The CDs are dying

Today i bought a CD, a new album from Counting Crows, it didn't come in a plastic box, it didn't cost around $20 and, although it still contains a booklet and of course the physical media, it just felt different.
When i was in high-school most of our cassettes were recorded from the radio. To have an original was expensive so if one of us would get one we would share and copy it, yes, yes i know copyright and all that stuff, we didn't care, we were just kids. Eventually i was able to buy my own originals and it was an event, i valued my originals, i bought then with effort and i came to respect an original and the work it represented, when i finished high-school i had 10 of them and i tossed away all my copies, they were no longer worthy.
When i entered the university i managed to get a CD player. A CD would cost me around $20, that was expensive but with effort i managed to convert my collections to CDs. I remember buying my CDs and washing my hands before reading the booklets. Since i don't have a wide taste in music i don't have a large library so until recent buying a CD was still a nice experience, of course now things are different, the CD gets home and i transfer to my Mac, the case and the CD go to safe storage.
Today, as i looked through the store i noticed too many gift cards for iTunes and similar services, "CDs" already as gift cards for other services too. I wonder how long will these media be around. Maybe is more practical, but i don't like to buy music in MP3/AAC/WMA or similar, it feels empty. To put this in less words, i feel old, life changes and the CDs will disappear.

Meh, i just wanted to express myself. Thanks for reading.

Sure hope CDs don't disappear unless lossless formats become more common, Even iTunes does offer lossless downloads yet. I try to buy CDs when ever I can. I usually rip them in iTunes to Apple Lossless then put the CD away for safe keeping.

The only way I buy music is on a CD. If I'm going to buy an original copy of it, I want an original hardcopy. I can't be bothered buying anything off iTunes because I'll never appreciate the music - I have a lot of downloaded music that I rarely listen to, but the CDs I buy are always played over and over until I know every bit of them. At the same time, I only buy music I know I'll love, so I download it first and if I like it I'll buy it... I support the bands I like, so I figure when CDs become so cheap it's hardly worth the time it takes to download I'll buy without downloading it first. Like I do with DVDs...

Rather than type my whole thing about CDs and how they're seemingly fading away, I have a blog post....

http://scattered-frog.blogspot.com/2007/06/download-your-songs-downgrade-your.html

I usually don't feel so bad about downloaded music as long as I have it backed up in two or three places. Plus, CDs take up a lot of space after you've accumulated a few...

I DL when I get iTunes $$. Otherwise, I buy a hard copy if it's stuff I know I like. I used to buy a CD a week in high school. Now I buy maybe one a year because what's out isn't very good.
But if it's something I really want, I'll buy it on vinyl. Nothing is more cool than having your favorite album on vinyl.

bryphotoguy said:

Nothing is more cool than having your favorite album on vinyl.

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Quoted for truth.

I have a decent little CD collection built up, and it takes up a bit of space, but it's a nice feeling having an actual copy of a hard to find album, vinyl or CD.

Quit quoting me from truth Derek.

I need to get a good copy of "Are You Exerienced" by Hendix on vinyl. I borrowed a copy from the gf and shouldn't have returned it when we broke up. Arg!

If anything, it makes good art. I plan on putting my favorite dozen albums in LP frames and hanging them up.

bryphotoguy said:

If anything, it makes good art.

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Quoted for truth.

long live vinyl (it will outlive the CD)

bryphotoguy said:

If anything, it makes good art.

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QFT ;P

I too rip all my bought cds to itunes and keep the cds and bookets in a safe place. But what's the point when all you ever listen to is the file on the computer/ipod/etc. Sure I have too many actual cds as a few of us here do. But I'm beginning to wonder was it all worth it. All those cds and vinyls we've spent years and lots of hard earned loot on to be just sitting in a box somewhere doing nothing. Most of then aren't worth much these days I guess. So maybe buying and storing something like wine would be a better investment.

I just don't know anymore.

I didn't/ don't buy music for its return value. I would think vinyl would be the last audio recording medium to have any resale value. There some CDs that have limited pressings but there aren't many that will be worth anything when there is a new format change.

the8thark said:

I too rip all my bought cds to itunes and keep the cds and bookets in a safe place. But what's the point when all you ever listen to is the file on the computer/ipod/etc. Sure I have too many actual cds as a few of us here do. But I'm beginning to wonder was it all worth it. All those cds and vinyls we've spent years and lots of hard earned loot on to be just sitting in a box somewhere doing nothing. Most of then aren't worth much these days I guess. So maybe buying and storing something like wine would be a better investment.

I just don't know anymore.

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Well, you never know when there's gonna be some new miracle codec and you'll want to rerip those puppies.

Not to mention, even though they may not be worth much to resell, it's far better to own a super high quality master recording than it is to have a good quality digital file that you have to rebuy when the quality improves.

CD has been the standard audio carrier for 24 years now, and that's a testament to the sound quality they carry. Those 96kpbs rips you made ten years ago with Xing, well, I hope you don't still have those. Ew, Xing.

I still have a bunch of unreleased and old demos from the Smashing Pumpkins that were encoded with Real Player in 32 or 64 Kbps.
They didn't sound so bad with the free speakers I had 10 years ago.

bryphotoguy said:

I still have a bunch of unreleased and old demos from the Smashing Pumpkins that were encoded with Real Player in 32 or 64 Kbps.
They didn't sound so bad with the free speakers I had 10 years ago.

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It doesn't take much to make Billy Corgan's incessant whining sound good.

Other than the mute button, perhaps.

*(j/k. I love SP.)

bryphotoguy said:

I still have a bunch of unreleased and old demos from the Smashing Pumpkins that were encoded with Real Player in 32 or 64 Kbps.
They didn't sound so bad with the free speakers I had 10 years ago.

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ewwwwwwwww real player.

I guess the OP comment didn't really hit me till this weekend.

I've never taken care of my CD's. I guess I felt like they were more of a disposable medium. Right now, they're all in a tower that's sitting a remote part of my apartment.

So, I went to a local medium/ high end audio shop to look for a new pair of speakers for my home theatre. So, the guy has me go threw a stack of jewel cases so I can pick something out to test the speakers I was interested in. He's dropping the disc into the tray and I get to thinking, when's the last time I've listened to a CD. I've never owned a CD deck so maybe that's why I felt weird but the last time I've owned a stereo or discman was back in 2004. I've had everything stored on my computer and I've had an iPod since 2005.

That experience at the shop made me feel like the CD is a dead medium only used by the true audiophiles like records are. Maybe the medium is coming to an end?

On a side note, I finally got around to setting my turntable up and cleaned it. I listened to a couple albums and almost bought a few on eBay. I saw the new Portishead LP is available for sale on their website. I was going to pick it up till I saw it was $80 USD. EEK! I will pick up the CD though. Maybe I should look into a CD player to fit below my turntable for sentimental value.

I'm sad too because...
The walls at my last place must have been sound proof. I never once was told to turn down my music. I wish I was back there so I could crank some music. I've already been called out once in the two months I've been here. haha, the person left me a note and said my base was too loud.

Derek McNelly said:

Quoted for truth.

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QFT........

Going from 1411 kbps all the way down to the 128 kbps that are prevalent on most downloading sites, such as iTunes store is quite a plunge in the sound quality of music. I would have to agree that Apple would have to make lossless both available and affordable before I I'd turn to the iTune store for my music needs. 128 kbps sounds like absolute garbage on a quality sound system.