Why listening to vinyl has been a much better and a different experience for me.
My experience with vinyl has more to do with behavioral changes when I'm listening to music vinyl vs digital apps than it has to do with nuance of analog sound vs digital sound and i have little knowledge on that.
Active listening vs passive listening
My default behavior when I'm listening to music on apps is to simply(mindlessly?) choose a recommended playlist and listen while working or running and in many ways is a mindless experience. On the other hand, the effort to play a music on turntable is pretty high and starts with choosing which one to play as you no longer can easily switch albums, artists etc. It's been a very immersive experience.
Listening to full album vs specific songs
Listening to LPs now mean i end up listening to full album irrespective of if i like all them or not compared to tap out of an album or create playlist across my favorite songs anytime on digital apps. Over time this habbit has grown up on me and i now appreciate different moods an album tends to have
Patience with music
Going back to your favorite section of a song or skipping a few seconds is just a tap away in digital apps but is a whole lot of effort on turntable and there is a good chance you will never be able to even identify the starting thread effectively on a disc anyway. So you wait till a side is over and then play it again.
Individual experience vs group experience
Most of my listening habit was on headphone until now and there is a good chance there are two people in a room listening to completely different music on their headphones. In short, bonding time lost :)
Turntable music by it's very setup (speakers, horn) make it a loud and a communal experience. Nothing beats winding down on a Friday evening with Miles Davis, Ilayaraja or Jagjit Singh and spend easily an hour.
Appreciation for artwork
I really try and look forward to the cover work of most LPs. It takes me back to 1990s when film posters on the wall,sleeves on CD, cassette cover or posters on top of theaters was an integral part of movie experience. Some of artwork on cover is just nostalgic.
Community
Community around Vinyl music is sometimes akin to opensource folks. Very inviting, lots of people who have spent decade doing it because they like it and in general share a lot. I'm absolutely happy to share my vinyl collection for a week or some if you want.
Some of my favorite covers
