Electrical heater is of course more convenient... There's something very nostalgic about the crackle of a wood fire though. It's like vinyl crackle in its timelessness, except the "warmth" in this case is actual warmth, not something mostly imagined by hipsters.
It's just that I always hear people saying that they prefer vinyl over lossless digital files and CDs just because of the "warmth of the sound." Yeah, there's a slight warmth to the sound of vinyl. It's called analog clipping, and it's hardly something to shout the praises of.
Nothing against vinyl, just hipsters who say the sound is better than other formats because of some barely perceptible distortion.
anyway.
Warts?
I... don't think I've ever seen any. unless toads count.
For me, the vinyl vs plastic issue is solved by fundage. I can grab several CD's for the price of a record...doesn't mean I don't want a record player...just not until I have steady income.