some people prefer vinyl because they don't understand how digital audio works and they enjoy owning media that is damaged by playback
Hilarious. As a counterpoint though, music is, at its core, evocative. Everything about a record, -the giant physical form factor, the art on the cover, the notes inside, and yes (sometimes especially) the damage from playback can be extremely evocative for some people and serve only to enhance the experience holistically. Digital music is the superior format for my collection on the whole, but a track sitting invisibly on a hard drive cannot hold a candle to the ceremony my fiancé and I have of occasionally coming home and surprising the other with a fantastic old piece of vinyl. Putting it on the record player and listening to it together, checking out the cover, talking about the records we used to have, etc. It's awesome. Much more evocative then what the audio track alone provides.
AdSeriatim, Digital recordings can have a higher dynamic range but to most people listening, this advantage is negligible. Vinyl enthusiasts will point out that it sounds "warmer", which is a subjective thing, but it's hard to argue once you've listened to it on a good system. Both mediums have their advantages. Digital is obviously easier to store and more mobile. Vinyl encapsulates a physicality that digital can't. It's tangible, you can hold the artwork in your hand, you can smell the vinyl and the jacket. Collectors will often point to this type of nostalgia -I'm one of them. That said, I have pretty extensive digital music library too. I understand how digital works and the benefits it provides. I also understand why people collect vinyl. I think it's analogous to the e-book vs. physical book thing. Do I read books/text electronically? Yes. But I still have a book shelf at home and I probably always will but only for my favorites. Record collecting is similar for me. People that collect vinyl tend to be really in to sound and audio, to say that they "don't understand how digital audio works," is probably not accurate.
I have a pretty good music library (for what I prefer listening to), but would love to get into the record collecting/listening to records. Do you have any advice as to what equipment or 'things' someone just starting should have or know? Obviously I'll be doing my own research, but it would be nice to get some advice from someone that already know what they're talking about.
Well like any other hobby, it depends on your budget. This seems like a good site to answer any initial questions you might have regarding equipment. I recommend getting a reasonable setup that can be upgraded as your collection grows. You don't want to spend a ton of money on equipment, go buy 3 records, and then realize you're really not into it. Look into record cleaning and maintaining as well. This is crucial as it will prolong your equipment as well as the life of the record. Always keep in mind that record collecting is NOT convenient (as opposed to just pushing play on your iPod), it is NOT cheap (far more expensive than downloading torrents for free), No matter how good your system is or how nice the pressing is, you WILL hear clicks and pops even if the record is brand new, learn to love them. So yeah, figure out what your budget is and maybe I can suggest some equipment options. Other than that, have fun dude!
bgood79 you are much better "equipped" to answer this question. Any suggestions?