View Full Version : Is CD doomed?
What could prompt such a rash query? Well the products from iFI actually. I have the micro phono stage - it is great, in fact so good I wanted their DAC to go with my CD transport. But oh no, as I understand it their DAC is for HD downloads and not for CD at all, something to number of bits per second or some such. Now I love the sound of my vinyl playback and in fairness it has had a considerable amount of more investment than my CD source system. So the query I have is, if I was to invest to to an equivalent level for my CD playback would it match my vinyl system, or is the format limited and now surpassed by HD downloads?
I think the format still has most of its legs but I wouldn't bet against it slipping into unconsciousness over the next five years. Personally I think that would be a shame as I am achieving the best sound I've heard from CD to date from my system, and I do so like to own something tangible when I buy music.
Is a good time to be into cd.
I don't own one at the moment but do buy them to rip for the squeezebox.
I could see them stop being made in a few years.
Haselsh1
01-08-2013, 22:27
Compact disc is a mass market system and is therefore destined to last and last for as long as people keep buying it.
Haselsh1
01-08-2013, 22:28
I guess the real question is, will vinyl last for much longer being a niche product...?
I expect vinyl an downloads to be the way.
I'am guessing less people each year are bothering to replace there cd player once something goes wrong with it.
John R Leddy
02-08-2013, 00:45
What could prompt such a rash query? Well the products from iFI actually. I have the micro phono stage - it is great, in fact so good I wanted their DAC to go with my CD transport. But oh no, as I understand it their DAC is for HD downloads and not for CD at all, something to number of bits per second or some such. Now I love the sound of my vinyl playback and in fairness it has had a considerable amount of more investment than my CD source system. So the query I have is, if I was to invest to to an equivalent level for my CD playback would it match my vinyl system, or is the format limited and now surpassed by HD downloads?
Nick,
FLAC has been in use for 12 years.
Linn ceased manufacturing CD players 3.1/2 years ago.
Streaming is the way to go.
Here are a few links:
Cyrus Audio Streaming Music Players
http://www.cyrusaudio.com/products/streaming-music-players
The Well-Tempered Computer Streaming Audio Players
http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/DAP.htm
The Well-Tempered Computer Asynchronous USB 2 DACs
http://www.thewelltemperedcomputer.com/HW/USB_DAC_Async.htm
John.
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
Clothears
02-08-2013, 05:53
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
.. as well as a lot less faff. Open tray, place in CD, press play.
I know that 60 mins later you have to get up and change the CD but I'm prepared to make that effort :)
.
bobbasrah
02-08-2013, 05:55
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
...but be prepared to pay increasingly higher prices for the pleasure...
The packaging and information can vary from the excellent and informative to non-existent, but with internet access almost universal, access to this information and more is but a click away these days.
Packaging and distribution are costly issues to account for in the sale price of the physical product, and it is inevitable that the industry will try to maintain it's revenue on downloading or streaming as high as they can for profits, so the physical form will inflate slowly but surely in price as "added value".
Personally, I have bought perhaps a handful of CDs in the last year, and those simply because the recordings are made by the band themselves, and they are not quite set up for net distribution yet...
Once converted to FLAC, and read once, they get archived....
YMMV
...and to add, teenage and early 20 somethings do not find CD desirable at all they either download or stream their music they see no reason to buy loads of physical media just to gather dust.
.. as well as a lot less faff. Open tray, place in CD, press play.
I know that 60 mins later you have to get up and change the CD but I'm prepared to make that effort :)
.
That is where I am at too. For me computers are a lot of hassle compared to taking CD off a shelf and slotting it in. I know the trend is for a clutter-free life these days, a bit like the paperless office concept. It's not like a CD collection takes up much space, even a couple of thousand of them, and that's a lot of listening. Yes it will die slowly but just like CRT televisions there are tens of millions still in daily use. And discs are getting cheaper to buy.
Also if the youngsters don't want physical media why is it that every time I go to a record shop there is half a dozen of them in there buying vinyl?
Trumpton_Rioter
02-08-2013, 07:55
Like most things these days it about personal choice and lifestyle.
