Why are CDs the current hot topic?

[H2oman7.62mm]

Better late than never... I never paid attention to Pink Floyd when I was young, not until Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall crossed over and then again with Division Bell. I picked up a CD copy of Animals 2018 last year and having never seen the movie I just ordered the new CD version of Pompeii. I like Pink Floyd on CD.

 

[Vlad Soare]

In the process of reorganizing and purging my CD collection, I discovered that I have 4 different copies (different orchestra's) of Brahms's third symphony; with the Karajan being one of the better. Since it's a 2 CD set with all 4 symphonies, it's the one I'm keeping.

Indeed, when it comes to Brahms, I also find that Karajan is great. I can't say he's the best, because "best" is a very personal thing, and besides, I can't say I've listened to many others. I like Günter Wand and Seiji Ozawa, too, but somehow I always come back to Karajan. His performance is perhaps the most balanced of them all, and he has an innate ability to create those long phrases that make Brahms shine.

That being said, it upsets me that he doesn't repeat the exposition in the first movement of the third symphony. He used to do that. I can't remember ever listening to a Karajan recording where he repeated the exposition. I think he never did. In the first and second symphonies it's perfectly fine, because those aren't really suited to a repeat (in fact, I think Brahms himself used not to observe the repeat in those two, even though he'd written it down). But in the third the exposition must be repeated, because it's quite short and is followed by a development that's twice as long, which unbalances it a bit if you don't follow the score.
Günter Wand repeats it in the third (though not in the first or second, but that's OK).
But even so, exposition repeat or not, Karajan is still the yardstick against which I measure the others.

 

[hemiram]

I have a couple of CDs of concerts and one of my pet peeves is when everything is right, they are playing great, the sound is great, etc, and it's ruined by the conductor speeding things up, or more commonly, slowing things down. "Night on Bald Mountain" is one where they do it a lot. You can find videos of it on YT where the run time which is like 7:30 most of the time, or so, is a couple of minutes longer. Someplace there is a video of the "Imperial March" from Star Wars and it's sped up to a ridiculous point. Did the conductor have to hit the bathroom? Another annoyance is someone bootlegging a decent sounding recording of a concert, and the mike is rubbing on their clothes or in one concert I put on a friend's mix CD, someone is clearing their throat like he's swallowed popcorn the wrong way. I did something like that when I was having my second eye's cataract surgery done. First one was fine, second one, I was totally stressed out, and was gulping like a fish out of water.

 

[M70AB2]

CD aficionado / advocate Brendon Snyder weighs in:

And who else remembers the initial controversy about stores selling used CDs?

How Something As Simple As Used CDs Almost Broke The Music Industry - SlashGear

In 2000, record sales were dropping thanks to file sharing, and suddenly, used CDs were a much bigger problem for record labels than ever before.

www.slashgear.com

 

[RunOutGroove]

And who else remembers the initial controversy about stores selling used CDs?

How Something As Simple As Used CDs Almost Broke The Music Industry - SlashGear

In 2000, record sales were dropping thanks to file sharing, and suddenly, used CDs were a much bigger problem for record labels than ever before.

www.slashgear.com

A record store I used to work at, many years ago, that sold both new and used CDs, once famously hosted a "Garth Brooks BBQ." Because the guy was leading the charge with the idea that stores that sell both new and used CDs should be punished by the record industry (by having them withdraw coop advertising, and maybe other measures as well), the store had this BBQ thing where free sodas and burgers were offered to customers in the parking lot and all of the remaining stock of Garth Brooks CDs were destroyed in a kind of ceremonial type event. I'm pretty sure that to this day (the place has survived decades later, and started in '69) that they still don't sell any of that guy's music... even though they have about the biggest section of music in town.

 

[M70AB2]

A record store I used to work at, many years ago, that sold both new and used CDs, once famously hosted a "Garth Brooks BBQ." Because the guy was leading the charge with the idea that stores that sell both new and used CDs should be punished by the record industry (by having them withdraw coop advertising, and maybe other measures as well), the store had this BBQ thing where free sodas and burgers were offered to customers in the parking lot and all of the remaining stock of Garth Brooks CDs were destroyed in a kind of ceremonial type event. I'm pretty sure that to this day (the place has survived decades later, and started in '69) that they still don't sell any of that guy's music... even though they have about the biggest section of music in town.

I read about that. Was that a store in Portland, Oregon — somewhere like that?

 

[RunOutGroove]

I read about that. Was that a store in Portland, Oregon — somewhere like that?

Indeed, it is in Portland...

 

[bluesky]

I LOVE LPs for the sound quality - the LP sound - the " Yeah Bash " sound!
I really like CDs too. They are so convenient and the sound quality is really good, and CDs are accurate.
But I do prefer LPs. Always have, always will. They just sound right to me.

BUT...

For the last 6+ months, I've been playing a 'real lot more' CDs than LPs for 4 reasons:
1. Convenience
2. More time in the garage with the CD boombox.
3. & CDs are so cheap used - I never get caught up in my listening to new to me M- only great titled CDs. Right now I'm probably 50 CDs behind in listening, and that's what I listen to mostly ~ CDs!! But I'm always buying more M-, they are jumping off everywhere. How do you say no?
4. I've gotten very used to listening to CDs now. It's just easier and more convenient.

And a side benefit: At least I'm not wearing out my NOS 1980 Ortofon M20FL SUPER MM cart anymore. I have 275 hours on it now so have about 300 hours to go before I need to get it checked out. I don't think I'll be around that long. Guess it will be my cart for life!!

