I enjoy finding new music & artists. Back in the day this was accomplished by listening to the radio & or driving into Boston to hit the record stores which usually resulted in me coming home with 10 or 15 albums that looked interesting. Records were inexpensive back then especially if they were used. Many times,I lucked into “promotional copy not for sale “ records that were often some of the first stamped.
Although I have an extensive vinyl collection and a good playback system I mostly listen to digital. I can sit on my tired ass, go to Quobuz sample new recordings and make playlists. If I like a recording I hear , I will purchase the CD & if I really like it the album as well.
Would I sell my vinyl gear or records ? No ! The main reason being I still enjoy once in awhile doing an all vinyl session. I also have some recordings that I really enjoy that are unavailable on Tidal or Quobuz despite their extensive playlists.
One of my audiophile buddies shocked me recently stating he was thinking of selling his extensive vinyl collection & his analog gear. He has always preferred the sound of vinyl but like the OP he is debating with himself if it is worth the hassle. Personally I think he will regret it if he does.
I’ve been retired for seventeen years now. When I retired at first vinyl was no longer part of my listening world. I added vinyll again a few years in but it still occupies only about 5 percent of my collection and listening rotation. In my system, which is more than adequate vinyl and digital sound different, vinyl definitely does NOT sound “superior,” and I think that the balance of digital to analog listening will likely not change, about 95 percent digital, 5 percent analog.
If I weren’t a bonafide collection addict I would probably be, and would advocate, streaming–to solve the storage and expense issues that will plague me the rest of my life.
The one thing about streaming that holds me back from going all in is, due to the overwhelming volume of music available, I have a hard time separating the great selections that really speak to me from all of the ones that are just OK. I wish there was some way to attach a personal rating on albums in my favorites list. I just use Qobuz and not something fancy like Roon. I have so many albums tagged that I struggle to remember them all. Maybe I need to resort to keeping a notebook next to my listening chair. All I’m really asking for is the ability to attach some kind of numerical rating next to the album.
With Roon you can tag, favorite, add notes, and put together both standard and smart playlists. I grabbed a lifetime license a couple years back — honestly regretted it at first, but now I’m really glad I did.
I have zero issues ignoring the boring stuff. I don’t know about the Qobuz app but in Roon, which you don’t use, one can easily block tedium from playing.
Maybe the option is available in Qobuz but you just haven’t discovered it yet.
My greatest fear is Qobuz going away. It means so much to me. I subscribe to Tidal as well to hopefully help them survive.
In the foreseeable case that the internet becomes unstable or perishes, my collection will keep me warm.
One thing that bothers me about streaming is data collection. For example, look at Qobuz’ privacy policy. Customizing their service to match my listening habits? Please don’t.
No one knows what LP or CD I pull off the shelf but me.
Another part of enjoying vinyl for me is watching the estimated value of my collection via Discogs. Of course, I like fooling myself by following the “High” Estimated Collection Value even though the median is a better representation. I have noticed that through the years the High estimate has doubled while the Median estimate has fallen by 20%.
It’s just a game, I know that there is no legitimate investment going on here.
@rinkdel If you put together playlists on Quobuz their algorithms will make suggestions. These suggestions are a mixed bag but I have gotten some good recommendations for artists or music I wasn’t aware of or overlooked.
As you are currently considerably invested in vinyl, keep what you have. Going forward add vinyl discriminately, and lean on digital to fill the gaps as you see fit. I’d suggest avoiding the flavor of the day vinyl investment(s), colored vinyl etc. Should you like straight ahead jazz the Kevin Gray reissue series are hard to beat via the Tone Poet and Craft vinyl series. Unfortunately, prices have escalated significantly. Initially they could be had for just under $25 and are now exceeding $40.
For me the downside of vinyl is organizing and storage considering that I have 11,000+ LPs. I started with vinyl in my teen years, and it is here to stay. This being offset by my preference for the sound of vinyl over digital, as my systems are tuned to optimize vinyl playback. If you want to get serious with digital get a Grimm MU2, a Roon subscription, and a Qobuz subscription without hesitation. No out of the box bug-a-boos, gremlins, associated with streaming platforms.
EDIT:
I should add my vinyl collection has a significant personal aspect to it. Each time I pull an LP it takes me back to the time and place I first enjoyed it, typically an evening listening session with friends. So for me it has an autobiographical aspect. Giving up LPs for me has always been difficult and typically duplicates are gifted.
Of course we all understand items in Qobuz are temporary, with titles disappearing raandomly. My playlists have been decimated. Not a complaint, just an observation.
Currently using a Roon Nucleus One server, a PSA AirLens as a streamer into a PSA Strata diving PSA Aspen FR5 speakers and a stereo pair of REL subs. Bought a lifetime room subscription some time back and have used both Tidal and Qobuz. I’ve tried a number of digital setups and this is the one I’ve been happiest with that didn’t get me killed by the wife.
