CD's...will they stick around?

[KrisM]

LP's are much more sensory pleasing, there is a pageantry, a romance to them.

The artwork, the care taking, the attention and effort they require.

And let's not forget, they are analog which offers a point of distinction. With all this going for them they are still just a niche.

The CD is digital and frankly better digital is available in downloads. So then why CD?

I see the CD going the way of the reel to reel, 8 track, cassette as it is not an alternative to digital, it is not an enhanced environment for art work and it offers no pageantry as with a turntable, the needle drop, flipping the thing, the cleaning....

I promise you, the CD is dead.

I'm mostly with you. I'd say it's dying though, not dead.

And I realize I'm one of the few nuts out there who believes this, but I put CD art right there with LP art. Except for those LP sized boxsets, it's just smaller. The CD format has brought sooooo much to the table when it comes to liner notes and such.

 

[frahengeo]

As long as I have a player to play CDs, it will stick around for me.

When I don't have much time to listen, I will often stream a playlist, but I really enjoy the weekend mornings with a cup of coffee in hand while spinning a CD, and listening.

 

[SPL db]

It won’t be long before we see people rummaging through the used CD bins the same way we rummage through the used LP bins.

We/I already do...

 

[Bob]

always will be out there for all to collect, trade, flip, and maybe listen to.

unless the players like El-cassette, Beta, umatic, laser disk, 8-track, DCC, DBX LPs,
minidisks, etc are no longer available, working, or repairable.

even if CD production ceased today, there are still BILLIONs out there ready to buy
one-at-a-time or thousand CD lots, or trade, or flip, and maybe to listen to.

just like LPs, BILLIONs still out there.

do not be afraid to start your massive collections even if you wait a few
minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years. those BILLIONs of
cassettes, CDs, LPs will wait for you.

 

[petemcfc]

Not enough - however I think a pdf of the full liner notes is a good compromise - why the f*ck the companies won't included them with downloads it beyond me - although to be fair I also wonder why the f*ck the music playing software (JRiver, etc) out there don't have a mechanism to detect if there are pdfs in the album directory and display them attractively... I would prefer that to Roon's approach of getting stuff from the internet about the artist and/or album..
v

You can do almost that with KODI,its a bit hard to get your head around it at first but load your rips and downloads into the library and any metadata will be scanned,you can also use Musicbrains Picard to add or amend the data,
Then there are the content provider add ons.
Have a look.
https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&category=1164&author=&sort=title+ASC
https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&category=1183&author=&sort=title+ASC
https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&category=1166&author=&sort=title+ASC
https://kodi.tv/addons/browse?keyword=&category=1169&author=&sort=title+ASC
Theres a lot of official add ons that are rock sold,click on any of the buttons for more info.

KODI gets a lot of bad press from the usage of piracy boxes sold on by weasels after a quick buck but as a content player its the best open source program going,
It takes a great deal of setting up for best results but its worth it.
A WORD OF WARNING.
Only get it from here.
https://kodi.tv/download
Avoid the builds peddled by TVAddons and the like,your system will be open to infestation,only install official add ons and avoid the snake oil peddling not to rights on Youtube.

Its an important part of my Digital set up.

 

[eljr]

I'm mostly with you. I'd say it's dying though, not dead.

agree

I meant my statement to imply it's future is dead

I have several on order as I type.

 

[roadrunnerx]

I still love the high dollar players out there and then you gotta use it to enjoy it.
Can't compare to 8 tracks as earlier noted.....! Clean format.
I still like a hard copy because memory does have failures.
Nothing like listening on your 2K player. Sounds sweeter!
I do not fully trust the digital world not failing. Like a hard copy. Just me.

 

[restorer-john]

There will be a time, not too far into the future, where the flagship CD players of yore will bring prices similar to or greater than the TOTL turntables of days gone by.

There isn't a new CD player on the market currently that I would buy. Current offerings are mere shadows of their predecessors.

Remember this happened exactly with turntables, they were cheapened, discontinued and forgotten, when a new technology (CD) obsoleted them. 30 years on, a new generation will 'discover' 'perfect sound forever' and what is old, will be new again.

The future-
The vinyl renaissance was merely a blip on the radar and long forgotten. Vinyl will have finally been laid to rest.
People will be searching out 'retro' in-dash CD players for their period 1990s car restorations.
Future Mipsters (the Millennial Hipster) will be in their 40s going around our yard sales, while we grumble and groan as we shuffle off to the old age care facilities. They'll be wanting to see what 'good stuff' you have in your dusty basements.
They'll be trying to buy our current cars out of our sheds, because they are such cool cars that you actually got to drive yourself.
They'll be snatching up our old CDs by the handfuls because 'that old format wasn't pay-per-listen' and was so 'real and tactile'.
They'll be boasting about their 'scroes' on a site like Audiocoma.

