The phonograph, or record player, was the most common means of playing recorded music until the advent of personal tape players. When CDs were introduced, they became a smaller, digital replacement of vinyl records.
Phonographs
Early phonographs played sound through a large horn that came out of the base of the player. The user had to twist an arm that came out of the side to make the music play.
Vinyl Records
The first records were cast in wax, but later technology allowed music to be cast onto sturdier vinyl. These are the most common types of phonograph records and are still available in new musical titles.
CD Players
CDs are similar in shape to vinyl records but much smaller. When CD players were introduced, users were able to transport music more freely, especially after the advent of the portable CD player.
Advantages
Vinyl records are not digitized, which trims back the overall audio spectrum. Because of this, the warm analog sound from a record player cannot be duplicated by CD. But CD players are small, so you can listen to them in the car or while exercising.
Drawbacks
A record player uses a diamond needle to read the information on a record, which can be expensive to replace. CD players read the discs using lasers, which if damaged may warrant completely replacing the CD player.
source:eHow.com