I buy cd's, rip them for use with my SBT and iPod and then give them to my brother to look after along with a backup of my ripped music. I also keep another backup at the outlaws just in case.
I dont have that much room at home so I keep books in the shelving units I could store the cd's in as I like to read a lot so we both win, me for still owning the physical media and my brother cos he saves a bit of cash which he then spends on his kids and dog.
I guess the real question is, will vinyl last for much longer being a niche product...?
Ah yes Shaun, replying to a question with a question... Is vinyl doomed? Well, quite possibly, I assume that vinyl sales are a fraction of CD sales (this can be the only reason for it to be ridiculously more expensive) and as such must be potentially at risk. I guess the determinant is whether or not the manufacturers see a market which is profitable. At the moment vinyl is enjoying a renaissance and for me that is great, it is impossible to second guess how long this may continue. The difference as I see it is that vinyl offers a more unique medium than CD particularly compared with downloading. These are both digital sources and there seems to be some early indications that CD has been surpassed, at least in terms of quality of signal/reproduction by higher definition download. There will of course be other reasons why people by CD, other respondants yto this thread have referred to having something tangible from your purchase and ease of use, but will this be enough to sustain it?
John R Leddy
02-08-2013, 08:13
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
While I agree with you Dave, to me Nick's post is a question about sound quality, so that is what I addressed.
So the query I have is, if I was to invest to to an equivalent level for my CD playback would it match my vinyl system, or is the format limited and now surpassed by HD downloads?
It sounded to me like he was asking if he should purchase a better CD player than the one he currently owns, in an effort to equal the sound quality he is already achieving with his turntable set-up, or whether we thought streaming may be a better alternative.
I chose streaming.
John.
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
For you it might be, but I would think that for the masses of music buying public who get their music from iTunes (the majority), that would be open for discussion? Too rigid a statement there Dave, as its your personal preference, but who says its far more desirable?
I will continue to buy a physical item for as long as I can or until it becomes cost prohibitive, which it will but not for a while yet. Even though I don't own a CD player, I still buy CD's.
John R Leddy
02-08-2013, 08:59
Streaming is convenient John however owning an album on physical media is far more desirable.
.. as well as a lot less faff. Open tray, place in CD, press play.
I know that 60 mins later you have to get up and change the CD but I'm prepared to make that effort.
Streaming is hardly difficult Dave.
With relatively inexpensive network systems outperforming CD replay, surely you would not recommend Nick sacrifice the convenience, and more importantly the achievable sound quality, of streaming simply because change may involve a little effort?
John.
Streaming is hardly difficult Dave.
With relatively inexpensive network systems outperforming CD replay,
John.
I'm not sure this is actually the case, certainly not with something like Spotify which is below CD quality to begin with. I get the convenience (once you have got it all working) and the ability to dispose of all the 'clutter' but I am not buying the 'better sound' theory.
While I agree with you Dave, to me Nick's post is a question about sound quality, so that is what I addressed.
It sounded to me like he was asking if he should purchase a better CD player than the one he currently owns, in an effort to equal the sound quality he is already achieving with his turntable set-up, or whether we thought streaming may be a better alternative.
I chose streaming.
John.
John,
just to confirm that my query was exactly that which you eloquently captured - if I am looking to invest in digital media, from a sound quality perspective shoud that be an upgrade to my current CD transport and DAC or to go down the streaming route? I have little doubt that others may prefer to use CD for other reasons, but personally the critical issue is the quality of the reproduction. Your thoughs are much appreciated.
John R Leddy
02-08-2013, 13:14
...if I am looking to invest in digital media, from a sound quality perspective shoud that be an upgrade to my current CD transport and DAC or to go down the streaming route? I have little doubt that others may prefer to use CD for other reasons, but personally the critical issue is the quality of the reproduction. Your thoughs are much appreciated.
