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Hydrogenaudio Forum => General Audio => Topic started by: Antigen on 2012-06-14 08:40:17

Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Antigen on 2012-06-14 08:40:17
Hi,

actually, where is your first source of music?

Do you buy CD or you have chosen iTunes/digital online store?

Actually I buy CD (used) and I convert them with XLD to MP3 with LAME 3.99, I think that this is the best solutions.

Initially I have bought some album from iTunes, but I prefer to have the CD to convert it into the format and bitrate that I prefer.

And you?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Engelsstaub on 2012-06-14 08:50:45
I prefer to archive a physical CD losslessly, but have little problem getting a copy from iTunes if it is more convenient for me.

Lately I've been taking advantage of this upswing in vinyl and buying certain releases from certain labels in that format. Especially if it comes with a CD or download card as many do. (More fun to collect.)

The format isn't quite as important to me as what's on it (and sometimes how it's mastered for that format.) I bought the new masters of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and "Momentary Lapse of Reason" as iTunes LPs because they were cheaper than the physical copies and came with the artwork. I know I couldn't hear a bit of difference if I ABXed them with the CDs.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: soundping on 2012-06-14 09:38:10
Cheap Amazon or eBay CDs. 
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: slks on 2012-06-14 10:00:17
Well, primarily I get my music from online sources - MP3 or FLAC if available. Usually not from iTunes though - although I have used it a few times, and was satisfied with it (as a store, not as an audio player).

So digital is the primary way. Probably 90% of my music, I don't own in a physical format.

With albums that are especially important to me, I'd like to own a physical copy for my collection. I used to buy CDs for this purpose, but now I do vinyl. It makes a better collectible. You get much larger artwork and neat things like colored LPs or picture discs, oftentimes goodies like posters and digital download codes too. The last time I bought a CD was 4 or 5 years ago.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Ouroboros on 2012-06-14 10:53:56
CD. Downloads only if CDs aren't available. Never vinyl - it may make a better collectible (and I agree that the artwork is loads better, and I really miss the physical disc, picture discs, coloured vinyl etc.) - but it SOUNDS loads worse!
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-14 10:56:52
Hi,

actually, where is your first source of music?

Do you buy CD or you have chosen iTunes/digital online store?



Source of 'new' (as in 'recently acquired', with 'acquired' modified for streaming)? In order:
- stream (Spotify), probably first. And when I buy a CD, I have often found it on a streaming service first (that includes youtube)
- bootleg downloads (legally a grey area in my jurisdiction)
- new CDs
- download-from-artist (e.g. Bandcamp).
Have never bought from iTunes, though I have gotten some 'iTunes bonus tracks' from artists' web sites.

Source of music which I listen to? CDs which I have ripped. Have a few thousand, and they will outweigh the others (each and added-up!) for years.

I have a lot of vinyl, which I don't listen to. (Sell? Nah ...  )
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: probedb on 2012-06-14 11:52:40
CD if possible, FLAC download if not or MP3 if neither of those are possible.

I recently picked up the vinyl of the 40th anniversary release of Spiders From Mars purely because it came with a DVD with a variety of formats (96/24 PCM to 5.1 DD). I don't even own a record deck

However the CDs never see a CD player, they get ripped with dbPoweramp and then stuck on a shelf to look pretty. Music is backed up locally weekly and offsite monthly. I tried Spoon's AudioSafe but it's just too slow to archive 300GB+ when you only have a 768kbps upload speed.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: RonaldDumsfeld on 2012-06-14 14:16:30
New vinyl > used vinyl > used CD > new CD > lossless download > lossy download.

Physical copies from brick and mortar shops (usually Berwick St, Soho) or mail order from Juno. Also  amazon or Discogs in extremis.

Downloads from Beatport, Juno or occasionally via Spotify.

Listen to new stuff I might be interested in  on Spotify or youtube or wherever I can find it.

Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: JJZolx on 2012-06-14 15:11:20
I've been buying a lot of used CDs, mostly for $1 to $3, from people who "got everything on the iPod". At least 600 or so in the last three years. I've found a lot of CDs, particularly jazz recordings, that are now out of print. Also bought a lot of stuff that just looked like it could be interesting, which I can only afford to do when the CD costs a buck or two.

Walked away from several "take everything for fifty bucks" deals for hundreds of CDs, and one guy selling more that 1200 CDs who would only sell them as a lot. Sometimes you just don't need any more Travis Tritt in your collection. And people selling whole collections have usually trashed most of their CDs. Amazing, too, how may people try to sell burned CD-Rs.

I've never purchased a download.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: db1989 on 2012-06-14 15:16:37
I've been buying a lot of used CDs, mostly for $1 to $3, from people who "got everything on the iPod".
When someone mentioned buying second-hand CDs earlier, I wondered if this was the reason for their cheapness. I’m guilty of the converse: a lot of albums in my library were ripped from CDs that I later sold (for a pittance to a second-hand shop, mostly). :S

I always wrap my mind in knots when I try to ponder the legality: in some way, the artist is losing out on a sale, as this results in two digital copies of the album (one on CD, one on HD) existing when there ‘should’ only be one.

Oh well! If I fight the law, I doubt I’ll win.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: DonP on 2012-06-14 15:40:54
[
I always wrap my mind in knots when I try to ponder the legality: in some way, the artist is losing out on a sale, as this results in two digital copies of the album (one on CD, one on HD) existing when there ‘should’ only be one.

Oh well! If I fight the law, I doubt I’ll win.


AFAIK in the US if you transfer the license (aka sell/give the CD) the "fair use" aspect of  your copies vanishes.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Ouroboros on 2012-06-14 15:46:02
I'm the other way round - I buy second hand CDs (mostly from charity shops), rip them, then put them in storage, but never sell them. I keep all of my new CDs after ripping as well. I also wrangle, not with the legality of the second-hand CDs, but with the morality - after all, the artist got nothing when I bought the CD. My internal reconciliation is twofold:

- I have repeatedly bought new albums by artist X after first trying one of their albums second hand, so they get revenue that way
- I only buy from charity shops that (IMO) do real charitable work that I approve of, so I know that my money is being well spent on good causes.

Where I do occasionally still feel a little guilty is on the odd occasion I take my second hand CDs to a concert and get an artist to autograph them - but again, they got the revenue for the ticket / programme / T-Shirt, so maybe I should stop worrying.

I doubt my position would stand up in court, but the charity shop is at least as guilty as I am - it takes two to conclude the transaction!
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: JJZolx on 2012-06-14 16:05:42
I always wrap my mind in knots when I try to ponder the legality: in some way, the artist is losing out on a sale, as this results in two digital copies of the album (one on CD, one on HD) existing when there ‘should’ only be one.


I've always heard that this was illegal, at least in the US. Something like: You have every right to make copies for your own use while you have the CD, and you have every right to sell the CD, but once you no longer possess the CD you no longer have the legal rights to any copies.

Maybe that makes me just as guilty, knowing (or not knowing) that in many cases the previous owner is keeping a copy.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: yourlord on 2012-06-14 17:24:50
I buy CD and rip to FLAC. When I need a copy on a space-limited device I simply transcode down to whatever lossy format the player supports. Vorbis preferred.

I tend to buy a mix of new and used CD's from online (amazon) and brick and mortar shops as I come across them.

I always keep my CD copy.. I believe in having backups, and the CD acts as a great archival physical backup. They sit in their cases, in a cool dark space, and never get used.
Plus, if RIAA ever come a knocking I can just pull out my CD collection and tell them to get bent.

I've bought maybe 2 albums in digital form, mp3 320cbr format just because they were proving to be extremely difficult to find on CD. I've since then decided I'm not paying for lossy formats anymore. I have a great disdain for the fact those albums are forever format locked to mp3 in my collection due to the further degradation transcoding to a more efficient format would incur, even if I probably wouldn't be able to hear the difference.

