I'm still buying Compact Discs...but I wish I wasn't

I don't know your taste, but this site (from a fellow SHTV member) will help, for instance, in finding the right Bowie RCA cds:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/24721385/RCA CD comparisons.pdf

(who doesn't like these Bowie albums )

 

*brushes self off* I just dug myself out of the M's. That was some ordeal, although they do smell good.

I'm still buying CDs, but I prefer to buy hi-rez discs. CDs remain the predominant physical format, so I still buy them. It's an easy decision for me, as many new CDs are cheap, and I also feel that the major labels are doing a better job with their mastering than they did, say, 10 years ago. We are not seeing as many abominable reissues as we were some years ago.

Of course, I still only buy physical formats.

 

I still buy plenty of CDs, more now than ever before really.
I have a fairly large collection of CDs and I will continue to listen and enjoy them for years to come.
Because it's been decided that CD is now un-hip,
it's actually a wonderful time to be a CD buyer, cheap multi-disc sets, Japanese jazz CDs for $10.00, and the classical box sets ! ....... really amazing.

No, I'm not switching back to vinyl and no unfortunately downloads, even with the promise of Hi-Res, hold no appeal for me.
Sure when Pono is unleashed on us, I've no doubt that I may be able to buy a copy of Floyd's The Wall which will sound better than my humble CD.
But honestly, the improvement in audio quality means little to me in a non physical format, that’s just the way I’m wired.

Somewhere along the way, CD became a casualty of the download generation.
It also, unfairly I think, became the biggest scalp in the Loudness Wars, somehow the format itself got the blame for the poor quality sound people were storing on it.
A well mastered CD does sound wonderful, our host continues to be involved with the production of many, the Forum Classifieds here also offer them for sale daily.

It's weird sometimes, especially in the last few years when you mention you still like CDs,
you get the mocking smile or the look of bewilderment from those half your age, like you're the butt of some in-joke or something.
I'm a lover of music first and foremost, CD allows me to operate within a budget and build a half decent sounding collection of my favourite music.
So for example, my level of music Nirvana with regards to Steely Dan’s Aja was reached when I snagged the Hoffman mastered CD for $20,
no doubt the Cisco vinyl on a quality set-up blows it out of the water but within my means I’m more than happy at this level of audio quality.
I understand the vinyl purists will never get it, but I enjoy the playback I get with my meagre CD based set-up, I’m happy.

Despite what many may think, it is possible to enjoy CD as a physical format.
Don’t under-estimate the satisfaction we get from collecting, the tangible experience.
Losing any object that we can interact with on a physical and emotional level be it CDs, books, playing cards, whatever, somehow lessens the experience of being human.
We as humans get off on that kind of stuff, it feeds our senses.

So when the inevitable demise of the CD comes, I will still have a wall full of them,
but I’ll rest easy at night knowing that when I wake up and my hard-drive has crashed, I’ll go put a CD on, and things won’t be so bad.

 

yeah yeah, music stored in the cloud won't catch fire or get lost either etc.

 

Yeah, but I remember hearing stories about how Apple would replace whatever you uploaded with their standard version. At the time, people pointed out that someone's dodgy 128kbs download could be replaced with a 256kbs version. But does the 2 track Japanese version of Wish You Were Here get replaced with the Discovery edition? The Blast First version of Daydream Nation with the Geffen version (perhaps the remastered Geffen version)? Call me a fool, but I don't want to listen to any Geffen version of Daydream Nation.

 

I've never downloaded anything. I will always buy physical media.

 

To me, the music comes first, then the version. Something without a barcode and/or made in Japan/W. Germany would trigger the alarm. I picked up Bruce's Born to Run first master based in a whim, and now it's my goto version, until I find that 2nd mastering. It would be awkward to buy online as the catalog number is the same as the more common version and you have to ask each seller for the matrix info. And anyone in the know would probably slap a hefty price tag on it.

 

Smooth sided jewel cases are also an indication that the release is first generation. I've picked up a few classical releases from my local charity shops that had smooth sided cases. 50p or a £1 each, including one made in Japan Denon (Heinz Rögner - Schubert Symphony No. 9). I think there's pre-emphasis on the CD, so I will have to run a de-emphasis program on the audio before I can fully appreciate it on my travels. With prices that low, it's worth taking a gamble.

 

I hunted first at the different Amazon sites for particular versions. It's sometimes very difficult there to find the right ones (mostly no mention at all of catalogue codes or master engineers), but sometimes you find the right one by asking the seller for more information. I stopped, however, to purchase at Amazon after someone woke up by my question and wanted a higher price for his item. Now I'm more at EBay which is really a buyers' paradise.

 

I had a similar situation on ebay with a hard to find oop book. The seller started the auction at a really low price. The auction was stopped with seller citing inaccurate information. I suspect the inaccurate information was the seller's unawareness on the value of their item.

 

I buy from every format as long as it's 16/44 and above: cd's the most, downloads, sacds, dvda, no dsd downloads yet (my dac is incapable) and records. Lately the focus has been on first pressing cds and such.

 

Been through a fire....Still won't take that risk. Besides, a computer won't survive that either.

