Soda wrote:
records do have less material on it, but quality is better than quantity. its a fuller sound, not compressed into a file.
The music data on an audio CD is not compressed at all - it is a lossless format and contains the entire tonal spectrum of the recording (as long as the person doing the mastering of the audio did his/her job correctly). Every minute of CD audio equals just under 9 MB of data on the disc - surely any computer literate person would agree that that is far from a compressed data file.
Many people prefer vinyl records because the media/player combination results in a 10-15% audio compression being applied to the overall audio output (a similar effect occurs to a lesser degree with audio cassettes and to a larger degree with radio as well). Do not confuse "data compression" with "audio compression" - the latter basically means that the audio has a flatter and more even sound. Properly recorded CD audio will always win in the fidelity/dynamic range department, so it is ignorance of audio production and the familiarity of a radio-esque sound that keeps a dedicated minority loyal to vinyl. If a CD owner wanted to achieve a vinyl-sounding output, the addition of a audio compressor into the signal path (tweaked the correct way of course) would do the trick.