I've never used itunes and never will. Apple is evil and I don't intend to fund them, or use their products in any way.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: db1989 on 2012-06-14 17:40:16
I always wrap my mind in knots when I try to ponder the legality: in some way, the artist is losing out on a sale, as this results in two digital copies of the album (one on CD, one on HD) existing when there ‘should’ only be one.

Oh well! If I fight the law, I doubt I’ll win.
AFAIK in the US if you transfer the license (aka sell/give the CD) the "fair use" aspect of  your copies vanishes.
I've always heard that this was illegal, at least in the US. Something like: You have every right to make copies for your own use while you have the CD, and you have every right to sell the CD, but once you no longer possess the CD you no longer have the legal rights to any copies.
Yeah, you both have the same presumptions as me about the legality. Does the fact that I don?t listen to much of that old stuff make me any less bad?

Maybe that makes me just as guilty, knowing (or not knowing) that in many cases the previous owner is keeping a copy.
Oh hey, I?m not meaning to guilt-trip anyone here ? apart from myself, maybe! ? just mentioning something that I thought of due to preceding discussion.

I'm the other way round - I buy second hand CDs (mostly from charity shops), rip them, then put them in storage, but never sell them. I keep all of my new CDs after ripping as well. I also wrangle, not with the legality of the second-hand CDs, but with the morality - after all, the artist got nothing when I bought the CD.
Maybe that makes me just as guilty, knowing (or not knowing) that in many cases the previous owner is keeping a copy.
Yeah, this is the other thing I think about, and I think meant to but somehow omitted to mention. Sure, the license is transferred, but as you said, the artist will never know of y/our appreciation ? and the same considerations from above might come into play, too.

More reasons to avoid CDs, eh?  Although I have bought quite a few physical releases lately, something of an oddity for me.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: mixminus1 on 2012-06-14 18:45:20
1) FLAC downloads when available (primarily Bandcamp, and occasionally via TuneCore from an artist's website)
2) iTunes or Amazon downloads
3) CDs from Amazon for favorite albums that I'd like to have a physical copy of (which are ripped to FLAC for archival/MP3 for the iPhone and promptly stored away)

I already owned a little over 300 CDs when I started downloading FLACs and AACs/MP3s in earnest a few years ago, and now the thought of all that completely non-recyclable polycarbonate and aluminum just sitting in a CD wallet is *my* guilt trip.

Yes, there is a certain degree of permanence to a CD, but even those can't be guaranteed forever, as many occurrences of "bit rot" have shown - the "cloud" ain't exactly 100% reliable, either.

Really, the best long-term archival strategy may be burning files (in their original format, be it lossless or lossy) to the "Millennium" DVD-Rs (I'm assuming/hoping Blu-rays are coming eventually).

...oh, and I'm with Ouroboros on vinyl:  love the big artwork, can't stand the various distortions and surface noises (not to mention the colossal PITA of just playing/ripping the damned things), so my vinyl library has stopped at about 30 albums.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: DVDdoug on 2012-06-14 19:59:26
1. New CD
2. Used CD (if it's not availabe new, or if I really just want one song, etc.)
3. MP3 download (if the CD is not available, or I don't want the whole album, etc.)

I've never purchased from iTunes.  Most my MP3s were ripped from my CDs (a few from borrowed CDs  ) .  My 1st choice for downloads is Amazon, but I've also downloaded CD Universe & Rhapsody.  For the most part I try to stay moral & legal, but I did illegally download one MP3 (I don't even remember what song it was, but I couldn't find it elsewhere), and I have a few more pirated MP3s given to me by friends.

When I decided to standardize on MP3, iTunes (AAC) were copy protected.    If I were starting-over today, I might choose AAC and use iTunes for downloads.

