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?