I don't really feel like creating another thread for this, so I'll just ask it here. Do any of you think there's a good reason to buy or listen to vinyl records? I know a lot of people think they sound better, but I've tried to compare it to digital, and I can't do it. So if it doesn't sound better, then is there really any point in spending more money on that than you could for a digital download?
Let me put it like this - in theory, there should not be any difference. In practice, I have found my old vinyl records to sound warmer and also a bit more 'direct' than CDs, which may have to do with some inevitable information loss during digitising. If you compress the full digital signal into mp3 for download, you have further information loss.
Now, the first question is - do you realise and mind that information loss at all. There is probably no point in buying vinyl to play it on a cheap record player over cheap loudspeakers that aren't able to capture and transmit that subtle extra of information. You either do a full upgrading, or you just stick to downloads and a mp3 player, anything in-between does hardly make sense.
Secondly - the information loss comes with any digitising in the process. This means, there is also not much point in buying a digitally mastered song on vinyl. So, if you are mostly listening to music that has been recorded from the 1990s onwards, you may remain digital.
Thirdly, vinyl is not vinyl. My father used to work for PolyGram. He was a member of the research team that developed stereo, and also participated in the initial development of the Compact Disc, before moving into quality managing of their main record factory in Hannover. According to him, in the 1970s / 80s there was a sizable number of Americans who wanted to buy original Hannover record pressings (sizeable enough to include regular shipment to the USA in their production planning system), even though PolyGram ("Deutsche Grammophon") operated record factories in the USA. He said they never managed to get the US plants up to the German standard.
Of course, my 1970s / 1980s vinyl collection is to a good part consisting of records that were pressed in Hannover (got them free of charge, and could always impress the other guys at school with having the hot stuff first). They sound better than CDs. If US pressings do as well - I don't know ...