With so many devout vinyl LP enthusiasts out there, it can be challenging to determine the real differences between CDs and vinyl records. There are a lot of websites that claim vinyl albums to be far superior to CDs. Still, many of these sources are heavily biased and misinformed.
CDs are digital disks that are read by a laser, while vinyl records are analog albums read by a sensitive needle. Many things make CDs and vinyl LPs different, but in the end, neither medium is superior to the other.
If you want to get your facts straight when it comes to listening to your music, it is essential to know the significant differences between CDs and vinyl. Knowing all of the facts will help you decide which listening medium you prefer, so read on!
History
Vinyl albums have a long history starting in the late 1880s. The first efforts to make an audio record player were initiated by Thomas Edison, who created the phonograph, which could both record and play sound. However, the phonograph only read paper records, and the sound quality was not very good.
The first record disks were made out of paper, plastic, rubber, or tin. Still, by 1931, RCA Victor released the first commercially available vinyl records. This invention is often attributed to Columbia Records. Columbia did release the first vinyl 12-inch LP in 1948, although RCA Victor had released 7-inch vinyl records many years before.
The first CDs, called digital audio compact disks, were released in 1982 by Sony & Phillips. CDs quickly replaced vinyl records in popularity due to their durability, portability, and sound quality. Over time, CDs evolved. Modern CDs can record audio, video, and data. Nowadays, CD-ROM, Blu-Ray, and DVDs have replaced many other technologies, making CDs much more versatile than vinyl records ever were.
Material
The most apparent difference between CDs and vinyl LPs is the material that the disks are made out of.
LPs are made out of a flat polyvinyl chloride disk inscribed with a long, spiraling groove. Within this groove, the soundwaves of an audio recording are cut. Still, many older records are made out of shellac. During World War II, when many record manufacturers were forced to use new, cheaper materials due to war efforts, many record labels switched to vinyl. Nowadays, vinyl is still the medium for an overwhelming majority of LPs.
CDs are made out of thick polycarbonate plastic, usually covered in aluminum and a thin lacquer label. CDs also have a long spiral groove impressed in them that indicates the length of the audio recording. Sound waves are recorded on CDs in small impressions called pits and flat areas called lands. These pits and lands refract the light from the laser that reads the CD, indicating the soundwave’s amplitude to the CD player.
Size
Vinyl albums usually come in two sizes. Larger albums, called Long Playing records or LPs, are usually 12 inches (30 cm) wide. Smaller records, called extended play records or EPs, are typically released as singles from an album. EPs are almost always 7 inches (18 cm) wide. Some labels still release 10-inch (24 cm) albums, but most albums are a standard 12 inches in diameter.
At a maximum, vinyl LPs can record up to 40 minutes of audio per side. Still, the more music you record on one side of a vinyl record, the worse the sound quality is. Generally, one side of an LP record will play for around 30 minutes or less.
Another thing that makes vinyl unique is that audio is recorded on both sides of the album. When you are playing a vinyl LP, you will have to flip the record to play both sides. Some people like that they have to flip vinyl records because it makes them pay closer attention to the music and actively listen for one side’s end. Still, if you just want unlimited music to play in the background, CDs are the way to go.
CDs are much more portable than vinyl records since they are usually only 4.7 inches (11.9 cm) wide in diameter. CDs were explicitly designed to be more portable than vinyl albums. Indeed, the name CD even means compact disk. Since CDs are easier to carry in portable CD players, radios, and car sound systems, many audiophiles prefer them.
CDs usually record around 74 minutes of audio. Because CDs can hold more data than vinyl albums and do not need to be flipped, they are much easier to listen to than vinyl records.
Format
Most vinyl records are either cut on tape or on a vinyl record called an analog tape. Analog-cut music sounds a lot less harsh than digital music. Analog recording also records all of the different instruments and voices in a song at once, making the music sound a lot more cohesive than digitally recorded music.