Like everybody else, I'm listening to physical CDs less and less.  I've had a laptop hooked-up to my living room system for a couple of years, and in the last few months I've added iPod hook-ups to both of my vehicles.

I've given-away most of my scratchy-old records left-over from the analog days.  I still have a few that are not available digitally and that I've not gotten around to digitizing.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-14 20:30:09
AFAIK in the US if you transfer the license (aka sell/give the CD) the "fair use" aspect of  your copies vanishes.

IANAL, but the obvious mistake in your reasoning is that you have bought into the MAFIAA's lie that you need a 'license' to play a CD. You don't. You buy a musical CD (... files might differ, not to mention streams, again, IANAL), just like you buy today's newspaper. Even under US legislation.

Therefore, your rights are not a matter of a 'license' (i.e. a contract set up by the record company), but a matter of what the law (and the courts) say you are allowed to do with things you own. (However, rightsholders might of course extend your rights, for example by handing a recording over to the public domain. The issue is, what are your minimum rights which they cannot deny you.) And, assuming that your copy is legal in the first place, it is not owned by the record company. Whether your legal copy remains a legal copy after you have sold (or lost!) the original, is a question which I will not try to give an answer to, but it isn't a matter of license, as there is none.

A couple of opinions on this and related matters:
http://www.stereophile.com/content/selling...#comment-340568 (http://www.stereophile.com/content/selling-cds-after-ripping-1#comment-340568)
http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2006/02/6190-2/ (http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2006/02/6190-2/)


(Luckily I live in a more civilized jurisdiction, but I am not even sure whether it has ever been clarified whether I can legally bring my cellphone into the US without deleting the mp3's on it. As they were created (and then copied onto the phone) outside US jurisdiction, they might not be protected: http://www.brdwlaw.com/blog/2011/08/first-...e-is-no-s.shtml (http://www.brdwlaw.com/blog/2011/08/first-use-doctrine-does-not-apply-to-copyrighted-material-manufactured-outside-the-us-google-is-no-s.shtml) .)
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: db1989 on 2012-06-14 20:45:52
http://www.stereophile.com/content/selling...#comment-340568 (http://www.stereophile.com/content/selling-cds-after-ripping-1#comment-340568)
Quote
Quote
In the upcoming issue of Playback magazine there will be an article addressing compression and audibility. The author compares the output of the original versus the compressed version on a matched bit-for-bit basis to determine if there are measurable differences. The comparison reveals differences in both frequency and amplitude. Both the article and the responses should prove interesting.
I have done this with earlier lossy codecs and reported on the results in Stereophile, if I remember correctly. Listening to the difference file is very instructive, as you hear all manner of cyclical errors and noise modulations, as well as variable frequency content. Perhaps I should post some of these files in our website archives, for readers to listen to and learn what musical information is being discarded by the codec.
DERP.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: dumdidum on 2012-06-14 21:11:26
one thing that bothers me is that some albums are more expensive as a FLAC download than as a (new) CD. that makes little sense to me given that a CD album is costlier to manufacture and distribute than a FLAC album. in any case, i put a little bit of value on the artwork and the backup functionality of an actual CD so I sometimes purchase CDs if they cost the same or ever-so-slightly-more than the lossless download. (but i'd prefer much more to purchase the lossless download at a significant discount over the CD.)

i also go for used & new CDs if i know or find out that the download comes from a different & inferior master.

i like house music and, unfortunately, there are quite a few vinyl-only releases in that genre, even today. so i still buy vinyl as well.

if lossless download is unavailable, i might purchase lossy. but it's actually pretty rare with contemporary electronic music releases that it's available as a download but exclusively as a lossy download.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Engelsstaub on 2012-06-14 23:15:56
(Luckily I live in a more civilized jurisdiction...


I don't wish to argue with you as I agree with the rest of your sentiments but...

