Vinyl Junkies …

It's nice to look through a shelf of CD's and choose something you might have forgotten on a digital device.

good point

I never really brought into vinyl sounding better/different than CDs, as much as I never really brought into the reverse in the 90s. As @Airhead implies, it's really in the mastering, and if it's shittily mastered, then it's likely to be the same across all formats (eg the KOKOROKO album from last year).

If you're happy with streaming, then obvs that's perfectly fine. If you want to collect, then both CDs and vinyl are fine. The advantages of vinyl in that regard is that it's a larger object to interact with; but then it's also a downside when you're trying to store them.

The bonus of CDs currently is the low price if you're a #buyer, both for equipment the and the media themselves. People have been literally giving the stuff away, although that is starting to change, given the way prices have been going.

I'm lucky in that I'm into Jazz Fusion from the 70s/80s at the moment, the genre that collectors and purists forgot and/or hated. You can almost pick up the entire used vinyl discography for some artists for less than one premium new vinyl release.

I never really brought into vinyl sounding better/different than CDs, as much as I never really brought into the reverse in the 90s. As @Airhead implies, it's really in the mastering, and if it's shittily mastered, then it's likely to be the same across all formats (eg the KOKOROKO album from last year).

Sure, if the recording / mixing / mastering etc. is lacking, then that's that (although one medium might hide certain flaws better, while another might actually bring them out more).

I was discussing the "better" sound with a serious audiophile / serious collector friend of mine again the other day, and I came to understand that basically his main goal is: to get as close as possible to the way the music has been recorded / mastered etc. - so a clean / neutral presentation of the music is desired, without colouration, without adding "character" or whatever afterwards. Digital is definitely superior here, no doubt.

Vinyl can offer something though that digital can't - very similar to how film photography can deliver on a front that digital struggles to.
I do believe something does get pretty much lost in translation from the analog signal to the digital file. It's hard to explain what it is exactly, but to me vinyl does sound more "alive" / "lifelike", more "3D", more "organic", more "soulful"..
..and I definitely do want that, at least sometimes, with certain albums - and the reality is I do only get that with a small percentage of the albums I like to listen to, just because only a small percentage of the albums I like to listen to are actually available, right now, with a decent pressing, for a price I'm willing to pay - sad but true; I've come to accept that I only get that nice "vinyl experience" I love with a few select albums - while the majority of music I listen to is from digital files.

Regarding the handling / storing etc. - as @Airhead said the CD was designed to overcome a lot of the problems of vinyl, delicate sleeves, easily scratched or contaminated etc. -
I guess it's different nowadays, at least for people like me who treat listening to albums on vinyl as a "special occasion" kinda thing, appreciating those big beautiful packages, the artwork, the wax.. handling everything with care, enjoying the whole "ritual".. I suppose back in the day when everybody and their mother played vinyl records, and nothing but vinyl records, all day long, because it was all there was, that was just a different scenario - and I do remember how CD's were appreciated from a portability standpoint alone when they came out.

Oh yea, and that Kokoroko album does sound rather flat 😅
I listened to it a lot of times now, really like the music - but I didn't buy it on vinyl, as I thought it's really not worth the money; just like you said, the medium can't really make up for bad mastering.
Listened to the EP again on vinyl last night though, and really enjoyed it : )

Maybe I'm lucky/unlucky, but I never really get that difference in sound that you talk about between analogue and digital formats.
I can notice the difference in some recordings for sure - the mono 60's vinyl pressings of a bunch of Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk stuff I have is very different to the Stereo CDs I have of them; but then that's the difference between 60s mono mastering (for vinyl) vs modern stereo mastering, rather than an analogue/digital difference.

At least for older recordings, what I do like about vinyl is the sense of history when putting on a 60 year old record, which you can't get elsewhere. I don't care much for modern vinyl re-issues (unless the originals are insanely expensive) for this reason.

