I had heard numerous times in the past that vinyl sounded better than compact discs but I never believed it, nor could I understand how that could be. In my experience records always had their audible snaps, crackles, and pops whereas compact discs had a clarity, a crispness to their sound, and due to that alone, would always reign supreme in my opinion.

That all changed this past year when my Sweet Bride gave me the Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN as a wedding anniversary present. It is a turntable of good enough quality for me to have experienced what I had heard most all my life from the vinyl snobs of the world. Vinyl, or records, really could sound better than compact discs, or at least as good, depending on taste.

After getting the turntable setup my wife, Julia, and I listened carefully to the multiple pressings I have of “Brother’s In Arms” by Dire Straits. Two pressings on compact disc, two on vinyl, with one of the two on vinyl being considered as the best sounding copy of the album that can be bought: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s Original Master Recording pressing. For Julia (whose hearing is better than mine) both of the vinyl copies clearly beat out the copies of it I own on compact disc. Her general thought was that the records sounded “smoother.” On vinyl the music sounded smoother to me as well, whereas, on compact disc, it sounded crisper.

So what do the words “smoother” and “crisper” mean when it comes to sound? Try to imagine sound visually as I am about to describe: The vinyl sounded like a smooth-edged sound wave, whereas the compact disc sounded like a set of stairs you’d walk up with each step’s rise being only an eighth or sixteenth of an inch above the step just before it; all of those tiny steps creating the crisp nature to the sound which includes an amazing amount of detail. The smooth straight line of the vinyl gently raising and falling didn’t sound as clean and detailed, but it was more pleasing to the ear.

As a photographer, I can’t help but also make the comparison of two very different styles of lighting in well-lit photos of the same subject. The first represents the compact disc with small-undiffused light sources that create very intricate lighting on the subject; the highlights and shadows becoming as much a part of the photo as the subject itself. Whereas the vinyl version of it is lit with larger light sources that are heavily diffused; creating buttery smooth transitions from highlight to shadow. The subject is the absolute hero in the shot, and the beautifully diffuse light no longer being somewhat of a distraction from the subject, instead forcing the viewer to focus more on how beautiful the subject is.

This additional comparison of two different photography lighting styles in terms of records versus compact disc is important because the most important thing when listening to music is – the music. The detail that can be heard in compact discs can serve as a distraction from the bigger picture. It can dilute the immersive therapeutic nature of music by bringing too much attention to the details. Similar to looking at the brush strokes of a painting while standing two inches from it versus stepping back a few feet and looking at the whole painting.

Have I become a total vinyl fan-boy based on all of the above? Absolutely not. I’ve been buying and collecting compact discs since around 1986, own well over a thousand of them, and still prefer them to records in many ways. Here are a few reasons why: Compact discs are far more convenient – and affordable – than records are these days. One can’t grab a few records to listen to in their vehicle on a road trip as they can compact disc. One can’t casually drop a record on the turntable as they can a compact disc in a compact disc player and listen to it. Also, as long as you take care of compact discs they will play as well after listening to them 500 times as they did when brand new, whereas records start to develop the snap crackles and pops unless they are meticulously handled.

Yes listening to and taking care of vinyl is a whole different level of tedious than what is required for compact discs. Not only are compact discs much more affordable than records these days, but being able to listen to compact discs and get a respectable level of sound quality can be had by simply buying yourself a used CD or DVD player at your local Goodwill store for ten bucks or so to hook to a stereo receiver and speakers of your choice. To get even close to that level of sound quality with vinyl you will have to spend $300+ on a turntable.

Then there is this giant rabbit hole one can find themselves in that can include, but certainly isn’t limited to, upgrading their phono preamps, phono cartridges, styli, etc. Yes, a similar hole can be found to bask in when it comes to compact disc, but I don’t believe that hole is near as wide, making it easier to fall into, nor is it as deep. This makes listeners less likely to fall into it, and the fallen to climb themselves out of it with greater ease and less shame.

With all of the above taken into consideration, we can conclude why vinyl has such a rabid following: It forces those that truly listen to it – to truly love it. Vinyl forces these gluttons for punishment to love it through sitting and actively listening to it, but only after having to handle it so carefully, store it correctly, and quite possibly spend more than they thought they ever might on gear to upgrade and change up the sound they experience while listening to it.

So, which is better; records or compact discs? That is up to the listener’s lifestyle, the depth of their love for music, and, due to the previously mentioned rabbit holes, the depth of their pockets. The one thing I believe we all can collectively agree on though: album artwork. Being over three times the size of a compact disc, records will make you want to buy an album you already own on compact discs just for the album artwork. Don’t ask me how I know.

Note: I originally wrote this for an English class assignment that required me to compare two things of my choosing. I approached the assignment as if I were writing an article for a magazine or online blog geared towards those that are new to hifi/audio world. I shot an image to support the article just as you might see in a magazine or blog post just like this. -Keith