I could think of far less trivial things to make such nationalistic and offensive comments over. None of them fall under topics within the scope of this forum, though. Norway is a great country and you should have some pride in your homeland, but clichéd snobbery (at best) is just an invitation to flaming.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: kornchild2002 on 2012-06-14 23:18:59
I used to primarily buy CDs so that I could have a lossless archive of my music.  My buying preferences have drastically changed over the last few years where I now primarily buy musing through the iTunes Store.  I will buy some albums/songs from the Amazon mp3 store if they are on sale.  Then I usually swap them out for 256kbps AAC iTunes Store versions since I like having my lossy library matching in terms of file type and encoding setting.  I will buy a CD only if it comes with special "CD only" content and/or if it is less expensive than downloading through iTunes.  I will also buy CDs when I go to festivals as I can get them signed or from the artists that I really want a physical copy for.  I would say about 90-95% of my music purchases come from the iTunes Store.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: 2Bdecided on 2012-06-18 14:06:42
CDs. Prices for new (i.e. not used) CDs that are more than a couple of years old just keep getting cheaper and cheaper.

The format can't have long left now. Which may prevent me from running out of space

Cheers,
David.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: rohangc on 2012-06-19 04:40:59
CDs only. I am not a big fan of "digital purchases".
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: odious malefactor on 2012-06-19 05:05:43
CDs only. I am not a big fan of "digital purchases".


CDs are inherently digital.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Kohlrabi on 2012-06-19 08:27:22
In that order

I avoid big stores like Amazon or iTunes for the vanishing payouts artists get from sales there.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: skamp on 2012-06-19 11:56:26
I avoid big stores like Amazon or iTunes for the vanishing payouts artists get from sales there.


Actually artists may make more money (http://www.cultofmac.com/38097/infographic-most-artists-earn-more-revenue-through-itunes-than-at-retail/) out of iTunes album sales than from retail CD sales.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Kohlrabi on 2012-06-19 12:15:37
Actually artists may make more money (http://www.cultofmac.com/38097/infographic-most-artists-earn-more-revenue-through-itunes-than-at-retail/) out of iTunes album sales than from retail CD sales.

It seems to strongly depend on the actual royalty deal, and whether you buy directly from iTunes or a reseller. The table is also kind of confusing since they put single track sales in there too. At least it is quite clear that Spotify and the like are really bad for artist revenues. Though this fact isn't that one dimensional, since Spotify can raise awareness and popularity, which in turn can lead to higher revenue in CD/digital sales. You also cannot really compare big label to small label to no label artists?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: onkl on 2012-06-19 13:30:45
1. Spotify, Youtube, illegal downloads
2. Digital releases from artists, Bandcamp and other means that get more money directly to the creators
3. Amazon
4. CD for everything else

I only keep physical media of my personal favourites and get rid of everything else. No need to fill my shelfs with plastic.
At the end of the day small artists should get the money they need, while big sellers do fine either way.

Haven't used a CD player in quite a while.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: frozenspeed on 2012-06-19 15:59:24
CDs all the way.

Wife & I also have a pretty impressive vinyl collection but mainly of stuff we can't find on cd and even more likely to satisfy some sense of aesthetic.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: ExUser on 2012-06-19 22:14:36
There are plenty of retailers offering FLAC downloads. I often frequent these. I also like Bandcamp. My ideal state is downloading an artist's music then shooting him money directly via eg. PayPal.

I refuse to pay for lossy media. I'm not a big fan of physical media. FLAC downloads -> happy Canar.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Satellite_6 on 2012-06-19 23:18:05
I searched around for FLAC downloads from artists I like and I was surprised to find some, but I like owning the CD.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Brand on 2012-06-20 09:52:25
http://www.cultofmac.com/38097/infographic...than-at-retail/ (http://www.cultofmac.com/38097/infographic-most-artists-earn-more-revenue-through-itunes-than-at-retail/)

Quote
for the vast majority of artists, iTunes gives them ... orders of magnitude more cash than any other digital music service out there.