CDs are most excellent!!

 

[bolero]

Yes you can repeat CD's forever without wearing out your stylus or LP

 

[Vlad Soare]

And a side benefit: At least I'm not wearing out my NOS 1980 Ortofon M20FL SUPER MM cart anymore. I have 275 hours on it now so have about 300 hours to go before I need to get it checked out. I don't think I'll be around that long. Guess it will be my cart for life!!

By all means, do wear out the bejesus out of that cart, then get another one and wear that out, too. Show it no mercy. Life's too short.

 

[Vlad Soare]

Yes you can repeat CD's forever without wearing out your stylus or LP

Indeed, that's one of the best things about CDs. As long as you don't do anything stupid they'll live forever and will sound the same forever.
In practice, though, LPs aren't really that bad in this respect as they seem to be. Sure, they can (and do) wear out quite fast if you're careless, but I'd wager that for most AK members, who keep them scrupulously clean and play them on high quality, perfectly tuned turntables, with high quality, healthy styli, the issue of LP wear is rather academic.

 

[bluesky]

By all means, do wear out the bejesus out of that cart, then get another one and wear that out, too. Show it no mercy. Life's too short.

Ya got a 'point'!!

 

[Andyman]

Meh, l stream. My Topping E30 cost $90 used and Quboz is $129.99/year, so that’s like 220 $1 CDs I can’t buy. But my phone can play in my car, BT speaker outside and to my headphones millions of songs via a few keystrokes. The Doobie Brothers just released a new LP and I auditioned it, just like so many other reissues, and new recordings that I can now vet. I’ve not been enamored of any of them to purchase.

 

[bolero]

Indeed, that's one of the best things about CDs. As long as you don't do anything stupid they'll live forever and will sound the same forever.
In practice, though, LPs aren't really that bad in this respect as they seem to be. Sure, they can (and do) wear out quite fast if you're careless, but I'd wager that for most AK members, who keep them scrupulously clean and play them on high quality, perfectly tuned turntables, with high quality, healthy styli, the issue of LP wear is rather academic.

Agree: I only break my LP's out when I really want a listening session. Otherwise I have CD's looping for ambient music while I'm doing other things

 

[Mart Mccall]

The Doobie Brothers just released a new LP and I auditioned it, just like so many other reissues, and new recordings that I can now vet.

I use Youtube for that - the cost is nothing per month.

 

[Andyman]

I use Youtube for that - the cost is nothing per month.

Not a bad source either. I use YouTube myself to vet recent concerts to see if the show/songs are something I’d enjoy.

I also stream because I’m retired and divesting from unused items, including my hard copy media I haven’t played in years, especially if I can stream it for less than the price of a new release. Actually, selling all my tape gear years ago still covers the streaming costs and the income from selling one/couple LPs/CDs does too. I can’t take it with me and I don’t want to burden my family with it, so away anything I’m not using goes. The extra room is nice too.

 

[Mart Mccall]

Not a bad source either. I use YouTube myself to vet recent concerts to see if the show/songs are something I’d enjoy.

I also stream because I’m retired and divesting from unused items, including my hard copy media I haven’t played in years, especially if I can stream it for less than the price of a new release. Actually, selling all my tape gear years ago still covers the streaming costs and the income from selling one/couple LPs/CDs does too. I can’t take it with me and I don’t want to burden my family with it, so away anything I’m not using goes. The extra room is nice too.

Have to confess that also being retired I can no longer afford to buy any CD I fancy and so have thought about getting some sort of streaming set up but I've decided I'm ideologically opposed to it.

Youtube through a proper system is good I agree (when the sound on the video is good to begin with) but I have no easy way to hook it up to my antiquated system so any trialling of new music is just through the laptop speakers.

It's enough to know if I want to buy the CD or not (when there is a CD that is. Recently wanted a new release and it was only available on download and vinyl. How times change).

 

[Duane]

Still enjoy cds.
My very first player was an inexpensive Sony in '86 and the first 2 cds I bought was Brothers in Arms and White Winds (Andreas Vollenweider). I was blown away by White Winds, so much so, that I started to collect more of his music. I still have those cds. I like everything about the cd, including the jewel cases, which take up very little room. Lps are fine but I will generally choose the cd first for the convenience and all of the capabilities of playback options.
I don't do streaming and never will.

 

[Andyman]

Youtube through a proper system is good I agree (when the sound on the video is good to begin with) but I have no easy way to hook it up to my antiquated system so any trialling of new music is just through the laptop speakers

The cheapest way is to get an adaptor cable to fit you headphone outs to RCAs and plug it into a line level output. The next step up is to get an inexpensive USB DAC and hook it up as a sound source and attach it to the amp. I use a $25 Behringer Audio interface in the garage and it works great off my laptop out there.

Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 USB Audio Interface

Get the guaranteed best price on Audio Interfaces like the Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 USB Audio Interface at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.

www.musiciansfriend.com

 

[Mart Mccall]

The cheapest way is to get an adaptor cable to fit you headphone outs to RCAs and plug it into a line level output. The next step up is to get an inexpensive USB DAC and hook it up as a sound source and attach it to the amp. I use a $25 Behringer Audio interface in the garage and it works great off my laptop out there.

Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 USB Audio Interface

Get the guaranteed best price on Audio Interfaces like the Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 USB Audio Interface at Musician's Friend. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.

www.musiciansfriend.com

Those options are there, only thing is that my preamp converts all analogue inputs to digital so the signal would be going D to A, A to D and D to A again.

I know it makes no difference but it somehow feels wrong.