Ready to dump your CDs?

I'd be surprised if anyone here still uses MP3.

This is an audiophile forum.

And it's 2015.

 

Some of us still like physical things.
Holding the music in our hands, pulling out the booklets, going through the stacks.

Maybe it's driven by nostalgia but putting on a Hendrix record that was pressed when Hendrix was alive is a cool thing.
Even Hendrix CD's made long after he was gone with their cool little booklets with pages to leaf through are great fun.
Instead of having somebody lean over your shoulder to look at your computer screen or handing them your little phone with that cute little screen you can hand them that big dumb LP cover or CD booklet.

Their's also that collect-ability thing much like stamps or coins or those Franklin Mint plates are for others.
It's just fun and to paraphrase Louis Armstrong, “Man, if you have to ask why it is, you’ll never know.” And that's fine.
Some of us don't get the same joy out of scrolling and pushing buttons.

Maybe it's generational and the next generation will be happy with music floating around in the air only to be accessed when desired.
I love my LP's and CD's!

 

I'd be ready to dump my vinyl, but I have this fantasy that some day I will inherit a million bucks or buy a stock that goes up 10,000% and then I buy a $25,000 turntable and that might get me back into the rekkids. Dump CDs? I'd say "cold, dead hands" but I think that's already been mentioned. Actually I probably will dump some of my vinyl now that it's hip again, with the price tag that entails.

 

I just checked and I bought 36 CDs this month.... (34 used, 2 new)

 

Dumped my compact discs awhile ago after ripping them all to FLAC (which took a couple of years).

I will still buy the occasional SACD for a unique surround mix or whatnot.

 

Surprise! It's all I listen to. Audiophile doesn't just mean "sound quality connoisseur." It means I care about the music, first and foremost, and the mastering, but the format is the least of my concerns. I'm 42. I've done a bunch of hearing tests (including one by an ear specialist - for a different issue that turned out to be nothing) and they all say the same thing: I can't hear what's missing between CDs and mp3s. My hearing tops out at 16k. I've always worn earplugs at concerts, so it's just age catching up with me. All my mp3s are 320k or 256k AAC files from iTunes. I can't hear a difference no matter what I try. CDs and mp3s are identical in my world. My hearing's never getting any better than this. That said, I still buy CDs. Most of the time, they're older CDs and I buy for nostalgia's sake, or because it's some unusual pressing (promo, etc.) I buy nice box sets, but that's because of the packaging and books in them. CDs get ripped and put on the shelf... and eventually I trade many of them in. I've stopped being concerned with inaudible qualities, and my life is better for it, honestly.

 

No way. Still buying, in fact.

 

Um, AAC files are not MP3, they are AAC. You just proved my point.

 

MP3s are great for mobile use. I use them. Not sure I'd call myself an audiophile though.

I rarely use CDs and only buy them occasionally. They are bargain. I prefer vinyl for home use and dedicated listening.

Why is everything after 1988 digital, much of it was not. Digital didn't really (almost completely) take over until the mid-2000s. Even at that, digital vinyl can still be very good and better than CD. This is not always the case though.

 

The exact bit of text you quoted says "my mp3s are 320k or 256k AAC" - you know, 320k mp3s and 256k AAC?

 

I use mp3s almost daily.

 

Cool story.

 

I made the mistake of buying CDs in the last five years used because they were "cheap" and then the pile started growing and I was "collecting" music rather than listening and treasuring it. Fortunately, I stopped myself before it got out of hand, whittled it down to my 25 or so favorite titles I want in lossless/physical form (e.g. Beatles in Mono) and sold the rest on ebay in bulk for $4.15 per title which I thought was outstanding albeit but still less than I paid. The rest or so I will stream on Tidal/Spotify or download once iTunes becomes > 44/16. I didn't want to be saddled down by stacks of jewel cases. As noted, throwing away the cases and back artwork makes them worthless to any used shops (if you can still find any).

Additionally, I have to say I'm shocked at the response user "Classicrock" got to his correct point that you cannot "backup" copies of CDs you own and then re-sell them. (In fact, you cannot even discard them). I expected music lovers on this forum to respect music enough to buy it one way or another. This isn't to say I care what laws you follow or break, but rather, to simply say "Keeping CDs is dumb, just rip it and re-sell" is lazy and adds nothing to this conversation.

 

Nope. I'm buying more CDs now than I ever have. In fact, I'm concerned I may have a problem.

 

I'm good for at least 25 per month now, combination of online and physical stores. Was out the other day and picked up 14 CDs, could have easily got 50. Things are mighty affordable.

 

What I use depends on the application. When I want to play the music fairly loud in the house I either play one of my LPs or CDs. But for portability I can't beat MP3. While I can play a CD in my car or my computer, I don't want to carry 100 or 200 CDs around. I can put that many mp3s ripped at 320 on a 64GB thumb drive and have a fair portion of my CD collection with me. And the sound is usually pretty good unless the tune was recorded in the 1800s. It is also easier for me to mix my music, since there are times I would rather play music by category (Year, genre, topics). I have avoided using FLAC and SACD since I have not had a car that would play those formats - in fact I would have to replace both of my CD players to listen to SACD. So while SACD or DVD-A have the potential for better sound, the sound has not been so much better than CD that most people want to dump their setups.

As an aside, I buy about 10 CDs a month now, unless there is a really good release like the Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash box sets. I have about 3000 CDs and 200 LPs so the release has to be something special for me to get it.

 

I'm too old to start over, even if I wanted to and I don't.

I dislike the new world of streaming and services you don't own but only license, that constantly monitor your use for advertising, each provider requiring its own password, app, updates and hardware requirements. Can I just listen to a song?

 

Explain please. What is it that I proved with my original comment? Is English not your native language? I really don't understand what you're on about. I will break this down further, just in case:

I have my:

1. mp3s ripped at 320kbps
2. AACs ripped/purchased at 256kbps

Is there something I'm missing?

 

I must have missed the "keeping CDs is dumb" posts...I saw a few "I dumped my CDs and sold them off after I ripped them" posts, followed by the inevitable "what you did is illegal" posts.

 

With all due to respect to your opinion, my opinion is that being an audiophile doesn't have to exclude the mp3 format.

 

Nah, some people just have a hard time saying things like, "Sorry, I misunderstood."

 

Nope. I think they're great. I typically buy about 70% of my music on CD, about 25% on vinyl, and an occasional cassette or mp3. I'm able to enjoy music on any format, even if it's considered low quality.

(That is in no way a dig on audophile music listeners who prefer or require high-quality recordings.)

 

He meant "lossy files" - not necessarily literally just mp3s.

 

Who's stopping people from doing that?

 

I use a mix of everything - YouTube, 256kbps AAC (if purchased), 320/-V0 mp3 (if ripped), 400 or 425kbps VBR AAC (if ripped), lossless (ripped/purchased), 320kbps (streamed), etc.