That's not true. There are several cheaper than iTunes (for the artist) online stores out there (such as Bandcamp, for example).
iTunes might be cheaper than selling retail CDs, but when it comes to selling download tracks online, it's not that cheap at all.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: kornchild2002 on 2012-06-20 21:45:29
Are there numbers breaking down how much a band/artist/label has to spend to get their latest single on the iTunes Store vs. other services such as Amazon mp3 or Bandcamp?  It would be interesting to actually see the numbers instead of getting into a "yes hu" and "nu uh" kind of argument.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-20 22:45:57
- new CDs
- download-from-artist (e.g. Bandcamp).


Actually, I also try to buy my CDs primarily from the artist. If I plan to attend a concert in support of a new album, I often deliberately avoid buying it in advance, hoping that the $$s I pay for it at the concert will go into the musicians' pockets. (Which may fail, depending on the record contract, but at least there is a fair chance that I pay the bands a couple of beers to share.)
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Brand on 2012-06-21 08:33:01
Are there numbers breaking down how much a band/artist/label has to spend to get their latest single on the iTunes Store vs. other services such as Amazon mp3 or Bandcamp?

Bandcamp has their pricing explained in detail (http://bandcamp.com/pricing) and it comes to 15% (or 10%) of the sale price plus the Paypal fee and you can sell directly.
Some others don't explain it so clearly, but if you do a quick search you'll find that iTunes takes 30% of the sale price. In addition to that, you have to go through a label/distributer to be able to sell on iTunes. How much they charge depends, some charge a fixed yearly rate, some do a certain %. It's the same for Amazon. I don't know if either of these has some Paypal or credit card fees for receiving payments, I think those get handled through the distributer.
Google (https://play.google.com/artists/) takes 30% plus a one time $25 to sign up and you can sell directly. Payments go through Google Checkout and I don't know if there are additional fees involved there.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Nessuno on 2012-06-21 09:25:17
By the way: recently I started buying at eClassical (http://www.eclassical.com/) 16bit FLAC albums by BIS label and verifying a couple of them with XLD AccurateRip verify function, they actually appear to come from accurately ripped CDs, or at least the tracks are taken directly from the same master.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-21 11:14:10
BIS is a label who frequently employs pre-emphasis ( http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....st&p=796949 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=38312&view=findpost&p=796949) ), so I am curious whether you encounter some way-too-bright recordings that way?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Nessuno on 2012-06-21 12:00:53
BIS is a label who frequently employs pre-emphasis ( http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index....st&p=796949 (http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=38312&view=findpost&p=796949) ), so I am curious whether you encounter some way-too-bright recordings that way?

Fast answer: I wasn't aware of this issue and all I can say is that subjectively I'm very pleased with their overall sound quality.

This label seems even to have a certain audiophile pleasing inclination, for example in reporting the equipments used in recording sessions (you know, Neumann mikes, Studer consoles and all that stuff...) in the CD booklet (which BTW you can download  as a pdf together with the tracks, and that's definitely a plus when buying music on-line!  )
I have also a Fagius Bach recording by BIS and, by memory, the organ sounds quite "full bodied".

Anyway I'll investigate further...
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-21 12:28:04
I have also a Fagius Bach recording by BIS and, by memory, the organ sounds quite "full bodied".


Care to post the AccurateRip ID and CRC's?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Nessuno on 2012-06-21 17:25:56
I have also a Fagius Bach recording by BIS and, by memory, the organ sounds quite "full bodied".

Care to post the AccurateRip ID and CRC's?
This (http://www.eclassical.com/performers/fagius-hans/the-magic-of-bach-hans-fagius-plays-favourite-organ-works.html) is the album. Not found by XLD in AR db, anyway here there are the CRCs of each track from ReplayGain album scanning.

