With records versus streaming it’s interesting because the experience during the “main event” is nearly identical. Certainly closer than a book versus an e-reader or a cigar versus nicotine. It’s the entry and exit that’s different.

The auditory input is the same…pretty much. Most other aspects of the experience are different.

The fact it's a record and you can't pause/rewind keeps you less distracted. It really is a different experience even if you "simulated it" and had the machine play the right digital file once you loaded a particular record.

It also completely gets rid of skips and shuffle-play. And a song can't "grow on you" if you always skip it.

There is literally nothing stopping you from pausing/rewinding/fast fowarding/shuffling a record.

You have to get up and move the stylus; I’ve never seen a record player that could shuffle on its own.

Especially a pipe...scraping out the bowl, cleaning the pipe's stem with a pipe cleaner, tamping in the new tobacco.

Some small rituals can be calming and centering.

Similarly manual shaving vs electric.