Fans of different music genres found a new hobby in collecting vinyl records. The fad might have infiltrated the metal nation, and some couldn’t help but ask why.
Claims about vinyl’s superior quality compared to the brickwalled reputation of digital copies and CDs serve as a strong case for some metalheads.
How accurate is this assertion? Is vinyl a good investment for headbangers?
Why The Vinyl Record Player Still Thrive?
Unlike other technologies that go back to their burial place after a quick promo capitalizing on nostalgia, vinyl record players possess a gripping staying power.
Quality is the biggest elephant in the room whenever there’s a discussion about investing in vinyl albums. Vinyl offers a unique mastering, something you won’t experience on CD. Vinyl, despite its platform’s drawbacks, still possesses pure quality sound compared to its digital counterparts.
However, the comparison requires a medium to high-end vinyl record player for it to be true. Cheap audio equipment options not only deliver terrible noise but would also mess up your vinyl.
On the other hand, CDs that somewhat killed off vinyl sales have one significant flaw: not all instruments are convertible enough to meet the desired loudness. Thus, mixers used dynamic compression, which led to a compromise in quality whenever the user changes the volume.
Although the digital platform offered cheaper editing methods, compression chips off some essence the more you depend on it to bring analog sound to digital format.
Evidence of this is Metallica’s Death Magnetic over compressed retail release that didn’t sit well with their fans.
Analog makes recordings more lifelike, and they have a higher dynamic range that’s more effective than digital. In that way, vinyl, an analog format, remained a formidable contender for sound quality.
Does Metal Sound Good On Vinyl?
Doom, Iron Maiden, and Behemoth: The Satanist — different forums and reviews say they are all excellent on vinyl.
Metal holds some of the most intricate music elements, which is why it is easy to obsess over any record, especially if you’re a follower of this genre. Such details will be more highlighted on vinyl, making it a vintage medium that does wonders. Indeed, listening on vinyl is more than just a ritual.
However, the most crucial factor that leads to a good metal headbanging experience is your player’s quality. And that leads to other elements metalheads need to consider.
Record Player And Accessories Costs
As mentioned earlier, the setup plays a massive role in the quality of your sound. Also, cheap turntables could rapidly destroy your discs. Investing in a piece of high-end or decent equipment is a must, especially for collectors of rare albums like Paradox’s Plan of Attack or Megadeth’s Dead or Alive in Arizona.
Apart from players and albums, a turntable owner would need a considerable budget for its maintenance and replacement styli. The cost associated is a huge barrier for anyone who wanted to try vinyl. So, before this new hobby becomes a rabbit hole in your wallet, consider if you have the best reasons why it is perhaps, the right time to heavily indulge in a new kind of music platform.