Code: [Select]
X Lossless Decoder version 20120609 (141.0)

XLD ReplayGain scanning logfile

TOC of the selected file
    Track |  Start  |  Length  | Start sector | End sector
    ---------------------------------------------------------
        1  | 00:00:00 | 02:49:00 |        0    |    12674 
        2  | 02:49:00 | 06:21:15 |    12675    |    41264 
        3  | 09:10:15 | 04:19:00 |    41265    |    60689 
        4  | 13:29:15 | 03:52:72 |    60690    |    78161 
        5  | 17:22:12 | 05:12:68 |    78162    |  101629 
        6  | 22:35:05 | 04:16:07 |    101630    |  120836 
        7  | 26:51:12 | 03:56:68 |    120837    |  138604 
        8  | 30:48:05 | 03:27:00 |    138605    |  154129 
        9  | 34:15:05 | 02:40:10 |    154130    |  166139 
      10  | 36:55:15 | 01:56:60 |    166140    |  174899 
      11  | 38:52:00 | 03:28:42 |    174900    |  190541 
      12  | 42:20:42 | 06:46:63 |    190542    |  221054 
      13  | 49:07:30 | 04:03:22 |    221055    |  239301 
      14  | 53:10:52 | 03:31:35 |    239302    |  255161 
      15  | 56:42:12 | 01:42:63 |    255162    |  262874 
      16  | 58:25:00 | 02:31:37 |    262875    |  274236 
      17  | 60:56:37 | 02:17:38 |    274237    |  284549 
      18  | 63:14:00 | 01:13:37 |    284550    |  290061 
      19  | 64:27:37 | 02:40:68 |    290062    |  302129 
      20  | 67:08:30 | 06:42:65 |    302130    |  332344 
      21  | 73:51:20 | 07:24:55 |    332345    |  365699 

All Tracks
    Album gain            : -1.47 dB
    Peak                  : 0.961609
    CRC32 hash            : FDBA745F
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 9B5EBBC9

Track 01
    Track gain            : -2.95 dB
    Peak                  : 0.921539
    CRC32 hash            : EABF3645
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : AD1EE588

Track 02
    Track gain            : -2.81 dB
    Peak                  : 0.907166
    CRC32 hash            : BD1B728D
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 3C402E28

Track 03
    Track gain            : 11.32 dB
    Peak                  : 0.161194
    CRC32 hash            : 828D49B8
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 13CE7328

Track 04
    Track gain            : -3.45 dB
    Peak                  : 0.904999
    CRC32 hash            : F5414995
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : D6E1FC9F

Track 05
    Track gain            : 6.97 dB
    Peak                  : 0.330658
    CRC32 hash            : 4B403E35
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 5AB937B2

Track 06
    Track gain            : 15.60 dB
    Peak                  : 0.133240
    CRC32 hash            : DD9FB411
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : AEEE11FD

Track 07
    Track gain            : 8.30 dB
    Peak                  : 0.272614
    CRC32 hash            : F55A42F2
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : C6F3A4E0

Track 08
    Track gain            : 3.74 dB
    Peak                  : 0.426575
    CRC32 hash            : 30537CBD
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 98FC22FF

Track 09
    Track gain            : 3.57 dB
    Peak                  : 0.360596
    CRC32 hash            : 3A97B399
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 8D4C979B

Track 10
    Track gain            : 4.67 dB
    Peak                  : 0.383301
    CRC32 hash            : FDF90B62
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 4A97ED46

Track 11
    Track gain            : -2.50 dB
    Peak                  : 0.835907
    CRC32 hash            : C194AF34
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 9E6F7935

Track 12
    Track gain            : -0.41 dB
    Peak                  : 0.961609
    CRC32 hash            : 04C9D9E7
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 06088AA1

Track 13
    Track gain            : 13.22 dB
    Peak                  : 0.125305
    CRC32 hash            : B1EE1DFA
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 551D7069