CDs only record digital music. Some record labels record their music on analog and then convert the analog record to a digital file. Still, in the end, CDs can only be burnt using digital files.
However, something must be said about modern vinyl LPs. Nowadays, since digital recording is the go-to method of recording audio for most record labels, many LPs are just pressed from a digital file or a CD. This is because many smaller record labels do not have the equipment or budget to use analog recording methods.
It is estimated that 80% of modern vinyl records are recorded using digital files. This means that most modern records are never recorded with analog tapes. LPs recorded using digitally produced files have the exact same sound as a CD. Essentially, digitally recorded vinyl records sound no better than a CD version of the same audio.
For more information about the difference between digital and analog audio, check out Mr. Audio’s simple explanation on how analog audio can be converted to digital audio:
Sound
The range of loud and soft sounds that a vinyl record can play is 70 decibels. On the other hand, CDs can play a range of 90 decibels. This difference between LPs and CDs means that CDs can capture more resonant bass sounds and higher pitches than LPs. Some people like that LPs do not have deep, percussive bass like CDs, but others prefer the more vibrant, fuller sound of CDs.
When an LP has dust on it, the turntable’s stylus will pick up the dust, causing little crackling sounds. The LP stylus picks up dust and dirt as another note on the record, so it is essential to keep your vinyl records clean to get the best sound. CDs, however, still sound the same even when there is dust on the CD. Because CDs are read by lasers, the laser shines through any minor dirt or dust on the CD.
The most significant sound benefit of vinyl LPs is that they record the entire wavelength of audio. Because vinyl records are inscribed with an audio recording’s actual sound wavelength, they capture its complete sound profile.
Some people speak out against digital audio files since they only record the wavelengths of audio in intervals. CDs do not preserve the whole wavelength of the sound but just record the wavelength’s amplitude about 44,000 times per second. This means that when replaying a CD, your player will play ‘connect the dots’ to complete the audio file’s whole wavelength.
However, CDs are still considered to have better sound because they do not degrade and because they do not capture as much background noise as vinyl LPs. The running mechanisms in record players create a hum that can only be drowned out by the music.
Still, even then, scratches and dust can interfere with the sound quality of a vinyl record. Some record players have rumble filters that reduce this noise, but they often filter out the vinyl’s lower sounds in the process.
CD readers, however, are relatively silent, and digital recording is designed to reduce background noise. Overall, CDs were designed to have better sound quality than record players.
Reading Mechanism
Vinyl albums are read by a thin needle on an arm called a stylus. Since vinyl albums are read by turntables, any warps in the vinyl or minor imperfections in the turntable gears or belts might change the speed or pitch of a song. Scratches will also cause the needle to skip or jump to another groove on the record, possibly skipping entire songs.
CDs are read by lasers. The laser reflects off the CD as it reads the sound waves that are impressed on the disk. Lasers are silent, making the sound quality of CDs a little bit better than vinyl records. In addition, lasers are not as prone to skipping as needles are.
Integrity
Generally, CDs have a lot more integrity than vinyl records since they are not as sensitive to heat, humidity, and dust.
Vinyl degrades over time, although CDs do not. This is because the needle that reads vinyl records can wear down the album over time. As the needle reads music, it can erode the soundwaves cut on the vinyl. The friction that the needle causes when playing a vinyl record can also melt the sound grooves impressed in the vinyl. This means that the more you play a vinyl record, the more it will become damaged.
Also, leaving dust in a vinyl record while you are playing it can quickly damage it permanently. Dust can scratch the sound waves recorded on a vinyl LP, which can cause permanent damage. When dust damages these sound waves, your turntable will not be able to play that section of the album again.
Vinyl is also very sensitive to rough handling and heat. It just takes one drop to shatter a vinyl record. Also, vinyl scratches easily, which can make your record skip.
Vinyl records are sensitive to heat and light. Any exposure to sunlight can make them more brittle or warp them. Vinyl records should always be stored in a cool, dry place to keep them from bending or becoming more brittle.
