This past summer, I took the leap of faith and purchased a Vinyl Player. I have wanted one since 9th grade, however, there was always a small voice in my head telling me, “You are already paying for Spotify, why do you need a vinyl player?” I honestly still don’t have a proper answer for that even as I have one now. This purchase would be roped into my desire for a Polaroid camera for the longest time. My dad always nods his head in disappointment after each purchase because he is always like technology is advancing and you are going backward.
My whole vision with the Record Player includes starting my collection now in medical school and continuing to grow it after I become a physician. Additionally, during this time, I would also upgrade my vinyl player to a more luxurious one. My vision is a very long-term vision, so sometimes it feels like the collection is not worth it.
Here are a few things I have learned as a vinyl player owner:
- Vinyl records are somewhat expensive.
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When I bought my vinyl player, I was under the impression that the actual vinyls cannot be that pricey, especially when CDs are not. One thing I have noticed is that the average price for a vinyl at Target is about 25 dollars. However, there are some vintage vinyl stores that have cartons of vinyls that range from 2 dollars to 5 dollars. The difference between the 2 are that Target usually only carries newer artists, while vintage shops have more dated albums. Additionally, if a record company stops pressing an album, the price for the existing vinyls increase significantly. For example, I am searching for Lorde’s Melodrama on vinyl, however, there is no new pressing of it. The average price for this vinyl is about 60 dollars on all the stores I have looked at.
- The sound quality is really nice.
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Before purchasing my vinyl player, I did not believe that the sound quality would be better than the pricey modern bluetooth speaker. However, after using my vinyl player, I agree with the statements. Vinyls have better sound quality and playback because there is no audio being lost when pressing a record. With streaming platforms, such Spotify and Apple Music, audio files get so compressed to make them available to stream that the overall playback quality gets reduced.
- A vinyl player is not the best idea for someone who listens to playlists rather than albums.
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My favorite time to use my vinyl player includes in the evening when I reading a book or doing something else that is not as productive as studying. However, after you pick a vinyl to listen to, you have to accept the fact that you will have to listen through the album and cannot really skip through songs. Some records also have different sides, so you may have to flip the vinyl over after a few songs, which can get a little annoying. So, if you are the type of person who picks and chooses a few songs off of an album, I do not believe a vinyl player is a good purchase for you.
- You can find vinyls in many locations.
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At first, I thought Target was the only place where I could find reasonably priced vinyls, which was a little depressing because Target does not have the biggest variety. However, as I continue to search on the internet as well as shops in KC, there are many other sources for your vinyl collection. My favorites include Urban Outfitters, MerchBar and Barnes and Noble.
These are a few things I have learned as a record player owner so far. However, I have had a record player for less than a year, so I am still learning. Hopefully, these few tips can help you make your decision to purchase a vinyl player!