Considering giving up vinyl - conclusion

DomT

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Hello everyone

As some may know I am have a change in life circumstances and am looking afresh at everything and especially when it comes to possessions. I was horrified to find out with my current house move that just my personal possessions (no furniture and mostly audio and studio gear) occupy 15 cubic meters of space and weigh 1200kgs. That’s ridiculous and so a lot of stuff has to go especially as I will probably be country hopping again in another 12 months time.

On the vinyl front I am a little hesitant as if I sell my current t/t and phono stage I will never be able to afford it again and also I may miss the glorious sound. (Luxman PD171 with Audio Note arm2 and IO and a Trilogy 907 phonostage.) This is one of the best turntable set ups that I have heard (according to my preferences).

Has anyone sold a high end turntable going full digital and regretted it or felt liberated? Is it worth keeping a small handful of meaningful LPs (especially those not available on digital) and a cheap turntable? (Just bought my wife a Project EVO).

I don’t need kit suggestions and am more interested in considerations and experiences of others who have gone on this journey particularly both positive and negative.

Also I have received my Audio Note IO back from a service at Audio Note. It’s still in the shipping box. Should I open it and enjoy one more year of this cartridge or better to sell in this ‘newly refurbished’ condition? Not sure how much resale would be affected? I suspect as is it’s worth maybe £1600 as is but if I used it then maybe £1000? What do you guys think?
 
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Audio Al

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A big choice that you are going to make , Once it's gone it's gone , Will you be happy with a lesser setup or will you allways compare it with you top end system, Think long and hard before doing anything . I can't see me ever being without my vinyl system , During my life and with my first weeks pay as a lad straight into the record shop and buy my first ever LP , ( Free / Free ) ordered a record player through my mums club book , Paying it off weekly , Week 2 back in the record shop ( Free Fire and Water ) I still have these LP's 51 years later , and I kept buying one a week . I have an attachment to vinyl and would not be able to give it up voluntary . So once again I advise thinking long and hard before doing anything drastic.
 
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greybeard

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Although my LP collection is quite large (3000+) It is one thing that I am pleased I never sold in the digital revolution. It is part of me. Every time I play a record its reminds me of a part of my life, and friends who were in it. the same does not seem to happen with CD or streaming.
I also still like the sound of a good analogue system, although I have to say that my streaming setup is extremely good now, I still enjoy putting on an LP, turning it over after side 1, cleaning it, when needed. I suppose it's a ritual I grew up with, and I would miss it.
 

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I would say that with the current economic climate you would struggle to get a sale let alone a decent price for your tt.
In your situation I would keep the tt and look to cull the record collection so it fits in a couple of those hard record boxes, and sell the refurbed cart. There are plenty of very good cheaper MCs that will allow you to continue enjoying your remaining records (I have a mint 100hr AT OC9xML doing nothing here).
Also have a look through the other kit you have and gently move it on leaving you with just one decent setup for personal use. Your professional stuff could also be culled as you see fit.
 
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t1no

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As Marie Kondo wound say, if it doesn't spark joy let it go. So from the description of your turntable and how much you enjoy the sound I would be inclined to keep it. Going digital doesn't preclude keeping your turntable and as other have suggested, reduce the record count, other equipment box count or other possessions you may have.

For the record, I gave up a turntable years ago. It was the faff factor that was decisive for me and greater accessibility to music that digital offers.
 

rabski

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Everyone's priorities differ, and more than anything it depends on the extent of your emotional attachment to the LPs. In the same position, I'd look at absolutely everything and sell what I don't use and/or could relatively easily replace if necessary.

I would imagine that actually the vast majority of the 15 cubic meters of space and 1200kgs is the pro stuff, though speakers take up a fair bit. Sell the speakers, as they're easily replaced and depreciate. The pro stuff is something only you can decide on.

