You could use my turntable . . .

The frequency response of an LP record is simply different ... and we happen to know exactly what that frequency response is, such that any good DAW will have an "LP filter." (The good ones even have an "RPM" switch, and the really good ones let you adjust how far the track is from the center of the disk.)

As with all consumer products: "if they want it, don't ask 'em why they want it. Sell it to 'em!"

Who knows? Maybe someone will wax nostalgic again for 8-track tapes? It was an interesting techn ... ka-CHUNK! ... esting technology, and it had really good sound except for one small problem.

The difference is not merely frequency response but includes dynamic range and detail. As Moxieman99 has already pointed out Music is a waveform and more accurately recorded and reproduced in analog. Digital Music has indeed come a very long way since it's beginnings and can allow and do things that analog cannot and often to great effect. That does nothing to alleviate the "blinders on" effect of the original recording, which, due to sampling. completely disregards and leaves out anything not sampled nor that will fit within the constraints of the medium.

It is not at all a fair comparison to link vinyl LPs with 8-Track since LPs were designed for and evolved to very high standards of fidelity whereas 8-Tracks from the start were allowed to be extremely Lo Fi in the tradeoff to be convenient for travel in a bouncy environment as well as relatively cheaper for mass consumption by people who value convenience over fidelity.

Similarly, Digital Music is cheaper and more convenient and works because in most cases many hear it as "good enough" and many these days have no comparison to actual Hi Fidelity of serious audiophile quality analog. The difference can be nearly as profound as comparing the view of a postcard of the Grand Canyon to actually standing on the edge.

Think of it like this - A helicopter could scan and digitally record the full length and depth of the Canyon and produce a DVD that would allow us to interactively experience the Canyon in ways impossible for most individuals to experience. Pretty awesome, right? Yup. However we would all experience it in 2 Dimensions on our monitors missing not only that 3rd visual dimension but all other sensory experiences as well - the smell, temperature swings, rush of descent and climb, wind in your face, etc. That is the nature of the tradeoff.

My Vinyl does have a certain 'warmth' that CDs don't, but in today's age, things in my opinion has degraded in quality, both in terms of music in general and the worrying trend that major online stores, Amazon and Google offer nothing more than lossy MP3s, itunes is a mystery to me, and most likely offers only lossy mp4(aac). I think that CDs like vinyl will enjoy a resurgence in a few more years, because of quality. I have resorted to buying CDs recently due to the fact that what I am looking for in it's digital form is only in MP3 and not in a lossless format.

Back to vinyl , we did have a record player but was just a standard one and the records were acceptable but as soon as I got CDs I never looked back. So yes, it does matter if you have a good player and high quality pressed vinyl records, which I most likely did not have.

Grand Canyon, Arizona? (Chuckle ...) C'mon, strap your boots on, give me a leisurely one week of your time, and I'll give you an experience that you'll never forget: "Rim-to-Rim, mosey-style." We'll shuttle from South Rim to the North, camp overnight, then hike the North and South Kaibab Trails over the course of the next three or four days (what's the hurry? yes, there's electric power... yes, you can re-charge your phone, n-o, there's no cell service nor Internet, and I left my phone turned-off in my car ... last weekend ... back at the South Rim).

Two nights under the stars with nothing but stars above us, and one night chowing down on "the best all-you-can-eat(!) beef stew on the planet" and drinking beers with people from all over the world. Then, we'll stay in El Tovar Hotel for one more night, celebrating the fact that you can now buy "I Hiked The Canyon" Anything at any of the ever-tacky Gift Shops.

"Bragging Rights. Priceless.™"

Me? More than twenty times. So far. "Virtual Reality" is a marvelous invention, but it don't beat hiking boots.

Cuold take that laser one camping with a good solar setup?

Nice, but I doubt we will be taking any vinyl camping the canyon.

A good turntable, quality needle with the right stylus, clean preamp and a main amp that is not noisy will give you great analog sound. The advice already provided is excellent, but there are other good options depending upon your budget. Going from that excellent analog sound to digital subverts the entire purpose, you might as well just use the digital sound from the start. (Cheaper, and often good quality as it is digitized by professionals. If they care to do it well, you are unlikely to do it better.)

If you need to take music to the canyon, you are shielding yourself from half of the experience. That said, a weather safe (immersible?) MP3 player and solar charger would be the ticket there. Your solution for EVERYTHING needs to be small, light, and nearly indestructible.

PS: if you go, wear old boots. Half way down that canyon is too late to decide your new ones do not really fit quite right.

If you take your turntable, and immediately transfer to a compressed format over USB, I'm pretty sure you're going to lose all that dynamic range that you're getting the vinyl for in the first place.

I haven't seen a vinyl record in the Canyon ... yet ... but I've seen some mighty strange things being carried. It so happens that we often visit Phantom Ranch on or about Halloween. (Yes, we know all the ranger's "ghost stories" by heart, and there are some "good 'uns.") People decorate their campsites with little orange pumpkin lights ... and, sometimes, with pumpkins. Christmas is also a special time of year to be there, but do bring your crampons.