Is There A Limit To...

[MylesBAstor]

...the number of copies of an album that you will buy? Sure sometimes we buy several LPs to find the best pressing. But Chris/CPP brought up that he won't buy any more copies of albums he already owns regardless of format.

Would you buy multiple digital copies eg. Quad DSD and you already own the 1X DSD? Or PCM and DSD? Or RBCD and DSD? Would you buy the 45 rpm reissue of an album if you have a 33 rpm? Do you have the same title say in digital and LP? Or digital, LP and tape?

Classic Records might be the all time king of multiple LP formats. 33 rpm in 180 and 200 g. 33, 45 and 78 rpm stereo. Regular vinyl, Quiex, Clarity, etc. Double and single sided LPs. And that's not counting CD and DVD. Amazing they got audiophile's to buy in every time they had a new variation. Gotta hand it to Hobson. Rode the crest for a long time. Thanks in part to HP.

[Rob]

Chris dodged the OCD gene, he'd be considered abnormal in the world of music collecting this subject crosses my mind often and this isn't exactly what you're referring to but I do buy multiplies of the very same pressing when i come across them (esp if cheap). If it's a record I really love I make a point to seek out other pressings (1st press, promos, UK, other imports). Regarding the Classic Records conundrum we all know 45 rpm is technically superior but it doesn't always mean certain recordings fully realize its benefits. the other dilemma is deciding whether an 'upgrade' is even necessary, when x. y and z pressings are already quite good.

[MylesBAstor]

And when you find find the best sounding pressing, do you sell the other LPs or even the CD when you get the hi-Rez file?

[Rob]

the intent is to someday rid myself of the unwanted copies but that day hasn't come...at the moment I have >500 dupes and triplicates stashed away

[Joe Pittman]

Back when vinyl was the only source, the 70s and 80s, US pressings typically sucked, they were warped and had crappy vinyl quality. You would swear that the vinyl was made from recycled plastic. So I got into the habit of buying imports, typically UK, German, Japanese,etc. anything but domestic. I have continued to seek out higher quality pressings to this day and along the journey acquired a taste for Promo's, Test Pressings, Limited Editions, Special Editions, Box Sets, Reissues, One-Step, ad infinitum. So I have many copies of the same title. OK, I have an addiction.

[JCOConnell]

While I will occasionally buy the Lp of a title I already have the commercial CD of, I don't buy the CD I already have the Lp of, I make one myself but its not that often I even want to do it. I'd rather listen to the original Lp when at home.

[JCOConnell]

regarding selling excess CDs, I've never sold one. I've got 500 name classical CDs I'd like to sell but they just sit here.

[JCOConnell]

Note : Ive just posted them in the music for sale section of the forum

[Alrainbow]

I have read that you cannot sell downloaded digital media.
I have many terrace bits of it I guess I'll give it to someone
I have bought many used sacd s. And yes of a fav album comes out I would by it. What has slowed me down is two one my health second tidal and mqa. The other night I just found out that elp has been mqa mastered on many of his titles great news. TULL was done well. Now what should be added to this new album is how to measure it's better. In mqa as I hear and love improvmets but others question just what it is that's better. Owning music is also pride of ownership. When Myles was kind enough to have me over. He had gleam in his eyes as he showed me items he owned. Ona whim I bought mike s dsd Recomend download he has. I plays it fast but not long enough to commnet yet. But owning has a pride of ownership to it too.

[Joe Pittman]

I think collecting some LPs is like trophy hunting. Lots of satisfaction in the hunt, and when we find that elusive disc, we like to show it off.

[MylesBAstor]

I don't know about others but there are records that took me 20 years to find. That's when Audio's Murphy Law rears it's ugly head. You've just plunked down a $100 for that long sought after album and then you find the LP somewhere else for $10. What's a person to do? Buy the other and average the prices out ($100 +$10/2 =$55). Not such a big hit then. And after all, record collecting is all about rationalizing prices!

[Johnny Vinyl]

Although I haven't really pursued much lately, I don't think there is a limit. The possible exception to that (in my case) is in acquiring some of the UHQR pressings or other rare audiophile pressings. I simply can't justify the price of purchase in those cases. Like Joe said, the hunt can be very satisfying.

[RandyRobinson]

Always subject to change, but currently I don't intend to buy additional digital copies period. I experimented with various resolutions and settled on 96/24, mostly to determine the resolution I record to. I buy additional pressings of Lps to compare labels, masterings, etc. I've not yet sampled enough to satisfy this obsession. I also agree that the hunt is part of the fun.

[mep]

Buying additional copies of digital files and hoping for something better is like going to White Castle everyday and expecting filet mignon to show up between the small buns.

[Rob]

Buying additional copies of digital files and hoping for something better is like going to White Castle everyday and expecting filet mignon to show up between the small buns.

You never heard a RBCD cream all comers including the vinyl? One comes to mind, Phil Collins' Face Value gold CD by Audio Fidelity is head and shoulders above the UK 1st press and my US press mastered by Doug Sax. undoubtedly there are many more examples.

[mep]

You never heard a RBCD cream all comers including the vinyl? One comes to mind, Phil Collins' Face Value gold CD by Audio Fidelity is head and shoulders above the UK 1st press and my US press mastered by Doug Sax. undoubtedly there are many more examples.

Nope. 3 county fairs and 2 goat breedings and I have never heard a CD sourced from an analog tape sound better than an LP.

[Joe Pittman]

That's funnier than a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.

[Skylab]

Hmmmm, let's see - for EVERY LED Zeppelin album I have:

Classic Records 200g LP
Japan CD
96/24 HD Tracks (from the recent re-masters)
original Atlantic/Ampex reel tapes (I-HotH)

but if if they came out on 15 ips reel from TP or AS, yeah, I would pay for those too

And there are plenty of other rock albums I have at least that many versions of.

[MylesBAstor]

Hmmmm, let's see - for EVERY LED Zeppelin album I have:

Classic Records 200g LP
Japan CD
96/24 HD Tracks (from the recent re-masters)
original Atlantic/Ampex reel tapes (I-HotH)

but if if they came out on 15 ips reel from TP or AS, yeah, I would pay for those too

And there are plenty of other rock albums I have at least that many versions of.

Me too. For instance have four different labels/LPs in the case of Kurtz doing Carnival of the Animals on EMI.

For or some reason got all of the MMJ 45rpm and many of the 33 rpm as well. I don't know why except sometimes like notbhavingbtomgetbup,and change the side after 2 or 3 songs. Eapecially when just relaxing and playing the music.

And believe it or not actually have some recordings-take for instance Bill Evans' Portraits in Jazz the XRCD, the OJC, Chad's 45 rpm reissue and the tape. Or Cafe Blue on normal CD, XRCD, FIM, LP, reissued LP and tape. 😳Or take Waltz for Debby. XRCD, tape, original LP, OJC and 45 rpm.

I keep saying I'm going to go thin the herd, listen to albums and keep the best sounding version and sell the rest. Just never seems to happen. ButbI am running out of space, especially with tape taking up more and more shelf space.

[Rust]

I will buy additional copies when the copy I have is messed up from multiple moves across the country over 45 years, when the recording is exceedingly rare such as a regionally popular group or niche genre group or artist, and finally a few recordings I consider significant enough to merit spending the money for a sonically better copy.

In general without a higher end cartridge/arm/turntable/phono-amp combination the difference between CD and LP playback isn't as extreme as many may hear with the much higher priced rigs. When a cartridge alone costs more than my system and installed in a similarly system I would expect it to sound more obviously better.

Because my system is less than state of the art, I don't chase every known issue of a given performance. Instead I look for things I don't have for a new listening experience.