridge the sound differs….but the clicks and ticks can ruin the listeningexperience.
Comments are closed.