If it was me, the things I definitely wouldn't 'lose' would be the LPs, the Io and whatever step-up you're using. None of those are cheap and easy to replace, and to me would be the things I'd regret later. You could cull the LP collection a bit, though our tastes change and you may regret that some time later.
 

ChemMan

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As you know, my TT plan was to get a good cart, stage and deck and then 50 of my absolute favorite, well made, LPs. What ultimately put me off was the availability of LPs, especially when one's preferences are in the past.

Thus one option is to simply go through your Albums and get rid of all the garbage, damages, suspicious buys, questionable tastes, etc. If it were me, I'd make absolutely certain I preferred the sound of the record over the sound of the digital version before I kept it.

You've already said your TT gear is topnotch and the best you've owned. Keep that as long as you don't need the money, and as @Lurch said drop down to one system and call it a day, Do you really need three? (The only reason I still have two is the second one sits and waits to be posted abroad)

Finally, dump all those Harbeths and get some real speakers.🤣
 
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antonio66

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I sold my tt and records last year having owned and collected LP's for over 50 years. The turntable that I sold was a BTE Lenco which was as enjoyable as anything I've owned, including a well upgraded LP12 and a PT. Vinyl has become so expensive, many new records not up to the quality we might expect. Selling my vinyl was not the easiest job in the world, but I consider I sold at more than reasonable prices, the money spent on upgrading my current system which is now streaming based with my cd collection ripped to a hard drive. Couldn't be happier.
 

pmcuk

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Hello Dom - good luck with your change of circumstances, it's a big shift but life goes on.

Like you I'm a musician and heavily dependent on my recorded music. I had a glorious vinyl collection - around 2,500 LPs of jazz and classical. In the end they were just too BIG for my smallish 2 bed Kensington flat. That was the first reason they had to go. Now my whole music collection is on stored CDs which are ripped lossless onto one tiny hard disc in digital. Almost zero difference space wise from nothing at all. Huge relief.

But the biggest reason I ditched vinyl is that I just don't listen to a whole LP apart from classical music. I listen to my favourite tracks, and so playlists for me are the only way to go. Music has a FUNCTION for me - I want to hear a particular track because of the lyrics, the BPM, the musicians, the beat or whatever I want to check out. I do some songwriting so I'm always checking out music I might want to take ideas from.

So playlists are what works for me. Plus I listen to a lot of music on YouTube to check it out. I'm usually seated at my computer (everything is on my Mac Pro) so I don't even sit between the speakers most of the time unless I want to do some concentrated listening. I'm used to playing in bands and orchestras, where music comes at you from all angles, so no change there. Soundstage has no meaning for me - I just need the music, not any illusion of sitting in a concert hall, though that's pleasant when I do sit and listen.

I don't know if this rings any bells with you? In my case I was very happy to see all the vinyl go out of the door - it just absolutely didn't suit how I use my music.
 

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I have been 100% streaming for some time having sold my extensive ripped CD collection which was taking up too much space. But I still have my 1983 vintage Rega Planar 3, NVA Phono 1 and relatively small vinyl collection. As well as sentimental value replacing it, should I decide to go back, would be costly
 
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chris_bates1974

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Tough one - either way, I hope things work out for you and you're as happy as can be with the result.
I'm coming at this from a slightly different angle form some others. I don't have loads of kit, or a gigantic record collection. But, the collection still has meaning, and there's no way I'd part with it - unless someone made a silly offer for some of the more valuable records!!!
Your question really made me think about how I "listen" to or "consume" music, and what that means in terms of decision-making. The best I can offer is this. I am lucky enough to have a hi-fi room that is also my home office. So, I have music on all day every day. My hifi is probably 97% used for streaming. But for listening, really listening, it's 100% records. I don't think I'd ever give up a record player, just for those moments.
 

Radioham

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I got rid of all my Vinyl a few years ago and only got a pittance for them via a dealer. I thought CD was the way to go, however with things like CD Rot and sound quality, I found myself buying back a lot of Vinyl mainly because a lot of the music is not available on CD or Streaming.

