Forum members that only buy CDs, no Vinyl at all?

Digital purchases from here on out for me.

In the nineties when everyone was dumping their LPs and they were cheap, I got exposed to so many different albums because I was able to afford to purchase them. My LP wall has ebbed and flowed over the years and still resides in the living room. I purchased a handful of LPs related to Record Store Day a couple of years ago, played them once, and on the shelf they went. Almost every LP purchase I have made in the past three years has had disappointing playback issues of one sort or another—both new and used. I think I am done buying LPs.

But since the vinyl resurgence and streaming age—when everyone is dumping their CDs—I have been taking advantage of the cheap prices and huge variety to compare different masterings. They all get ripped and played back on Roon where I can figure out which masterings I like the most then only keep those choice physical copies in my CD room and dump the rest. My CD library has ebbed and flowed over the years too, but it is now at capacity. It is still an amazing way to check out new (to me) albums and artists when they are a buck or two a piece!

My turntable now has to get dusted with a cloth instead of with use, as i don’t purchase LPs any more and rarely play them. I will undoubtedly continue to buy CDs as long as they are inexpensive. But I blew my monthly music budget on digital downloads from Qobuz already, so even CD purchases need to take a back seat!

 

Almost. Overall I've had a major down turn in music purchases this year. Going through a bit of a jaded phase. Vinyl at the moment just seems to me over priced & overrated. 45 music purchases so far in 2019, 43 CDs & 2 LPs. The 2 LPs were RSD buys. I went in the following day. And even those two took a lot of searching through the list.

 

Only amateurs are tied to one format.

 

I buy lots of vinyl (yuck, I hate that term), but only used, except for an occasional still-sealed LP from many years ago. I usually pay $1 or less. I'm not willing to risk the price they charge for current-production records.

 

Here’s a new one. Apologies for the glare.

 

I feel the same way. I love my records, but a lot of the ‘90s rock I love, because original vinyl was produced in such small quantities and is so scarce, sells for $100+ per LP. In cases like that, I’m just fine with a $2.00 CD copy from the Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Value Village that are all within three miles of my house.

 

I buy very little vinyl due to the cost and the general lack of reliability. I need to trust who is making it - so I was happy to go with vinyl for the Stereolab reissues because you know they'll CARE enough to do it right.

I would say 50%+ of my purchases are FLAC files and most of those are from Bandcamp.

 

I tell you what. I am more likely to listen to an album all the way through on vinyl than CD. 2o minutes is a nice period between intervals. CD you tend to skip tracks or somehow the sound does not hold my attention like the vinyl LP.

 

I stopped buying vinyl by the later 80s. I don't know what year would have been the last year I bought any vinyl, but it wouldn't have been past 1988.

The last CD I bought would have probably been about 5 or 6 years ago. (Just looked it up--I'm pretty sure the last CD I bought was Todd Rundgren's State, so yeah, that would have been 6 years ago.) I was exclusively buying CDs from the later 80s to the early 2000s.

I've just downloaded and streamed since then, with streaming now being my preference well over 90 percent of the time now.

 

I put away my turntable after I copied all of my records to CD and haven't bought a record in about 10 years.

I generally listen to a whole album when I play it on CD (I don't listen with a remote in hand). In my record playing days I would generally listen to a side, then switch to something else.

 

Most of us don't get paid to listen to music.

 

I stopped buying vinyl in 1987! I think the last one I bought was Psonic Psunspot by The Dukes of Stratosphear. Have sold most of it off over time and got rid of the turntable years ago.

I don't stream music at all and rarely download anything.

 

Records up till 1986 went into cds that November. Got rid of all my vinyl late 80's. Cds from November 1986 through 2013. Than around spring of 2013 I started buying vinyl again. I have both cds and plenty of plastic storage bins of records, kept well.

 

Nice.

Can’t see any Olivia titles in there.

 

No matter how much effort and/or money I’ve thrown at this crazy hobby, I’ve always ended up somewhat disappointed with vinyl. I honestly do not think if one has decent hearing anybody can genuinely claim that LPs can be silent and be 100% free from ticks, pops, surface noise, diminishing treble towards the inner groove etc etc. I *do* understand the tactile enjoyment of putting an LP on, and the decent sized album artwork. Fact is, if record producers weren’t out to screw us, I’d be 100% CD. But since the loudness wars, I often buy an LP just to get hold of a less brick-walled and more listenable version of an album. Ironic as most modern releases are from digital sources. But you need to buy the LP to hear the best versions! I really do curse the f-ckers who still insist on these mastering practises. So until mastering for all formats is consistent, I still need to keep my vinyl setup. In a perfect world, I’d go CD only in a heartbeat, particularly since I first set ears on the Chord Hugo, then Hugo 2, then the TT! Digital really can sound utterly superb, the equal of good analogue. But we’re so often hampered with lousy mastering (unless one can afford audiophile label releases only). It’s a damn shame!

 

Actually have a greatest hits of hers somewhere.

 

This is like porn to me!

EG.

 

CD all the way. New & used. Occasional SACD & DVD-A when I find them in my budget. The rare purchase of LP when it's the only way to get a title I require.

 

You my boy ain't kidding!

A candy shop for any physical media lover.

 

Where's my zoom function.....

EG.

 

CDs all the way.

I had tried getting back into vinyl around 2012 or so. It was fun while it lasted but it came with a lot of maintenance I didn't have time for because I didn't enjoy it. Bad pressings, pops, skips, cleaning, returns, exchanges.....Life is too busy.

My Technics turntable is like new, will probably sell it at some point.

 

I switched to CDs in about 1985. The last vinyl album I bought was mirror moves by The Psychedelic Furs.

For years I kept about 30 valued LPs that contained music that I could not find on CD or elsewhere. About two years ago, having managed to replace most of it with CD equivalents and finding that the remainder was available on Spotify or elsewhere, I donated my LPs to the local community radio station, whose office is just down the road. Some of it may have been played on air; I wouldn't know. It would not have gone to waste, as every year they hold a jumble sale of LPs (and the odd CD) that they no longer wish to keep as a physical copy.

 

As a Springsteen collector I buy his releases on vinyl and cd.

Everything else is digital as it's far more practical and always accessible. My digital files are cloud stored, so it's with me everywhere I go (phone/laptop/ipad), and I'm streaming in the car, in the office, at home, and while walking the dog and working out.

The only reason I have to buy a cd is if I can't find the lossless files for sale online. I rip the cd, convert to lossless files, then toss the cd up on the attic (not ready to part with them yet, though)

In the old days when being near a cd or vinyl player was the only option, my listening time was only 1/3 of what it is today.

 

The real killers are the ones I did buy, but later got rid of, then when I wanted to get them again realised I'd sold a £100+ record for a couple of pounds. I did that more times than I care to remember

 

I will sometimes buy vintage vinyl. Not new releases unless there is no cd alternative.