It depends on the music. Just being in vinyl doesn't make it inherently better than music in a digital format. I was pretty excited to discover my mom's record collection, until I saw it was all Anne Murray, Olivia Newton-John, and Peter, Paul and Mary.
Lol. I have a funny story about a Peter, Paul, and Mary record, actually. Funny you should mention it.
Thanks, but I prefer to listen to signal, not noise. http://www.sonicscoop.com/2013/08/29/why-almost-everything-you-thought-you-knew-about-bit-depth-is-probably-wrong/
I think where people run into issues with vinyl vs digital is that they're trying to treat them as the same medium. Digital is actually richer and clearer, with less unintended distortion. I've always noticed a background hiss with vinyl, and when digital came around, I also noticed that vinyl was more muffled, too. So, the two have to be treated as different media, like watercolor vs oils vs airbrushing, etc. You have the same artist recreating the same image (or song) but with different tools, ending up with a different result. Once you start looking at it like that you can appreciate both for what's there, rather than comparing the two. That being said, I really enjoy listening to old jazz and blues on vinyl. Something about vinyl contributes to the mood and feel of that music.
Here's a sample of some music on vinyl: http://ohluckyyou.namwollem.co.uk/audio/classic/Nat%20King%20Cole%20-%20Unforgettable.mp3 As you can hear the sound quality is perfect, as though Nat King Cole were singing in the room right next to you.
I think it is a unique sound given its out datedness. Funny thing is they still make records. Pretty sure that Metal Blade Records still makes 45s. Korn sounds interesting on vinyl (bought the album back when I was 16). Darn things are a pain in the rear when they get scratched and skip in that creepy loop fashion.
I love vinyl! But not all vinyl, as has been stated above. I love going to antique stores, and almost always there is a little unassuming box sitting in some corner or another full of vinyls - and sometimes it's a gold mine of awesome finds, other times it's chock full of Barbra Streisand. Usually, they are less than $5 in antique stores, so I almost never shop these hipster record shops that have popped up recently because they charge upwards of $20. Personally, I don't listen to vinyl for superior sound. I listen for the crackle and pop, that faint breathy hiss. It's comforting, somehow.
No one ever said that Vinyl had the clearest sound quality. There's something comforting about the way it sounds on a turntable, like @Lyrical said.
You can often significantly reduce the pops and crackles on some records by washing them. Vinyl records are covered in a think layer of mold release agent. This oily substance collects dirt, but can be removed easily with washing up liquid and cold water. The quality of the sound depends greatly on the quality of the audio equipment you use. There seems to be more potential for quality with vinyl than with digital, but you need to spend a lot of money on hi-fi to realize it. When CDs first came out, the industry proclaimed them as 'perfect sound' and people fell for it, so they thought, 'I don't need an expensive hi-fi system. The cheapest one with a CD player will be just as good.' There's a lot more to sound quality than the type of recording you have.
Dirt can also be removed from vinyl by using gentle circular motions with a wire suede brush, as prescribed by vinyl expert, Marc Riley: http://ohluckyyou.namwollem.co.uk/audio/gubbins/CleaningTips.mp3
