alt Hacker NewsVinyl (IMO) isn't about it being retro or having "better" sound quality (whatever that means, it's mostly subjective), but about having a collectable, physical item. I think CDs were a step backwards, not because the sound quality was off but because the boxes were smaller and fragile; I've never owned any music CDs.
Digital music is neat for listening to music, but it also feels like it lowers the value of it.
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Jewel cases may be fragile but LPs are far more vulnerable to damage than CDs are. There are much better ways to hold a CD collection.
> I think CDs were a step backwards, not because the sound quality was off but because the boxes were smaller and fragile
Smaller, yes, but fragile? Certainly not more fragile than Vinyl.
Most people buying vinyl in 2026 don't own a record player. Because that's not the point.
I think there's something to be said for _any_ physical media when it comes to audio.
I hate opening my phone/laptop to put music on, inadvertently opening HN/lichess, and watching the next few hours vanish in silence.
Also deeper engagement, and a big second hand and artist-driven markets keeping my money out of the hands of NastyCorp.
Vinyl is just the nicest.
Like retro PC game collectors, they realpy just want that giant box! Most of their games are probably just ISOs on an SSD.