Tyler Hays (with help from Chris Gonzales and John Carey) wrote an awesome primer to getting started with vinyl — from turntables to preamps to speakers to where to still buy vinyl records.
The point of vinyl, here in 2015, is comprised of two main aspects. The first is the sound, which is remarkably different from the digital pointedness of CDs or audio files. It’s warmer, more visceral. You don’t have to be an audiophile to hear it. I liken it to hearing a recorded live album versus being at the concert — they’re the same on paper, yet totally different experiences.
The second reason vinyl is valuable is its potential for deeper enjoyment of the music.
I’ve been completely oblivious to the vinyl scene, but after working with Tyler on this article I realized that it’s actually alive and thriving. In fact (surprise, surprise?), even Amazon has a Vinyl Store on their site.