Vinyl Records vs. Compact Discs

Vinyl Records vs. Compact Discs

Which sounds better? According to Rolling Stone magazine, sales of vinyl albums continue to grow, setting a new record in 2010. There has been a lot of back and forth debate regarding the quality of sound of vinyl versus CD’s. Audiophiles may say that CDs depend on sampling an original analog signal being recorded, resulting in restrictions on frequency, as for vinyl records directly encode an even audio wave. This is true in regards to the data collection of CDs; CDs operate by collecting a bunch of samples from an audio wave source and stringing them together but with that said, vinyl pressing is not error free either. The analog groove on a vinyl record is never an exact duplication of the audio wave recorded in the master resulting in a change in the bass tone. So then what is it that makes people believe that the best kept audio is heard through a vinyl record? Maybe it is the notion that records give off more of a warm, authentic sound? Some people feel that there is something genuine about the sound enabling them to reflect on positive memories and experiences they had in the past. When it comes to CDs, the recording industry has a new standard for audio discs that significantly improve the quality of sound by heightening the accuracy of sampling rates. In addition the amount of content that can be held on a CD does not even compare to a Vinyl record. CDs can hold up to 74 minutes of music as for a 12 inch record can fit about 22 minutes of music per...