What Hi-Fi? Best Buys
http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/music-servers-clients
Pioneer N-50
http://www.whathifi.com/review/pioneer-n-50
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Audio-Components/Hi-Fi+Audio/N-50
Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6
http://www.whathifi.com/review/cambridge-audio-stream-magic-6
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/stream-magic-6-upsampling-network-music-player
Naim NAC-N 172 XS
http://www.whathifi.com/review/naim-nac-n-172-xs
http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-products/nac-n-172-xs
Cyrus Stream XP2-QX
http://www.whathifi.com/review/cyrus-stream-xp2-qx
http://www.cyrusaudio.com/product/streaming-music-players/stream-xp-qx
For you it might be, but I would think that for the masses of music buying public who get their music from iTunes (the majority), that would be open for discussion? Too rigid a statement there Dave, as its your personal preference, but who says its far more desirable?
I will continue to buy a physical item for as long as I can or until it becomes cost prohibitive, which it will but not for a while yet. Even though I don't own a CD player, I still buy CD's.
My reply was from a personal perspective and perhaps I should have qualified that in my post. I own thousands of digital audio files and regularly stream music from Spotify, which is obvious from my posts on the 'Spinning Today -What are you listening to right now' thread. Music is music regardless of the format, however my preference is for something tangible that I can pick up and hold. For example, I received the Galdiator OST CD today which I purchased last week, even though I have a FLAC copy of the album on my HD :)
I personally will continue to purchase CD's until such time they are no longer made or the cost is not viable. I am currently enjoying the fact that I can buy CD's from different outlets and online stores for as little as 1 pence plus postage and packaging which makes it a no-brainer really.
Also, personally, I like the idea of being able to physically feel my music. With downloads there is nothing physical you can feel, unless you have external harddrives etc and then it is just not the same.
My personal opinion is that both CD and Vinyl will be with us for years to come. Yes CD is a mass market media so if the trend drops them there will be less about, but until that happens I will still buy them :)
Haselsh1
02-08-2013, 17:06
I think I recall someone mentioning high definition downloads as the way forward...? I very much doubt that as we have already seen DVD-A and SACD all but fail. I guess the truth is that most everyday punters are just not interested in quality. That just leaves us nutters who are so utterly OCD about sound quality and definition. For us, it is about the whole package and certainly not keeping up with the Jones's and their latest computer technology. I embrace vinyl and the whole record fair ethos once a month. Bring it on. Long live the future, the future is the past.
Haselsh1
02-08-2013, 17:09
My personal opinion is that both CD and Vinyl will be with us for years to come. Yes CD is a mass market media so if the trend drops them there will be less about, but until that happens I will still buy them :)
We have seen just this very thing with vinyl records. The industry couldn't get rid of them fast enough but there is still a market. My guess is that there will always be a market just as there is in photography with the OCD nutters who still make tintypes and the likes.
Spectral Morn
02-08-2013, 17:35
..... owning an album on physical media is far more desirable ;)
Agreed
Regards Neil
one of the reasons I still value vinyl for example is for the artwork and the feel and smell.....same with shellac 78,s...sound is not always important....mood is.
I still buy CDs but then play them as files I do not want to download my music via ITunes or Amazon
I still love buying vinyl too
WOStantonCS100
03-08-2013, 04:14
Is CD doomed? What could prompt such a rash query? Well the products from iFI actually. I have the micro phono stage - it is great, in fact so good I wanted their DAC to go with my CD transport. But oh no, as I understand it their DAC is for HD downloads and not for CD at all, something to number of bits per second or some such. Now I love the sound of my vinyl playback and in fairness it has had a considerable amount of more investment than my CD source system. So the query I have is, if I was to invest to to an equivalent level for my CD playback would it match my vinyl system, or is the format limited and now surpassed by HD downloads?
3 questions in 1. :)
CD is not doomed because it is already obsolete... just like vinyl and tape. Now that we've gotten that out of the way... :lol:
Have HD downloads surpassed CD in playback quality? Moreover, has higher res audio surpassed CD? Yes, ages ago with DAT masters at 16/48, IIRC from which certainly some CDs were derived. Higher res formats have been around a long, long time just not as a consumer medium. Now with HD downloads (provided hi res was used for the actual recording), hi-res IS a consumer format. That's great news for the audiophool (or whatever they're calling us these days).
