Long before the MP3 download and way back further than the
compact disc, many old crusties like myself used to listen to our favourite
music on vinyl records.
As far back as 1941 CBS Laboratories (Columbia Records)
began research into developing a phonograph record that could last at least 20
minutes on each side.
After a break during World War II, work was resumed at the
end of hostilities and on 18th June 1948 at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria in
Two formats were initially released. The first was just 10
inches (25cm) in diameter and played for a total of 35 minutes while it’s
sister platter being 2 inches wider at 12 inches, contained a further 10
minutes of sound.
Columbia’s long-playing record became the standard LP format
until well into the 1980s, when it was overtaken by the compact disc. However
in the early part of the 2010s, vinyl made a comeback reigniting the debate of
which format was the best.
So what is your choice of sound? Are you a traditionalist enjoying the hiss and crackle of vinyl? Or is the supposedly perfect sound of the CD for you? Or maybe you are a download dolly and are never seen without a set of earbuds plugged into your trusty iPod?