CNN reports on 36% growth in vinyl sales while CDs fall

CNN has put together an article talking about the increasing popularity of vinyl. Even as shipments of CDs dropped more than 17 percent from 2006 to 2007, vinyl sales increased by 36%. While CD sales still dwarf vinyl by about 450:1, the article notes:

The resurgence of vinyl centers on a long-standing debate over analog versus digital sound. Digital recordings capture samples of sound and place them very close together as a complete package that sounds nearly identical to continuous sound to many people.Analog recordings on most LPs are continuous, which produces a truer sound -- though, paradoxically, some new LP releases are being recorded and mixed digitally but delivered analog.

Some purists also argue that the compression required to allow loudness in some digital formats weakens the quality as well. But it's not just about the sound. Audiophiles say they also want the format's overall experience -- the sensory experience of putting the needle on the record, the feeling of side A and side B and the joy of lingering over the liner notes.

You can check out the article here.

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