Victrola continues to bring vinyl to the modern listener in 2025

Is this all that is left of the once great RCA?

Did they pay for this article? This seems totally random, AI doesn't really cover turntables .... ever. 

Stabitha_Christie said:

Did they pay for this article? This seems totally random, AI doesn't really cover turntables .... ever. 

Take a look at the very top of the article, and you’ll have your answer.

As for turntables generally, I’m a little bewildered by their current popularity. I certainly get the desire to have music available in physical form, particularly for those with the collector mindset, but vinyl is so easily damaged (ironically, by actually playing it) and is also prone to environmental damage if you don’t keep it climate-controlled at all times that I can’t understand why anyone would prefer it as a format compared to CDs — apart from the larger artwork.

That said, my CD collection (and my vinyl collection) sit mostly untouched thanks to Apple Music. For less than the cost of a CD (and FAR less than a new vinyl album) per month, my ability to hear a song or album is nearly instant — I just ask Siri for it. Music is kind of an ethereal experience anyway, so streaming in many ways makes sense, and a pretty cheap way to have access to more-or-less every song you can think of.

chasm said:

Stabitha_Christie said:

Did they pay for this article? This seems totally random, AI doesn't really cover turntables .... ever. 

Take a look at the very top of the article, and you’ll have your answer.

As for turntables generally, I’m a little bewildered by their current popularity. I certainly get the desire to have music available in physical form, particularly for those with the collector mindset, but vinyl is so easily damaged (ironically, by actually playing it) and is also prone to environmental damage if you don’t keep it climate-controlled at all times that I can’t understand why anyone would prefer it as a format compared to CDs — apart from the larger artwork.

That said, my CD collection (and my vinyl collection) sit mostly untouched thanks to Apple Music. For less than the cost of a CD (and FAR less than a new vinyl album) per month, my ability to hear a song or album is nearly instant — I just ask Siri for it. Music is kind of an ethereal experience anyway, so streaming in many ways makes sense, and a pretty cheap way to have access to more-or-less every song you can think of.

The top of the article just has a blurb about affiliate links not if it is paid content or not so I am still unsure if it is a paid ad or not. That said, I now see that it is in a sea of articles about random crap announced at CES. So I guess it is likely that AI is just writing an article based on every CES product announcement press release that they get. A good week to skip out on AI as it is going to be mostly filler.

As for vinyl, modern records are far more durable than their counter parts of days past. Most of it is pressed on 120 or 140 gram vinyl and the collector stuff comes in at 180 or 200g. So warping and damage just aren't the problems they used to be when records were mass produced with 80 gram vinyl. The 80 gram stuff was pretty flimsy. Then there is also just general preference. I mostly listen to Apple Music but for the stuff that I really like I'll pick up the vinyl. I have little to no interest in CDs and we are in a weird turn of events where vinyl outsells CDs so you can't always get a CD of something.

What baffles me is the resurgence of cassette tapes. I'm going to pass on that, I don't want to have to keep a much of pencils around to deal with that nonsense. 

Yawn. Another year, another bunch of "modern" turntables that only support Bluetooth, no Airplay.