Everything today is virtual it seems. The meta verse. Crypto currency. The Internet.
Young audiophiles can download all the music they want right onto their phones and stream it to any room in the house which one hell of a trick but why is audiophile turntables and vinyl getting increasingly popular?
One reason is that in an overly digital world, that people are looking for more simple solutions for what to do with their free time. Growing house plants is trendy with Millennials for just this reason. Cooking is popular. Travel is also somewhat disconnected and beyond en vogue with the younger folk.
When it comes to listening to music, going through the ritual of opening, cleaning, spinning and listening to a vinyl record is appealing to many. 20 years ago, the shuffle button was a game changer. Now put a record like Pink Floyd’s The Wall on shuffle and tell me how stupid the work sounds out of order. Try the same thing with Dark Side of the Moon or Electric Ladyland… There is a cadence to these records designed by the engineers, producers and artists.
During the listening process today’s streaming offers tremendous access to meta data but in the old days said data was available via holding a big-ass album cover in your hands. You actually studied all of the liner notes. You looked at all of the ancillary photography and you learned a little more about the album, the creative process and more – all while listening to your jams.
This process is therapeutic in the modern audiophile retail world and that’s why people are so drawn to vinyl in 2023 and moving forward. It isn’t high end performance. It is the tactical feel and analog experience of the media. Get it?