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by the_af 1915 days ago
> Is a rare vinyl pressing of a record any nicer to listen to than an mp3 you can download for free?

I get your point but this isn't a particularly suitable example. Audiophiles have been arguing for ages that the quality of compressed mp3 and even CDs is not comparable to vinyl, that vinyl is "warmer", etc. Flamewars have been waged about this. So maybe not the best example?
1 comments
posterboy 1915 days ago
MP3 is lossy by design but pretty good. FLAC is lossless. Same question by analogy.

Vinyl as a physical medium may be literally warm though, about room temperature. But swinging air waves are pretty much the definition of heat, so...

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the_af 1914 days ago
The point is that, for a lot of audiophiles, this question:

> Is a rare vinyl pressing of a record any nicer to listen to than an mp3 you can download for free?

is answered with a very loud "yes!". I thought this was common knowledge here at HN. I've certainly seen this debate multiple times here. You don't have to pick a side or argue technicalities, you just need to be aware that for many people one format is indeed nicer than the other.

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