Track 14
    Track gain            : -1.84 dB
    Peak                  : 0.783752
    CRC32 hash            : DE1CB362
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 4AAD9B8E

Track 15
    Track gain            : 5.50 dB
    Peak                  : 0.338501
    CRC32 hash            : 9B68CEC5
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 045CC73E

Track 16
    Track gain            : -3.26 dB
    Peak                  : 0.768616
    CRC32 hash            : D41D7C55
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : C351FB24

Track 17
    Track gain            : 8.17 dB
    Peak                  : 0.235260
    CRC32 hash            : 49BBEF7D
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 67C7FB22

Track 18
    Track gain            : 1.58 dB
    Peak                  : 0.508331
    CRC32 hash            : 41B083E5
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : E60F2083

Track 19
    Track gain            : 7.19 dB
    Peak                  : 0.280151
    CRC32 hash            : 5AC949EA
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : E0F306EA

Track 20
    Track gain            : -1.73 dB
    Peak                  : 0.782013
    CRC32 hash            : 7DC5CC40
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 71B7F151

Track 21
    Track gain            : -0.32 dB
    Peak                  : 0.671753
    CRC32 hash            : B03EE7E8
    CRC32 hash (skip zero) : 18CA202A

End of status report
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-21 22:25:25
This (http://www.eclassical.com/performers/fagius-hans/the-magic-of-bach-hans-fagius-plays-favourite-organ-works.html) is the album. Not found by XLD in AR db, anyway here there are the CRCs of each track


I have the complete organ works, not that compilation CD. Just checked the two first tracks (the 565) and the durations don't match (2:49.493 (7 474 656 samples) and 6:16.507 (16 603 944 samples)), and neither do the ReplayGain figures (which, by the way, change only .1 dB if I switch pre-emphasis on or off).

So, obviously a different master. Which isn't bad news.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Nessuno on 2012-06-22 08:20:56
So, obviously a different master. Which isn't bad news.

Very likely, especially if you have the Brilliant CD box.
This BIS album I have is a 2005 reissue of late '80 recordings: the BWV 565  is from february '88. Do the dates match, at least?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-22 09:21:17
So, obviously a different master. Which isn't bad news.

Very likely, especially if you have the Brilliant CD box.
This BIS album I have is a 2005 reissue of late '80 recordings: the BWV 565  is from february '88. Do the dates match, at least?


February 1988 is within the 1983–89 bracket stated on http://www.bis.se/people_info.php?pID=1623 (http://www.bis.se/people_info.php?pID=1623) . No date is given on my box, but the organ is: the Wahlberg organ in Fredrikskyrkan, Karlskrona. (Fagius gives some information on it in the liner notes.) The 17 CD box of mine seems to be the same master (apart from a likely different write offset) as the BIS original.
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Nessuno on 2012-06-22 18:49:19
the organ is: the Wahlberg organ in Fredrikskyrkan, Karlskrona. (Fagius gives some information on it in the liner notes.)

Exactly: The reconstructed 1764 Wahlberg organ of Fredrikskyrkan, Karlskrona, Sweden.
By the way: is there in those CDs a night and day difference between pre-emphasis on/off or more subtle (but still perceivable according to TOS#8 )?
Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: Porcus on 2012-06-22 20:15:41
By the way: is there in those CDs a night and day difference between pre-emphasis on/off or more subtle (but still perceivable according to TOS#8 )?


Large, but remember you don't do ABX here, you just got X

Title: CD vs iTunes: where you buy your music?
Post by: 2tec on 2015-02-21 15:17:20
I still buy CDs, as cheaply as possible. I think I prefer the physical security of a CD over a download from a data retention perspective. It would be ugly but possible to rerip my entire physical collection, but would it really be possible to re-download all my online purchases? Would I even remember what I had and where I downloaded it from, is what I'm not so sure about.

I shop at garage sales, local music shops, thrift stores, from the artist, Discogs, Ebay, Amazon & occasionally, Bandcamp.