 

I've never really warmed to downloads personally, maybe I'm just stuck in my ways - the only time that downloads for me have been nifty is when I've bought a new vinyl LP that comes with a download code. If I don't already own that album in a digital format, I can download the tracks, convert them to wav and make a copy for the car. If I already own the albums digitally, I usually give the download codes away to friends - for instance, when I bought the 2011 DSOM and Wish You Were Here, plus the three Nick Drake releases, my friend got all the download cards as part of his christmas present. Sometimes, I'll even buy both two formats where there is no code, for instance, when I got the new Alison Moyet LP 'The Minutes' - both LP and CD were cheap enough that I could afford to buy both. The best option for me is when the LP comes with a free CD, one of the recent Goldfrapp albums did this, as did Bowie's 'The Next Day' (although the CD of the latter is quite brickwalled).

 

Seems like some variation on this theme is always active on this forum. Ah well, music is important stuff.

In 2014 I absolutely positively hate CDs anymore and only buy them as a last resort. What is the point of having arcane optical media when it's just a vehicle for bits? So it's all downloads and rips for me, if I have that option. When do buy CDs, they are ripped and entered into the squeezebox music folder, and stashed away on a shelf. Liner notes have always been a joke with CDs - too damned small. There's enough info out there on the interwebs for me to keep me from missing those too much.

Whatever modicum of format fetishism I have left is dedicated to vinyl - probably a record a month or thereabouts, and only for special stuff.

I do sympathize with people who have this need to have something in their hands. It's built into our DNA from our hunting/gathering days, I think. You have to consciously fight it if you feel it's a problem. I mean, if collecting isn't enjoyable, you should probably find a way to stop doing it.

I try to focus on the listening aspect more than the fondling of media / gear aspect. Since I've been a music nut since forever it's not too hard to do. But it still takes effort to not get distracted by the non-music aspects. But overall I think the effort is worth it especially if it's distracting from the music itself.

 

People say that, but the truth is that they are no smaller than what's printed on LPs (the CD booklet has several pages, whereas the LP only has one side unless there's a special booklet to go with it). Personally, I read them that much because, as you say, most of the information can be found online.

As for arcane media storing bits - it's the bits that are crucial. Imagine finding some old photos burnt on a CD that you totally forgot you had. That media is the only place where you will find those photos (you might have uploaded them to flickr at one point, but who keeps lots and lots of photos on their flickr account, or even still has a flickr account). Unless you take an exact bit by bit copy and store it conscientiously, you will probably lose the data at some point. The CD will still be there (unless you get CD rot).

 

that was my point; whether you like holding a plastic square box in your hand when the musics playing or not.... it can all disappear.

 

I think of people close to me like my sisters for example who don't like music as much as I do and I think of how they don't own any records or cd's at all. And that encourages me to just enjoy my collection that I now have and slow down on the acquiring of more stuff I might not have time to listen to.

 

A CD won't crash.

Still, A CD won't crash.

 

Precisely why the actual...'get out and HUNT'...mentality is the one I embrace !

The main shop I frequent has their used cd's accessible for viewing...not sealed...not stashed away (unless it's RAP), and I can check each one for matrix codes to know what I have in my hand. I've never met anyone at a shop that is looking for the matrix. They'll scan the barcode if they're a 'collector'...I don't believe it's for the MASTERING, but just the general item...most usually it's a buyer to resell. Even the people at the shop don't delve into the matrix, for mastering, information. They don't know, they don't care. I've said before, it's sad to me (mainstream's uncaring), but GOOD for me because I can find the preferable masterings easier that way.

I wonder how long this buyer's market will last. I keep seeing all sizes of trades coming into the store with no slowdown in sight. When they're stacked on the counter waiting to be processed and the seller given an offer, I'll 'reserve' the titles I want...and the clerks will hold it for me to purchase. Waiting in the wings right now for me are Captain Beefheart's Mirror Man on CLACD, UK...and Tom Waits The Black Rider , first pressing.

 

Not to be too judgmental or anything, BUT.....I have read widely on addiction, and you might find such reading interesting, based on this post. I find what you have said to be mildly disturbing.

 

What makes it arcane ? Because many decide THEY don't want it...they quit buying ? Manufacturers quit making optical devices because the demand has diminished ?

def: secret or mysterious : known or understood by only a few people.

So...if that's the definition of which you speak....then that is ignorance. Secret ? Mysterious ? known or understood by few people ? Sounds like a clueless class of people to me. Not just a choice of how they acquire and listen to music....but it's like those kids in the 'how kids react to a Walkman'....but here, I believe most of us are talking about adults.

 

If you were a teenager when CDs came out, you're not an old-timer.

As to your question, I still buy CDs and will buy a download only when it's the only option (which may be the case more often as time goes on).

 

A bit tongue-in-cheek....but not completely.

However...I will admit...YES, I'm disturbed. Disturbed by outside influences. I have no problem actually with acquiring more cd's all the time...it's space restrictions, not much cash to spend....things like that. Pay me more !!! Give me more space !!! And that's what I need...not no stinkin' pills as suggested earlier.

 

Also for me the rising cost of good vinyl, it's shipping cost, and inconstant quality really is making me look at cd's again. Both can be great performers, but now cd's are getting much cheaper then records and its changing the game for me. Plus the used cd stores around here are online and searchable. Plus there is a shop here that will resurface cd's for $2. Good luck getting a scratch out of a record that was graded mint.

 

Recently I bought my first hi rez downloads from iTunes, as, I could not find the CDs to buy anywhere.. out of print I guess. I was very surprised at the quality of those files, as previously I had only bought some mp3s from them, and they werent great. I made my own CDs from these hi rez iTunes files, which sounded fantastic in my car.

This just might be the way I go from now on. I still like haunting yard sales and finding treasures in used shops and things like that.