Can you take your CD playback system to the same level as your vinyl setup? Only your ears can answer that for you once you've actually gone ahead and done it. I've never been able to. My vinyl, tapes and 24/192 rips of my vinyl and tapes leave my CDs in the dust BUT that's not my real concern. I have about 1K CDs. I'd like to play them 'til I'm old and gray. (Oooops, already going gray.... dangit!) My concern is the same as with my tapes - having suitable working hardware on which to play them. In that respect, vinyl is WAY ahead of the curve. CD is on shakey ground and tapeheads... well, let's just say it's cold and lonely out here in the wilderness. Maintaining my reel to reel and cassette decks is getting mighty expensive if doable at all.
That's one of the reasons I love my DV-RA1000HD. If the optical rom drive ever goes bad, I've got quite a few extras, obtained on the cheap. (Of course, now the DV-RA1000HD has been discontinued and replaced with the DA-3000... ...which has no optical rom drive. I saw that coming.)
I'm starting to ramble on. Sorry 'bout that. Lastly, though, I might look at the PS Audio PerfectWave Transport/DAC, Teac PD-501HR and Oppo BDP-95 as all three play 5" discs including CDs and DVDs with hi-res files (usually up to 24/192 but also 5.6MHz DSD in the case of the Teac) burned on them. Hopefully, some other "audio conscious" manufactures do (I don't really know) or will keep the optical disc players alive for a while, at least. I really have no interest in ripping CDs I purchase or the 1K+ CDs I already have to HDD, NAS, Flash or Cloud... ...ever. I'm just old school that way and firmly planted in the crowd that enjoys the tangible; possession being 9/10s of the law 'round these parts. :)
Ramble On ...I meant, ramble over.
The major issue still with HD downloads is the lack of choice, yes it has got better but it is nowhere near where most of us would like it to be. Also I believe good mastering plays a important part in sound quality
WOStantonCS100
03-08-2013, 07:04
The major issue still with HD downloads is the lack of choice, yes it has got better but it is nowhere near where most of us would like it to be. Also I believe good mastering plays a important part in sound quality
Oh sure, mastering is important; but, great mastering of a hi-res file... kept, distributed and played back as a hi-res file (unless one's system is tits up)... will still have more to offer than the same shrunk down to 16/44.1 Cassandra Wilson's Traveling Miles is one such CD that gave me a "wow" moment. If it sounds that good on CD, provided it was recorded in a higher resolution, man, I'd love to hear it as an SACD or 24/192 download or on vinyl !!! ***see note at bottom***
I agree. Much like SACD and DVD-A, HD downloads have a long way to go to catch up in terms of choice; but, it's still pretty much a baby compared to the other well established formats. If there is consumer demand, that will change, of course.
My question is, knowing the industry, how are they dealing with the piracy issue. They keep/kept trying to put anti-piracy schemes into CDs and locked down SACD. Remember downloads you couldn't move to another computer without a hassle (or hacking ;) ). For sure, piracy of HD downloads has got to be on their minds. Currently as a physical format, vinyl most likely has them the least concerned, perhaps seconded by SACD but without the aesthetic appeal of vinyl. If I were a record exec I'd be thinking, charge them a premium price for the vinyl (which they are largely) and not worry so much about piracy. I'd be spitting everything out on vinyl (which seems to be happening), even if I was a analog hating digiphile to the point that manufacturing costs were a moot point. After that it's just money coming in. :lol:
***Side Note: I recently popped on Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat original. (This, as well as, The Hunter, are supposed to be audiophile gems???) However, minutes into the first song I knew. It just had that harsh early digital thing going on. I began to scour the liner notes and bingo! Mid 80s release recorded on "Sony Digital Equipment". :( Subsequently, my ears also confirmed that The Hunter, which I bought on CD, was also "DDD". I had previously thought to get the vinyl release; but, now I'm wondering if there is any point in it. Perhaps, if the master was 16/48 there might be a slight improvement; but, I'm thinking the main reason to get this release on vinyl would be... ...for the sake of having the vinyl. I certainly don't think I'd waste my time downloading the album to get a 48kHz digital file over the CD I already have; not enough improvement for the trouble or cost.