My biggest problem now is trying to find a particular Album to listen too among the many shelves and racks.
 

hiesteem

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Hello everyone

As some may know I am have a change in life circumstances and am looking afresh at everything and especially when it comes to possessions. I was horrified to find out with my current house move that just my personal possessions (no furniture and mostly audio and studio gear) occupy 15 cubic meters of space and weigh 1200kgs. That’s ridiculous and so a lot of stuff has to go especially as I will probably be country hopping again in another 12 months time.

On the vinyl front I am a little hesitant as if I sell my current t/t and phono stage I will never be able to afford it again and also I may miss the glorious sound. (Luxman PD171 with Audio Note arm2 and IO and a Trilogy 907 phonostage.) This is one of the best turntable set ups that I have heard (according to my preferences).

Has anyone sold a high end turntable going full digital and regretted it or felt liberated? Is it worth keeping a small handful of meaningful LPs (especially those not available on digital) and a cheap turntable? (Just bought my wife a Project EVO).

I don’t need kit suggestions and am more interested in considerations and experiences of others who have gone on this journey particularly both positive and negative.

Also I have received my Audio Note IO back from a service at Audio Note. It’s still in the shipping box. Should I open it and enjoy one more year of this cartridge or better to sell in this ‘newly refurbished’ condition? Not sure how much resale would be affected? I suspect as is it’s worth maybe £1600 as is but if I used it then maybe £1000? What do you guys think?
Don't do anything whilst going through emotional change because it involves emotional attachment. Later on we can regret making these decisions once we have moved through the process and settled ourselves down.
Later on down the line you will have a different perspective and perhaps a more balanced perspective.
As for the practical side, well you sound seasoned at moving about and I see no reason why you won't find a home specific to your new requirements.
Think of it as a fresh start for your self where you can create your own space the way you want it. It can be an exciting opportunity and I have been through it myself.

You have an amazing vinyl set up Dom and I would love to have that vinyl collection. But once gone, it's gone.
 

orbscure

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I'm so glad I never got rid of my vinyl... I've had the usual trials and tribulations with the format over the years, but once I hit the sweet spot with the format, it all made sense... and this is from somebody who embraces CD and streaming probably more than the vinyl. Worse case scenario, put it in storage and see how you feel after 6/12 months...
 

lazycat

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Just a thought, why not put all your records and turntable in storage where you can't get to them for a period of time, say 3 months. Then perhaps you'll see how much it really means to you.
That's excellent advice. When I sold my LP12/Naim I decided to do without vinyl, at least for 6 months.

I lasted 4 weeks - and bought a JVC T/T for pennies off eBay. The relief of having vinyl back was palpable, almost.

Dont sell your collection, tho' the advice on a bit of culling is pertinent.

That said, I couldn't do that. But kit is kit and if you're not going to use it, sell it.
 
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CnoEvil

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This is such a hard call to advise someone else on.

I sold my LP12/Ittok/Asak and all my records in 1992 - as my first child was coming along and I didn't want curious little hands doing damage. I replaced it with Karik/Numerik. I didn't regret it, as a) I sold it to a good friend who got great enjoyment from it and b) I didn't have much time for music in them days.

I didn't miss the faff; the temptations for all the upgrades; the variability of record quality and ritual of trying to keep the Vinyl, dust and static free.

In your case:

- I wouldn't get rid of the TT unless you can match its SQ with a Digital front end
- If it was me - I would either keep everything; or go the whole Hog and get out of it altogether.
- With the advent of Streamers; the huge variety of DACs and Hi-Res Streaming services - I would never be tempted back to Vinyl, even if I had kept all my LPs. Like others, I now listen to a much greater variety of music.
- If possible, I wouldn't sell your TT until you had comfortably lived without it for at least a year. If you miss it, don't sell it. A cheap replacement will likely only frustrate.
 
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