I'm a 57 year old "boomer, raised on vacuum tubes, Eico and Heathkits, who turned his hobby into a profession (now an engineering director). However it's only recently that I've been able to free up enough time to get back into the hobby. Electronics has evolved and has come a long way since building amps with 6AU6s. However with the emphasis on cost and digital media, the faithful reproduction of analog sound waves into an electronic form and back to analog sound waves has apparently taken a back seat IMHO. I miss the direct to disc vinyl recordings. I don't like CD sound in general, although I do appreciate the S/N ratio and high dynamic range CDs offer when they are done right.
Last year I bought an iPod and I now have a quest to digitize my old vinyl so I can "play my records on it". A definite drawback to vinyl is the lack of convenience, where you have to lovingly clean the stylus and record; check the phono arm tracking and weight and then gently put it in the groove. A ritual that my married with children lifestyle rarely allows me to do. Most of my vinyl has been kept in boxes, and only gets played on rare occasions. (As an aside I have a Grace F9E cartridge that my 5 year old boy did in years ago, and I'm trying to find a new stylus for it. Suggestions appreciated. I haven't found a better cartridge yet!) Having said that, I don't have the bucks to go all out as I did in my single youth! So back full circle to making electronics a hobby again!
Last year I bought an iPod and I now have a quest to digitize my old vinyl so I can "play my records on it". A definite drawback to vinyl is the lack of convenience, where you have to lovingly clean the stylus and record; check the phono arm tracking and weight and then gently put it in the groove. A ritual that my married with children lifestyle rarely allows me to do. Most of my vinyl has been kept in boxes, and only gets played on rare occasions. (As an aside I have a Grace F9E cartridge that my 5 year old boy did in years ago, and I'm trying to find a new stylus for it. Suggestions appreciated. I haven't found a better cartridge yet!) Having said that, I don't have the bucks to go all out as I did in my single youth! So back full circle to making electronics a hobby again!
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