Audioman
03-08-2013, 07:51
Oh sure, mastering is important; but, great mastering of a hi-res file... kept, distributed and played back as a hi-res file (unless one's system is tits up)... will still have more to offer than the same shrunk down to 16/44.1 Cassandra Wilson's Traveling Miles is one such CD that gave me a "wow" moment. If it sounds that good on CD, provided it was recorded in a higher resolution, man, I'd love to hear it as an SACD or 24/192 download or on vinyl !!! ***see note at bottom***
This was released on vinyl though quite rare -perhaps Pure Pleasure will reissue it ?
I agree. Much like SACD and DVD-A, HD downloads have a long way to go to catch up in terms of choice; but, it's still pretty much a baby compared to the other well established formats. If there is consumer demand, that will change, of course.
My question is, knowing the industry, how are they dealing with the piracy issue. They keep/kept trying to put anti-piracy schemes into CDs and locked down SACD. Remember downloads you couldn't move to another computer without a hassle (or hacking ;) ). For sure, piracy of HD downloads has got to be on their minds. Currently as a physical format, vinyl most likely has them the least concerned, perhaps seconded by SACD but without the aesthetic appeal of vinyl. If I were a record exec I'd be thinking, charge them a premium price for the vinyl (which they are largely) and not worry so much about piracy. I'd be spitting everything out on vinyl (which seems to be happening), even if I was a analog hating digiphile to the point that manufacturing costs were a moot point. After that it's just money coming in. :lol:
This is not really the case though a lot of main stream titles tend to get a vinyl pressing these days. These are however relatively limited. Vinyl sales are in fact still a tiny fraction of the music market and there is not enough pressing capacity to release everything on vinyl anyway. Nobody is making presses so producers are limited to finding old presses and refurbishing them to meet demand.
***Side Note: I recently popped on Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat original. (This, as well as, The Hunter, are supposed to be audiophile gems???) However, minutes into the first song I knew. It just had that harsh early digital thing going on. I began to scour the liner notes and bingo! Mid 80s release recorded on "Sony Digital Equipment". :( Subsequently, my ears also confirmed that The Hunter, which I bought on CD, was also "DDD". I had previously thought to get the vinyl release; but, now I'm wondering if there is any point in it. Perhaps, if the master was 16/48 there might be a slight improvement; but, I'm thinking the main reason to get this release on vinyl would be... ...for the sake of having the vinyl. I certainly don't think I'd waste my time downloading the album to get a 48kHz digital file over the CD I already have; not enough improvement for the trouble or cost.
You obviously haven't ever heard the Cisco / Boxstar reissues of FBR (45 rpm) and The Hunter or the very rare Classic Records FBR (withdrawn by Warnes). Plenty of early digitally sourced music sounds much better on vinyl than CD.
As far as CD is concerned the main impression of it's death is due to media hype and the disappearance of high street outlets. The likes of HMV do not stock a large enough catalogue these days. In fact though CD sales have halved from their peak they are still equivalent to the peak of vinyl production in the 70's. A lot of CD sales were driven by people replacing their old vinyl by the same title on CD. Even today people are replacing CDs with new 'remastered' versions which more often sound worse due to added compression or just being too loud. I can't see the sense in paying nearly the same amount of money for Mp3 downloads rather than purchasing a physical product at 16/44 - can always rip the Cd if you are file only.
HD downloads are not only limited in quantity but way too expensive. Not the sort of money I would spend for no physical product - basically just the right to play a piece of music. Therefore I still think there is a small market for high res format optical discs. Let's face it most people don't appreciate decent SQ or can't be bothered with the expense and fuss to achieve it. Even a lot of the vinyl expansion is due to style purchases. Kids who like the artwork but don't play the record (just the included CD or MP3) or if they do use very cheap players. No wonder the producers can get away with poor pressing quality.
