Someone who loves to listen to music should consider sound quality, selection, price and discoverability when choosing the best method of listening to music. The three best options in the modern era are Vinyl Records, CDs and streaming services, each come with their own differences.
Sound Quality
Good quality records provide the best sound quality because its analogue media contained within its grooves have the most precise representation of the sound waves recorded in the studio. However, any scratches and they suffer in quality.
CDs, use high-res digital formats such as WAVE or AIFF and come just under Vinyl in sound quality. These files compete with analogue data by catching most of the sound data but not all of it. Scratches will also degrade quality, but CDS are simpler to care for and maintain than vinyl records.
Streaming services use lower-quality files like MP3, AAC or Ogg Vorbis files like is the case with Spotify. These files are compressed to make better use of storage, but they lose some of the desired quality when played back.
Selection
Vinyl record production fell due to the rise of CDs and are only just making a return. When you shop for records, you will find a nearly 20-year gap where artists weren’t pressing their music to vinyl. also, some cult-classic records are difficult to locate. Alternatively you can find just about anything released since the beginning of music recording via CDs or Streaming Services.
Price
Records necessitate your purchase of the albums, a turntable and receiver. High-quality record players cost hundreds of pounds. CDs and stereo systems are less expensive than vinyl records, but you’ll still have to make a purchase upfront.
Streaming services use subscription or ad-supported models and are accessible on the devices you probably already own such as a phone or computer. However you still have the option to improve the sound quality spending a few hundred pounds on a high-quality set of speakers or headphones.
Discoverability
If you stay committed to vinyl records or CDs, you’ll be dependant on publications, radio shows, local music shops and word of mouth to find new music to listen to. Streaming services offer playlists curated by an algorithm which is personalized to each individual user.
Sound Clarity or Accuracy
Headphones and earbuds have in them small drivers that sit close to each ear, so the sound reaches your eardrums without an interference. Earbuds and headphones consistently produce all frequencies of the frequency spectrum. However an earbuds compact design means limitation in the internal components size and quality.
Immersion Factor
If you love music, you want a method of listening that allows you to fine tune in and drown out the world. Speakers, headphones, and earbuds create immersion in different ways.
With high-quality speakers, you can really feel the music. Low frequencies (bass) hit and resonate with your gut and the high end (treble) shakes into your brain, it’s like you are listening to a live performance.
Headphones and earbuds provide the full effect of a stereo mix, which means different sounds being panned to each ear to create a more dynamic listening experience. However with headphones having full ear coverage immersion gets taken to a whole different level than with earbuds. With a pair of headphones on you will get to experience the full extent of the width, depth, and dynamics the mixing engineer intended.
Listening Longevity
Listening to music can be a long term and lifelong passion so long as you keep your hearing. One of the most effective ways of ensuring this is to not listen to loud music for long periods of time.
End Verdict
If its sound quality you want, its best you stick to vinyl records and listen to them through high-quality headphones. In this way you’ll get to experience the most accurate depiction of the original soundwaves recorded by the artist via an immersive medium that gives you full stereo mix. CDs come in behind Vinyl Records with their increased selection and only a minor quality loss.
However, using streaming services is suitable for any hobbyist. By using streaming services you can listen to any music at a decent quality and on the move. You can quickly discover new music and then use your discoveries to build you vinyl collection to have a luxury listening experience at home.
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