So, I still have 1,000 (ish) vinyl albums left. The other 6,000 were sold some years ago owing to a financial crisis (not on the scale of the recent monetary melt down, but not far short on a personal level). The man who bought them was very nice about it, very sympathetic, but at the price he paid he could afford to be. He almost broke his trousers trying getting to get the cash out of his pocket quickly so that I would not change my mind.

Anyway, I have not played them since we moved 7 years ago. Apparently, there wasn’t any ‘room’ for the deck as well as my CDs, amp, tuner, CD player (women have no idea about the importance of men’s stuff). I decided to sell them on Amazon (much better prices than eBay). I ordered the LP mailers began sorting them, looking at the Record Collector price guide, so much good news (I had no idea how much some crap LPs are worth!)

It seemed only fair that I should play them one last time before I listed them so that I could judge the quality, you understand. Also, Jane was going to be out for a few hours……

Out came the deck, with a new cartridge. I hooked it up to my trusy NAD amp and played the first disc from the box.

It was amazing.

I had forgotten how warm vinyl sounds. The depth, the brightness. When CDs were new we marvelled at the technology. So much music on such a little thing. 70 odd minutes on a CD only 45 on an LP, and easier to store, they had to be good. But, we forgot (at least most people did, of whom I was one) that vinyl sounds better. The record companies were only too delighted to sell their back catalogue again. Reissued first as ‘the first time on CD’, then as ‘re-mastered’ then as ‘the original mix’. And we were all seduced.

So, the deck now stays (well, Jane and I will have discussions but over my dead body….) and the albums stay.

Anyone want to buy 200 LP mailers?