U2: The Best Of 1980-1990 (2 LP Vinyl w/ AutoRip MP3)

unfrozen

Sep 6, 2026 2:28 AM

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Joined Mar 2012

unfrozenSep 6, 2026 2:28 AM

1.3K Comments

I wonder who are buying the vinyl records these days. Four decades ago, I walked away from the "Original Master Recording" records, which cost well over $10 or $12 each, to CDs that were usually $15. So, going from seven or eight dollars for a regular vinyl record to over ten for a "premium" vinyl record, to fifteen for a digital disc. I regret nothing.

So I am wondering who exactly is buying vinyl records these days. And which cartridges are they buying for their turntables? I remember the many options in the 1970's ranging from Radio Shack "good" to "best" and the super expensive Ortofon and Concorde that my dad bought (and I regret accidentally breaking.)

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Carl69

Sep 6, 2026 2:33 AM

650 Comments

Joined Aug 2015

Carl69Sep 6, 2026 2:33 AM

650 Comments

Most people don't know this, but up to "Unforgettable Fire" U2 was actually a great band. The next LP turned them into pop superstars, and "Rattle and Hum" showed us the greatest was gone.

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DerpingtonIsHere

Sep 6, 2026 2:49 AM

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Joined Aug 2020

DerpingtonIsHereSep 6, 2026 2:49 AM

218 Comments

Quote from unfrozen

:

I wonder who are buying the vinyl records these days. Four decades ago, I walked away from the "Original Master Recording" records, which cost well over $10 or $12 each, to CDs that were usually $15. So, going from seven or eight dollars for a regular vinyl record to over ten for a "premium" vinyl record, to fifteen for a digital disc. I regret nothing.

So I am wondering who exactly is buying vinyl records these days. And which cartridges are they buying for their turntables? I remember the many options in the 1970's ranging from Radio Shack "good" to "best" and the super expensive Ortofon and Concorde that my dad bought (and I regret accidentally breaking.)

You would be surprised who is buying vinyl now. People are moving back to physical, especially Vinyl because it has a richer sound.

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ilovecanada

Sep 6, 2026 4:48 AM

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Joined Jun 2007

ilovecanadaSep 6, 2026 4:48 AM

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Quote from Carl69

:

Most people don't know this, but up to "Unforgettable Fire" U2 was actually a great band. The next LP turned them into pop superstars, and "Rattle and Hum" showed us the greatest was gone.

🙄....

4SKZ8

Sep 6, 2026 4:50 AM

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Joined Mar 2013

4SKZ8Sep 6, 2026 4:50 AM

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Bring back the 45

slickdealgb

Sep 6, 2026 5:03 AM

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Joined Sep 2017

slickdealgbSep 6, 2026 5:03 AM

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Quote from DerpingtonIsHere

:

You would be surprised who is buying vinyl now. People are moving back to physical, especially Vinyl because it has a richer sound.

What a tone deaf reply, the guy clearly knows about vinyl technically speaking. He's lived multi generations to experience the "richer sound". Did you even read his comment? Instead you just committed the most cliche reply about vinyl having a richer sound like he doesn't clearly already know that. Smh.

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Neurotic1

Sep 6, 2026 5:34 AM

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Joined Feb 2006

Neurotic1Sep 6, 2026 5:34 AM

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The idealism of the 80's turned into an empty hollow shell.

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DerpingtonIsHere

Sep 6, 2026 11:02 AM

218 Comments

Joined Aug 2020

DerpingtonIsHereSep 6, 2026 11:02 AM

218 Comments

Quote from slickdealgb

:

What a tone deaf reply, the guy clearly knows about vinyl technically speaking. He's lived multi generations to experience the "richer sound". Did you even read his comment? Instead you just committed the most cliche reply about vinyl having a richer sound like he doesn't clearly already know that. Smh.

Chief not once, but twice they asked this

"I wonder who are buying the vinyl records these days"
"So I am wondering who exactly is buying vinyl records these days"

Did you read?

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SiennaAlpaca1565

Sep 6, 2026 5:38 PM

332 Comments

Joined Oct 2025

SiennaAlpaca1565Sep 6, 2026 5:38 PM

332 Comments

Quote from Carl69

:

Most people don't know this, but up to "Unforgettable Fire" U2 was actually a great band. The next LP turned them into pop superstars, and "Rattle and Hum" showed us the greatest was gone.

Most people don't know this that they all died. That's what happened to them. Rather tragic for a whole band to go like that. But it happens. Every once in awhile people make a Bono sighting like an Elvis one claiming ro see him or them, but they're just crazy people. Many mourned the passing of U2 for years rather than allow them to become an Irish disgrace.