What Hi-Fi? Best Buys
http://www.whathifi.com/best-buys/music-servers-clients
Pioneer N-50
http://www.whathifi.com/review/pioneer-n-50
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Home/Audio-Components/Hi-Fi+Audio/N-50
Cambridge Audio Stream Magic 6
http://www.whathifi.com/review/cambridge-audio-stream-magic-6
http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/stream-magic-6-upsampling-network-music-player
Naim NAC-N 172 XS
http://www.whathifi.com/review/naim-nac-n-172-xs
http://www.naimaudio.com/hifi-products/nac-n-172-xs
Cyrus Stream XP2-QX
http://www.whathifi.com/review/cyrus-stream-xp2-qx
http://www.cyrusaudio.com/product/streaming-music-players/stream-xp-qx
John
Many thanks, some very helpful links.
Well lots of pontification here, with obvious preferences one way or the other ;)
If you want some recent US figures this makes good reading Nielsen Entertainment & Billboard’s 2013 Mid-Year Music Industry Report (http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-room/2013/nielsen-entertainment---billboards-2013-mid-year-music-industry-.html)
You can download a pdf document (http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-downloads/2013%20Reports/Nielsen-Music-2013-Mid-Year-US-Release.pdf) toward the end with full sales breakdowns, which might be surprising for some. Total sales are down in the period by 5.6%. What would be interesting to know is how much music is being stolen by the torrent downloading bastards?
Simple figures from the report;
US sales for the six month period up to June 2013.
CD sales = 78.2 million
Digital album sales = 60.8 million
Vinyl LP sales = 2.9 million
So in the US at any rate CD is not doomed at the moment and its still my preferred purchase medium. The tipping point for me will be when CD's become more expensive than a FLAC download. I won't ever settle for mp3 or lossy music files, or internet streaming services, unless the quality improves. There are however many sites and artists who now offer high quality FLAC files (and other formats) together with complete artwork as a pdf document. When these become significantly cheaper than a CD, I will reluctantly switch to them. I really like the artists who offer an instant FLAC download with artwork and you get the CD in the post a few days later, all for the price of the CD alone - that's really very good from my point of view.
As most here will know, I don't own a CDP as I'm 100% file based audio now and there are two main reasons for this - firstly convenience as I have a large music library and the main one is that I was able to achieve a superior sound 'in my system' for less money than buying a high-end CDP. The caveat here was my available budget at the time and the fact that I am able to build my own music server, which clearly won't suit or be possible for other people, but it really works for me :D
Audio Al
03-08-2013, 14:25
Yes
Cylinders Doomed
78's Doomed
8 track Doomed
Cassettes Doomed
LP's Doomed
7" singles Doomed
12" singles Doomed
CD Doomed
Now the current trend it to buy music on line and get nothing for your money :scratch:
No sleeve / No case / No words / No reading , no nothing :scratch:
and you need to pay for a internet line , have a means of something to download to
How long before something else is dreamed up ?
Most of the above formats have a small following ( Like Me )
w7RIgs3eygo
We all doomed you know doomed
mike1210
03-08-2013, 14:46
I have the micro phono stage - it is great, in fact so good I wanted their DAC to go with my CD transport.
Bit of a long shot, but has anyone compared this to the Trichord Dino?
We all doomed you know doomed
:lol: nice one John . . . to be totally and brutally honest, as long as the artists I like keep producing the music I like and I can play it on my system and I can hear it and it sounds good, I don't really give a rats arse how it arrives. The rest is just window dressing and obsessive nervosa!
:D
I won't ever settle for mp3 or lossy music files, or internet streaming services, unless the quality improves.
I'd agree with you entirely Tim, however, I'd really like a way of having something physical. The biggest problem I find is the desire to hold, feel my music be it on Vinyl, CD or other physical format and that just doesn't happen with downloaded music.
WOStantonCS100
03-08-2013, 17:29
This was released on vinyl though quite rare -perhaps Pure Pleasure will reissue it ?