 

[Mockduck]

I hope no one begins collecting CDs. At least until I get a chance to buy them first. I am still buying records, but their value is rising, while CD prices are at a rock bottom. Now is the time to collect!

 

[roadrunnerx]

Or they will listen with their earbuds and never know what they are missing.........

 

[Mockduck]

CDs are "dead" while Vinyl is hot. And by dead, I mean outsold vinyl 7:1, according to Nielsen. That said, vinyl sales continue to rise, while CD sales are falling. Still, by volume, CDs remain the most dominant purchased music format in the United States. When it comes to non-purchased listening, streaming has all purchased music beat, but no surprise there.

 

[Modlin]

There will be a time, not too far into the future, where the flagship CD players of yore will bring prices similar to or greater than the TOTL turntables of days gone by.

There isn't a new CD player on the market currently that I would buy. Current offerings are mere shadows of their predecessors.

Remember this happened exactly with turntables, they were cheapened, discontinued and forgotten, when a new technology (CD) obsoleted them. 30 years on, a new generation will 'discover' 'perfect sound forever' and what is old, will be new again.

The future-
The vinyl renaissance was merely a blip on the radar and long forgotten. Vinyl will have finally been laid to rest.
People will be searching out 'retro' in-dash CD players for their period 1990s car restorations.
Future Mipsters (the Millennial Hipster) will be in their 40s going around our yard sales, while we grumble and groan as we shuffle off to the old age care facilities. They'll be wanting to see what 'good stuff' you have in your dusty basements.
They'll be trying to buy our current cars out of our sheds, because they are such cool cars that you actually got to drive yourself.
They'll be snatching up our old CDs by the handfuls because 'that old format wasn't pay-per-listen' and was so 'real and tactile'.
They'll be boasting about their 'scroes' on a site like Audiocoma.

You are thinking very highly of (future) Millennials....hopefully, for all of us - you are right

 

[restorer-john]

You are thinking very highly of (future) Millennials....hopefully, for all of us - you are right

I have faith in them. I need them down the track- they'll pay me stupid amounts of money for ancient gear. Maybe not...

 

[eljr]

CDs are "dead" while Vinyl is hot. And by dead, I mean outsold vinyl 7:1, according to Nielsen. That said, vinyl sales continue to rise, while CD sales are falling. Still, by volume, CDs remain the most dominant purchased music format in the United States. .

CD sales are down 80%.

Vinyl is but a niche.

 

[Mockduck]

CD sales are down 80%.

Vinyl is but a niche.

80% from when? Probably from the height of CD sales I'd assume. I think this is not so much an indication of the death of CD as the decline in purchasing music overall. By ratio, CDs remain the dominant purchased format.

 

[soundboy]

I hope no one begins collecting CDs.

That start as soon as CD became available to consumers.

 

[vmartell]

As long as I have a player to play CDs, it will stick around for me.

When I don't have much time to listen, I will often stream a playlist, but I really enjoy the weekend mornings with a cup of coffee in hand while spinning a CD, and listening.

Your list of digital sources is impressive sir! I commend you. Sony SCD-1,CDP-X55/77ES ? those are dream vintage scroes for me!

But indeed I mentioned before and will mention again - CD is a good compromise - for me the big enjoyment is to spend all weekend nights with a stack of classical CDs/SACDs/Bluray Audio - Digital is still the best platform for classical. And with extensive liner notes, librettos, etc you still get a most of the physical object experience you get from LPs

v

 

[Nautiker]

They will at my house...
I have at least 6 multi-CD changers (Sony & Pioneer) which work perfectly... That should keep me occupied a while, and if I see another that I want...

 

[frahengeo]

Your list of digital sources is impressive sir! I commend you. Sony SCD-1,CDP-X55/77ES ? those are dream vintage scroes for me!

But indeed I mentioned before and will mention again - CD is a good compromise - for me the big enjoyment is to spend all weekend nights with a stack of classical CDs/SACDs/Bluray Audio - Digital is still the best platform for classical. And with extensive liner notes, librettos, etc you still get a most of the physical object experience you get from LPs

v

I like classical music every now and then, but I am a total rookie as far as that genre goes. I assume that classical music on CD has not suffered from compression like many of the Pop/Rock genre. Is this a good assumption?

 

[eljr]

80% from when? Probably from the height of CD sales I'd assume..

You are correct.

I think this is not so much an indication of the death of CD as the decline in purchasing music overall. By ratio, CDs remain the dominant purchased format.

Well, you are sort of right, the CD is still the top selling format but I'd be shocked if they have held their market share (by ratio) of what is purchased.

Cd was king. Now vinyl is enjoying a resurgence, we have BluRay-A and DVD-a plus digital downloads.

No way CD still owns the market share it did.

By saying because CD's are still the top choice for those that do buy so they can't be dying is..... well, wrong.