Vice: Does Anyone in the World Still Buy CDs?

only a few manufacturer plants which press albums anymore. which is why they gouge prices.
late 70's early 80's albums were 6 bucks or about 9-12 for an import.

nothing to do with longevity and cheaper prices, or what I think. its fact.

the prices are high because they know the people will pay.





i still have ALL the LP's i purchased as a wee mite in the late 70's early 80's and beyond......
why get on me for stating facts about the current prices of LP's.

wow....merica

 

You do understand that many things are much more expensive today than they were in the 70's? Gas? Cars? Houses? Gallon of milk?

Small number of pressing plants alone - and smaller number of people who know how to operate them - alone could legitimately account for the "price increase" - which when you compare the value of the dollar from 1980 to today is negligible.

 

I'm buying as many CD's today (and probably more) as I was 30 years ago. New releases are typically priced nice and the used market seems to be as low as it ever will be.

The way I've listened to them has changed drastically though. Outside of my hi-res collection I rarely 'spin' a CD anymore. I spent the last year digitalizing my CD's and now have my entire collection on two 256gb micro cards, played back through a Fiio DAP. Coupled with a portable speaker, ear buds and coax cable I can listen to my CD's anywhere, on a bike ride, in the boat, driving the car, etc... It's been a real God send.

My last portable player was a 80's cassette walkman.

 

Still buying lots of CDs as a source to rip to uncompressed FLAC files. Much better than an MP3 download. I doubt uncompressd FLAC files become the norm for downloading any time soon so CDs will be my primary music source for while at least.

 

walkman the size of a dinner plate​

Really?? Is the author 15? Anyone prescient 10-15 years ago knows that portable cd players were only slightly wider than a cd. Maybe the size of the plate you'd put under a coffee cup...

Maybe the author is confusing a portable cd player with a Rumba.

 

Picked up a Nick Drake CD the other day for 2.00.

 

Cutting down the size of their portions?

 

If half price books keeps selling them for a dollar then yes, yes I will.

 

I don't buy many almost always preferring vinyl, the last one I bought was AF's Nothing's Shocking. It's great. I will buy whatever the best mastering is. If it's a CD, so be it. As well, there are a lot of cheap used CDs flooding the record stores. I'll buy those if it's something interesting. I'm not really a fan of buying digital if mp3 is de facto. I'm happy Amazon is including Auto-Rip for vinyl purchases. It saves me from bothering with Needle Drop ripping.

 

I'm spoiled by the hi-res stuff, but now and then you get stung with something like the Elvis Costello remasters or the Purple Rain remaster that has a DR reading of 6.
If only the hybrid SACD would have taken off. If would have been nice if the industry didn't abandon it before the price of players dropped and PS 3 have the capabilities to play the discs we would all be in audio nirvana. I did buy one CD this year, "1967: Sunshine Tomorrow".

 

I popped in to a store in Tacoma and they had used, rare classical CDs on clearance. I picked up about 15 CDs on the CPO label, three box sets on Suprafon and EMI, and it all came out to around $1.50 per CD. There is NO way I will stop purchasing CDs at these prices. These would cost $10-$20 new even as a download from the label themselves. They are now ripped lossless, but I will play the CDs because I like the DACs better in that chain than my streaming chain.

Now is the time to buy CDs, even if the end result is having digital files on a hard drive. It is a smorgasbord for music fans right now. The prices are rediculously low.

 

I agree that the hybrid SACD really should have taken off. Ditto Blu Ray Audio. Some of the latter titles I have are excellent.

 

I still buy CDs, but in the last few years the quality control has plummeted.

the Animals: "The Very Best of the Animals" (had little blobs of black ink from the label side splattered and dried on the playing surface; thanks Abkco)

Tommy James & the Shondells: "Original Album Series" (the "Mony Mony" CD had a well publicized deafening audio glitch on the last track; thanks Dr. Rhino for not replacing my copy)

Led Zeppelin: "Mothership" 2015 remaster (the playing surface had a hole that looked like somebody took a tiny spoon and scooped out the clear plastic, leaving it in a heap beside the hole; thanks Atlantic/Rhino, it was only a $15 purchase to replace the uber compressed sound on the 2007 original)

Prior to five years ago, I never had a defective CD in all the domestic and foreign CDs that I bought, including bootlegs.

 

Oh, there have always been issues.

Years ago, late '80s, Sony/Columbia/Epic had a quality control hotline 800 number on their CDs to call if there was an issue.

I had an issue with one CD. I called. The person who answered told me "not sure why you are calling this number. We don't handle consumer issues."

So nothing changes

 

I'll continue supporting physical media as long as it's still a thing.

 

How can I stop when they're practically giving them away? 150 cd's for $15. I almost felt guilty. Almost.

 

Two CDs arrived in my mailbox last week & another one's on the way.

 

People havent realized that Cds are at an all time price low . I still buy they when I want to introduce myself on a new band

 

I just found the MFSL U2 The Joshua Tree for $0.99 today at a thrift store. NO WAY I will stop hunting for CD bargains.

 

I buy CDs, much better than download. Easy to handle and if you have the time you can find them at a very low price.
And I'm a sucker of box sets.

 

I would suggest using the level of inflation over time relative to their cost then. You'll find they are slightly more expensive than they were back then for many titles.

 

I can’t and won’t stop.

From my cold physical media loving hands........

 

I just got a few today, and many more to come this week!

 

Will there soon be a day when ...

there won't be any Compact Disc pressing plants anymore??

 

I haven't been able to find CD's (especially quality ones like those) for *that* cheap -- must be a thrift store or Craigslist fire/estate sale?