The Analogue Productions/Mofi etc. level of modern re-issue were worthwhile until the majors started pressing their own again and stopped licencing for the big titles. In the sense that you were getting old master tapes carefully transcribed to vinyl and pressed with a high level of craftsmanship. Speakers Corner disks are nice to handle and play too with some good titles available.

The modern Blue Note/Tone Poets can be a bit hit and miss then there's all the DOL copyright expired cheap and cheerful labels where you might as well buy a lottery ticket for the chance you will get a great copy.

The Blue Note series on CD that referenced the master copy that were produced over a long period many years ago are great too. Plenty of Japanese CD's with exquisite mastering out there but they're expensive anyway.

Personally I don't have the interest in 1 title to drop £2-£3k on a 50's jazz original but fairplay to those people who have a collection of them. No doubt they don't want to let them go for less.

Anyone brought from abroad lately? What is import duty and processing fee like at the moment?

I bought 2 second hand records from Germany towards the end of last year, total value 30 Euros and I paid no import duties or fees.

Last two imports I’ve bought have had no duties either. Around the £15 mark for both. One was marked as a gift though

Import duty allowance is £135, below which there is no duty and no fee from the importer.

That is worth knowing, I always thought it was lower than that. There are quite a few on my want list that only ever seem to be for sale in Italy.

I keep meaning to do this at some point.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/who-needs-vinyl-records-when-youve-got-raspberry-pi-and-nfc/

RSD is back (22/04?).
Anything that caught Junkies' eyes? For me only the Alpha & Omega titles after a quick glance at the list.

I have all my physical media ripped or needledropped and playable by Roon. Sometimes I can't be bothered to use the physical media. I would want the pi to recognise the CD or LP and play it rather than making lots of nfc tags.

The type of NFC tag in the article wouldn't be so useful on a shelf as it's not thick enough to have readable album details on the spine. Still a decent idea though.

Anyone a fan of Basic Channel? Don't miss the latest re-releases.

Same for me, they are the only ones I fancy. Shame there isn't more hip hop, from what I can see just ODB return to 36 chambers and stetsasonic in full gear (I still have my original copy I bought in 89 so don't need that).

Edit: Possibly Future Sound of London as well.

The new Jazz Dispensary comp and the M.E.B. record for me. Tempted by the ODB reissue, but I hate picture discs.

It's properly shit this year, even worse than usual. Scum by Bark Psychosis, maybe the Boris/Sunn O)))) thing.

Import duty allowance is £135, below which there is no duty and no fee from the importer.

It depends. The seller is supposed to collect VAT below £135, which of course most won't. Discogs randomly adds VAT every now and again onto purchase prices. I've got records in my cart from a few Japanese sellers, and Discogs is only collecting VAT from the ones charging in Euro's or USD, not in Yen, for some reason.

Agree.
I think they've been milking it a bit too much now and it feels like they're really scrapping the barrel for "interesting" releases.

On another front: Near Mint fairs are back in Brick Lane this week-end for a bit of digging.
https://www.nearmint.co.uk/pages/record-fairs
Lots of good record shops nearby too including one of my favourites, VDS, on Columbia Road.

one of my favourites, VDS, on Columbia Road.

One of my favourites too.

Does anyone bother haggling at record fairs? We have a local monthly one in my area. One vendor usually turns up with a fair amount of records, none of them priced. I usually avoid his stall. Out of interest I asked for prices this time on three records that I internally valued at £40-50 total tops , for him to quote £110. For one of the records, he spent a fair amount of time on Discogs trying to work out a price, only to quote £40 over what the record is currently go for on there.

Is the vendor wanting me to haggle, not interested in actually selling his records, or just hoping to catch out the un-informed?

People who don’t price things are usually hoping someone will offer more and holding out for high prices. They also probably realise they’re not selling as much as they would like. Just make it clear you’re not in it for high end buying and offer what you want to pay or leave it. I haggle on everything as I’m hella tight, dealers are normally open to haggling so give it a go.

God I miss the days of wandering into my local record shop and buying 12"s for £2.99 and albums for £7.99!!