Although CDs are prone to scratching and warping under high heat, they are ultimately much more durable than vinyl records. CDs are also not as sensitive to hard wear like dropping or applying pressure. Since CDs are reflective, they are also not as susceptible to heat damage.
This makes them a lot easier to keep in your car or in areas with exposure to direct sunlight. Also, CDs do not degrade, which means that no matter how many times you play a CD, it will still sound the same.
Speed Variation
Because vinyl records are played on a mechanically driven system, the playback’s speed may be a little bit different from the original audio recording. Suppose your record player is faster or slower than the mechanisms that the vinyl LP was recorded on. In that case, the pitch and tempo of the audio will also be different.
The record’s speed directly affects the pitch of the audio’s soundwaves, so some records might sound higher or lower pitched if your record player turns at a different rate than the album was recorded at.
Warps, scratches, and holes in the vinyl record will also affect your album’s audio speed and pitch. When there is any defect in the vinyl record, the needle will move faster or slower depending on the fault’s nature.
However, CDs use digital buffers to adjust the turning rate of the CD’s revolution. These digital buffers prevent the speed from changing, regardless of the equipment you are using to play or record a CD. If you care a lot about keeping the pitch and speed true to the original audio recording, CDs are the best way to go.
Channel Separation
CDs are also better for speaker separation. When you are playing any audio recording, some sounds may be designed to play on one side of the speaker. CDs and records can separate these sounds, allowing the artists and mixers to specify which speaker each sound will play on.
Vinyl records differentiate channel separation with the side of the groove that the soundwave is impressed on. When a vinyl record records a heavy bass sound, the needle can also easily skip under the vibration of deep tones. Hence, vinyl records usually reduce the impact of the bass to keep the needle on track.
CDs also have two-channel differentiation, but the differentiation is indicated in the CD’s pits and lands. Deep bass sounds do not interfere with the laser reading device. Thus, recording artists do not have to modify A CD’s audio sound to differentiate the channels that the sound will play on.
However, record players still do not differentiate between the channels as well as CDs do. LPs can only distinguish sounds of up to 30 decibels. However, CDs can determine the channels for sounds of up to 90 decibels. This means that CDs can separate the side of the speaker that a specific sound will be played through much better than vinyl record players.
Amateur Recording
One major pro of using CDs is that you can burn your own audio disks with whatever you want on them. Most computers with CD drives can burn CDs. Also, a large package of unburnt CDs usually costs the price of one vinyl album. The versatility and inexpensiveness of CDs makes them a great way to play and record your own music.
However, the equipment for cutting vinyl records is expensive, and in most cases, vinyl records are only cut by professionals. Besides, vinyl records recorded with analog cannot be rewritten or edited. When an artist is recording on analog, they will have to get the performance perfect on the first take. If someone makes a mistake while recording a vinyl record, the record will have to be thrown out and replaced by a new one. This can be very expensive.
The Differences Between Vinyl and CDs Weighed Out
Understanding the differences between vinyl records and CDs is essential when deciding which medium will be the best for you. In summary, there are a lot of things that make CDs and vinyl albums different.
| CD | Vinyl | |
| Name | Digital Audio Compact Disk | Vinyl Long Play Record |
| Size | 4.7 inches (11.9 cm) | 12 inches (30.5 cm) or 7 inches (17.8 cm) |
| Format | Digital | Analog |
| Reading Mechanism | Laser | Needle |
| Sound Range | 90 decibels | 70 decibels |
| Integrity | Does not degrade | Degrades as you play it |
| Channel Separation | 90 decibels | 30 decibels |
| Recording | Can be recorded on any computer with a disk drive | Only recorded by professionals |
Conclusion
With vinyl records on the rise, knowing what makes them different from CDs will help you make an informed decision before stocking up your music collection. While many people will tell you that one is better than the other, CDs and vinyl albums both have their own unique way of playing audio. Ultimately, choosing which one you like best boils down to personal preference.