Last edited by SiennaAlpaca1565 September 6, 2026 at 10:40 AM.

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mateem

Sep 6, 2026 6:48 PM

89 Comments

Joined Oct 2019

mateemSep 6, 2026 6:48 PM

89 Comments

Quote from DerpingtonIsHere

:

You would be surprised who is buying vinyl now. People are moving back to physical, especially Vinyl because it has a richer sound.

"richer sound" does that include the noise from the dust stuck in the grooves? or warping of the vinyl with time? I would argue that lossless is a much better way to go.

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jcrash

Sep 6, 2026 6:59 PM

2.1K Comments

Joined Jun 2006

jcrashSep 6, 2026 6:59 PM

2.1K Comments

Quote from unfrozen

:

I wonder who are buying the vinyl records these days. Four decades ago, I walked away from the "Original Master Recording" records, which cost well over $10 or $12 each, to CDs that were usually $15. So, going from seven or eight dollars for a regular vinyl record to over ten for a "premium" vinyl record, to fifteen for a digital disc. I regret nothing.

So I am wondering who exactly is buying vinyl records these days. And which cartridges are they buying for their turntables? I remember the many options in the 1970's ranging from Radio Shack "good" to "best" and the super expensive Ortofon and Concorde that my dad bought (and I regret accidentally breaking.)

You own nothing with a subscription service. End-stage capitalism dictates eventually they will charge you by the song.

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SharpRoute483

Sep 6, 2026 7:54 PM

254 Comments

Joined Jul 2019

SharpRoute483Sep 6, 2026 7:54 PM

254 Comments

I actually didn't realize that I didn't have this one on vinyl. I'm buying because U2 albums always have fantastic, high quality album liner notes with great photos. And the ones on vinyl are big and high-res. The small downside is that two or three songs have been shortened for size constraints. There are sections of New Year's Day and Where the Streets Have No Name that are shortened that I simply cannot accept.

Oh, any don't listen to any people who say U2 only made good 80's music. U2 easily made the best pivot from 80's music to 90's music than any other music artist "re-invention" ever. They literally changed their sound from top to bottom and nailed it on their first try. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are their two masterpieces. And I think Achtung Baby is, pound-for-pound song-for-song, the better album.

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unfrozen

Sep 6, 2026 11:54 PM

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Joined Mar 2012

unfrozenSep 6, 2026 11:54 PM

1.3K Comments

Quote from slickdealgb

:

What a tone deaf reply, the guy clearly knows about vinyl technically speaking. He's lived multi generations to experience the "richer sound". Did you even read his comment? Instead you just committed the most cliche reply about vinyl having a richer sound like he doesn't clearly already know that. Smh.

Thank you.

I grew up with vinyl, and I did mention that I bought Mobile Labs "Original Master Recording" albums for a much higher price than mass market vinyl. I presume that anyone who claims to know the best that vinyl could deliver will know exactly what a Mobile Labs "Original Master Recording" was.

And I am still curious about the cartridges the vinyl lovers are using today. Four to five decades ago, you could buy a cheap one for maybe $20 at Radio Shack and their "best" was probably $50. My dad was an audiophile, and he bought at least two that were well over $100 each (in the 1970's).

Going from vinyl to digital CDs was pragmatic. I judged the audio quality as excellent, and I no longer worried about so many things, like cleaning the records and stylus (with Diskwasher kit), replacing the record paper liners with non-scratch ones, the fear of breaking an expensive stylus, and the transfer of energy from the speakers to the turntable, which added a slight phase error in the playback. (Some true believers had concrete pillars made for their turntables to avoid this.)

So, what exactly is the problem with my questions?

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unfrozen

Sep 7, 2026 12:14 AM

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Joined Mar 2012

unfrozenSep 7, 2026 12:14 AM

1.3K Comments

It seems I can not add to my previous message. So to add...

Can I also presume that the proponents of vinyl know how to adjust the anti-skate on their turntables, and can they describe how they adjust their stylus pressure to 2 grams? Can they give a decent argument for using a lower value, like 1.5 grams?Everyone who was serious about audio back then could easily spend ten or twenty minutes discussing this. And enjoying the conversation.

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CleverDeer137

Sep 7, 2026 2:40 PM

563 Comments

Joined Jan 2020

CleverDeer137Sep 7, 2026 2:40 PM

563 Comments

First four albums were good after that they sucked.

U2: The Best Of 1980-1990 (2 LP Vinyl w/ AutoRip MP3)

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