Vinyl has mad resurgence over the past few years and many music fans are discovering vinyl for the first time and many music lovers are rediscovering their enjoyment of the medium.
There are some misconceptions about vinyl and what comes along with the hobby of collecting records. This is a hobby and a way that all of us regular people can enjoy our music.
First of all, you don’t have to be rich to enjoy listening to music on vinyl. Sure, there are some very serious collectors that spend big bucks on rare and collectable music, but investing isn’t the only reason to listen to vinyl. But, you can purchase plenty of good music on used vinyl in pretty good condition. There are plenty of used record shops popping up around most towns. And even better than that, many artists are releasing their new music on vinyl and even re-releasing their back-catalogue. I for one like original copies from their original release year, but some of those can get expensive, so a re-release is a great way to enjoy the music without spending a ton of cash.
Secondly, you could go wild and spend a large amount of money, thousands of dollars on a high-end record player and stereo system. But you don’t have to. In fact, I would recommend that when you first get into listening to music on vinyl to start off slow. Buy a record player that not only fits your budget, but also fits the amount of enthusiasm you have for the hobby.
You can get a great record player that is easy to use and sounds great for less than you think. In fact, when I got back into listening to vinyl, I found a used record console at and estate sale and got it for next to nothing. It gave me a great entry level to gauge my level of commitment to the hobby. Once I became more invested in the hobby and enjoyed it, I invested in a record player that was a little more up to date and easier to use. Old phonograph players were very finicky and harder to use.
To be honest, the hands-on aspect of vinyl is what I like the most. In a digital world, where we can listen to a song of choice at a push of a button, vinyl makes you slow down and enjoy the process of listening to music as much as listening to the music itself.
You have to remove the record from its protective sleeve, make sure that is clean and free of dust and place it on the turntable. You have to keep the record clean and protected. On some of the higher end turntables you have to worry abut speed and balance, but my record player is push button and very easy to operate.
Hearing music playing on a good turntable, through good speakers or with a good pair of headphones, like these headphones from Selby, is something of a revelation. Again, vinyl recreates the sound as if the band was playing a private show just for you in your living room. You will hear things in the music that you never knew was there. You will hear the music that you have loved for a lifetime as if it was your first time hearing it.
