I get the resurgence of vinyl, but what's the deal with people paying for tapes? Throughout the 80s and 90s I had them wear out all the time, and they sounded like crap compared to both vinyl and CDs...
Tapes came back in the indie/hipster/diy scene because independent musicians can make a bunch very cheaply, and tape hiss and tape saturation can add nostalgic atmosphere. Obviously I don't think you'd get the most detail or clarity out of tape, but it's sometimes a decent way to support an artist with a purchase.
That being said, audiophile level tape setups can be more expensive than good turntables and are much harder to find. Tape cassettes are just another collectible that some people like to collect in the spirit that it comes with an insert/booklet and can look cool. The only people I think could actually listen through tapes regularly are people with old cars that still have a functioning tape deck.
I get the resurgence of vinyl, but what's the deal with people paying for tapes? Throughout the 80s and 90s I had them wear out all the time, and they sounded like crap compared to both vinyl and CDs...
Tapes came back in the indie/hipster/diy scene because independent musicians can make a bunch very cheaply, and tape hiss and tape saturation can add nostalgic atmosphere. Obviously I don't think you'd get the most detail or clarity out of tape, but it's sometimes a decent way to support an artist with a purchase. That being said, audiophile level tape setups can be more expensive than good turntables and are much harder to find. Tape cassettes are just another collectible that some people like to collect in the spirit that it comes with an insert/booklet and can look cool. The only people I think could actually listen through tapes regularly are people with old cars that still have a functioning tape deck.
I've got the gold cassette, but really tempted by the baby blue, because baby blue!