VNbylove

alors pour l’auditorium de DD, voici de quoi occuper quelques heures.
ravis de voir qu’au Vietnam il y a aussi des passionnés du Vinyl. je n’ai jamais réussi a trouver beaucoups d’infos sur les gouts et le type de materiel qui se trouve au vietnam. je veux dire, ce qui est apprécié.

Viva la vinyl

The phonograph set in the Audiophiles café produces perfect sound for vinyl enthusiasts in HCMC
Vintage records and old-time phonographs are alive and well thanks to their “warmer” sound, say today’s enthusiasts. About 20 years ago in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, streets were lined with shops selling vinyl records featuring cai luong (Vietnamese drama), pop music and jazz.
The once-popular stores have largely died out, however, and now vinyl collections are largely the realm of nostalgic hobbyists and knowledgeable collectors.
But the old records and record players offer richer, “warmer” sounds than their new-age counterparts, say vinyl enthusiasts.
Today’s music, largely downloaded from the Internet or available on CDs, lacks a certain quality that can only be found in the albums of the past.
Phonograph aficionados say the small flaws and imperfections in the vinyl and record player create a grainier yet fuller sound which lends itself particularly well to many of the haunting melodies from decades past.
Another attractive feature is the tangibility that working a hand-operated phonograph provides.
Hobbyists say they take great pleasure in the tactile operation of installing the needle in the tone arm, choosing tracks on a record, and placing the vinyl on the apparatus.
Connoisseurs are very particular about their treasured possessions and their hunt for specific phonograph parts or particular albums can take them all over the region.
Upon finding a long sought-after treasure like an original player, many think nothing of parting with several billion dong to acquire the new addition.
However, many older albums of high quality can still be found throughout the city for around VND100,000 (US$6).
According to collectors, some of the trickier components to locate are the styli – the record player’s needle that sits in the grooves of the vinyl and transmits vibrations to the cartridge as the record rotates.
Phonograph fanatics say they can spend hours combing through the Nhat Tao electronics market in HCMC’s District 10 or Ly Nam De Street in District 11 for a suitable replacement if their styli break.
The needles can be purchased for around VND300,000-500,000 (US$18-31), but often, they say, a new stylus will prove incompatible with their turntables.
A few shops along Huynh Thuc Khang Street in District 1 sell higher-quality styli priced around $200 on average.
One local phonograph aficionado, Tien, can talk for hours about his love for old records and record players.
Back in the eighties, he used to purchase dozens of inexpensive American albums and soon developed a love for the phonograph itself.
Now he mainly frequents the shops along Vo Van Tan Street in HCMC’s District 3 hoping to find bargains.
Hung is another phonograph enthusiast who says his passion for old turntables and tape recorders (reel-to-reel audio players), came about in 1980 while he was searching for a set of speakers.
He has since purchased old phonographs of different makes, mostly from Japan, the former Soviet Union and the US and has spent hours revamping them.
“The oldies really have immense lasting spiritual and aesthetic value,” he said.
Hung opened his own “gallery” on HCMC’s Lac Long Quan Street in District 11 where he showcases more than 100 refurbished turntables.
He also has another shop in Nhat Tao market where he makes and trades tape recorders.
Vintage heaven
For audiophiles in HCMC, a few coffee shops offer all the oldies played on vintage phonographs while you sit, sip and listen.
Audiophiles coffee shop on District 3’s Tu Xuong Street plays an assortment of country and pop music from an old-time record player while Nguyet Ca cafe at 413/47A, Le Van Sy Street is perfect for vintage music enthusiasts who enjoy classic Elvis and Sinatra tunes.
Source: SGGP