That would be great if they did. I'd bet my car that the master for this is better than 16/44.1
This is not really the case though a lot of main stream titles tend to get a vinyl pressing these days. These are however relatively limited. Vinyl sales are in fact still a tiny fraction of the music market and there is not enough pressing capacity to release everything on vinyl anyway. Nobody is making presses so producers are limited to finding old presses and refurbishing them to meet demand.
Quality goes every which way and we've all heard the "niche" market espousals; but, I've been watching (and buying vinyl from) websites like SoundStageDirect, among others for years. The number of titles on offer, limited or otherwise, has grown tremendously over the years. The lion share has been reissues; but, I also have seen an ever growing number of new issues on vinyl. However, I agree. Those old presses are doing some serious overtime.
You obviously haven't ever heard the Cisco / Boxstar reissues of FBR (45 rpm) and The Hunter or the very rare Classic Records FBR (withdrawn by Warnes). Plenty of early digitally sourced music sounds much better on vinyl than CD.
Conceded. No, I haven't heard those vinyl reissues and I would certainly hope they would sound better than the CD. It was more of an open ended question I posed. If a press of The Hunter didn't sound any better (to me) than the CD, I would only be buying it for the coolness factor. However, the original pressing of FBR that I have isn't a shoddy pressing. It's actually a very good pressing. Still, the equipment that the music was recorded on to begin with has a very definite sonic signature that is easy for me to hear regardless of the consumer (end-user) format. That sound signature, to me, isn't a "good" or "bad" thing. It is what it is. I just don't prefer it. So, in this case, it's not vinyl or CD that gives me pause. That sonic signature is also apparent to me with The Hunter.
As far as CD is concerned the main impression of it's death is due to media hype and the disappearance of high street outlets. The likes of HMV do not stock a large enough catalogue these days. In fact though CD sales have halved from their peak they are still equivalent to the peak of vinyl production in the 70's. A lot of CD sales were driven by people replacing their old vinyl by the same title on CD. Even today people are replacing CDs with new 'remastered' versions which more often sound worse due to added compression or just being too loud. I can't see the sense in paying nearly the same amount of money for Mp3 downloads rather than purchasing a physical product at 16/44 - can always rip the Cd if you are file only.
Well, that's kind of the point, right? If consumers have to go out of their way to get a format... essentially that format is dead... to them; because, the average consumer is going to go for convenience and ready availability over searching something out. That tends to feed on itself and exacerbate the problem or decline into "niche-ness".
HD downloads are not only limited in quantity but way too expensive. Not the sort of money I would spend for no physical product - basically just the right to play a piece of music. Therefore I still think there is a small market for high res format optical discs. Let's face it most people don't appreciate decent SQ or can't be bothered with the expense and fuss to achieve it. Even a lot of the vinyl expansion is due to style purchases. Kids who like the artwork but don't play the record (just the included CD or MP3) or if they do use very cheap players. No wonder the producers can get away with poor pressing quality.
Audiophilia is not a cheap hobby, generally speaking. :lol: I guess we spend money on whatever we deem worthy. I see this as a potential plus for HD downloads for many reasons. I think it's speculative to assume kids don't play the records. Have you peeked in on the vinyl community on youtube? Plenty of folks young and old actually buy the records and play them. I was a record collecting music lover long before I had the money to spend on good equipment. I say; however, young folks get into it is fine with me. I won't deride them because all they can afford is a Pro-Ject Debut. More power to them. As income permits they can upgrade as they see fit, appreciate and unlock the potential in the grooves in time. It's all good to me.
w7RIgs3eygo
We all doomed you know doomed
Nice, humour from the pre-CD era...
losenotaminute
04-08-2013, 15:57
w7RIgs3eygo
We all doomed you know doomed
It's because they don't like it up 'em.
Must be just me but I would have thought that FLAC was good enough for anyone and free to do....I dont like this download system as although you have the download, that is all you have. Amazon books are the same and they can withdraw them at any time..they aint yours, although there are ways round this :eyebrows:
I am fairly new to doing the flac thing and using my old laptops as part of my hifi but I do not think the quality it likely to be bettered for these old ears.
STILL, I like the physicality of having the record/disc as backup and to, as someone said, read the notes and lok at the artwork etc.:)
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