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Topic: Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore? (Read 25869 times) previous topic - next topic
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Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

When you buy a CD, is it merely a vehicle to get the songs on your computer in mp3, flac, AAC, or whatever? I have a 224 capacity CD wallet I keep my CDs in in alphabetical order.  I keep my jewel cases in the bottom shelf of my bookcase that I just organized today. I find doing this sort of thing helps me appreciate the music more.  It forces me to use my CD walkman, which in turn forces me to chill out on the sofa with the lights low and really listen. I think it's rather pointless to buy CDs if you don't care about artwork/liner notes (I do), and you're just going to store the CDs away once done ripping them. What's the point of having a CD if you aren't going to spin it around.  "Semi" rant over.  So, anyone still listen to their CDs?  Honestly, I think someone like myself would be better suited to vinyl, but kind of pointless since all my collection is in CD-audio format, except for like one cassette.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #1 –
I guess it's inevitable that some people find inconveniences charming.
elevatorladylevitateme

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: shakey_snake on
I guess it's inevitable that some people find inconveniences charming.


Not really inconvenient. It keeps things simple. I'm also not stressing over codecs, ripping errors, tags, DRM, etc.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #3 –
A few days of posting. You like dribble. You like CD's. We get it.


terry

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #5 –
Only while I was driving

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Sound-of-Muzak on
Not really inconvenient. It keeps things simple.
That's how the Amish feel about everything. 

Really my point is that using a computer to be able to switch around between media and such is a convenience.
Not using one intentionally is inconveniencing yourself.

You may find it more rewarding, which is fine, people do this about lots of things. It's part of human nature, really.

But lets call it for what it is.
elevatorladylevitateme

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #7 –
I chill on the sofa with my 120gb iPod...Just as relaxing and great not having to worry about losing my original cd's!

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #8 –
Quote from: shakey_snake on
Quote from: Sound-of-Muzak on
Not really inconvenient. It keeps things simple.
That's how the Amish feel about everything. 

Really my point is that using a computer to be able to switch around between media and such is a convenience.
Not using one intentionally is inconveniencing yourself.

You may find it more rewarding, which is fine, people do this about lots of things. It's part of human nature, really.

But lets call it for what it is.


Relatively, yes, it's an inconvenience. 

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #9 –
My CDs serve one purpose: lossless backups.  The first thing I do when I get a CD is rip it to Apple lossless.  I then encode those lossless files to -q0.50 using Nero and set the CDs on my shelf never touching them again.  In fact, I would switch to sole digital distribution if they offered lossless files for the same prices as current lossy encodes (lossless services are normally more expensive).

Are you saying that people who just rip their CDs aren't actually listening to the music on them?  I beg to differ.  Ripping an audio CD allows me to carry it on my iPod and thus take it anywhere.  I actually think that people who listen to just CDs really aren't unlocking the full potential of their libraries.  My 120GB iPod classic with a pair of over-the-ear headphones, USB2.0 cable, component video cables, and AC adapter take up a little more space than a 12 disc CD carrying case.  I can fit my netbook along with it's AC adapter and the previously described items in about the same amount of space as a 24 disc CD holder.  Why would I sacrifice so much space just to carry around my CDs?  I still have my Sony Walkman from oh so long ago.  It was Sony's generation 2 CD Walkman (couldn't stand the first generation) that came with rechargeable AA batteries, an AC adapter, a tape deck adapter, and headphones.  The equipment for the Walkman and the Walkman itself take up a ton of space.  Luckily I had a 12 disc CD holder with a built-in Walkman compartment (it had another compartment for the headphones, batteries, AC adapter, and cassette adapter).  My only issue was that carrying around 12 hours of music wasn't enough (with the average CD holding 60 minutes of music).  So I purchased a 100 disc CD carrier.  All of the sudden, over 1/4 of my backpack was being taken up with my CDs.

Now, with my iPod, I can carry around my entire lossy library along with over a dozen movies (WALL-E, The Dark Knight, etc.), the new season of South Park, every digital picture I have, every music video I have, and a pair of headphones larger than what I used with my Sony Walkman all in less space.  Additionally, I can plug my iPod into my car's factory CD deck and have access to my entire lossy library.  This is something I simply cannot do with CDs unless I were to fill up the back seat and trunk of my car with nothing but CDs and pull the car over about once every 6 hours (it has a sic disc CD deck) to change discs out from the trunk.  That is something I simply cannot do.

I would rather "stress" over choosing the appropriate lossy codec, ripping errors (oh, dBpowerAMP and syncing with AccurateRip is just giving me headaches!), tags (that damned dBpowerAMP doesn't do anything in this regard), and DRM (that damned dBpowerAMP keeps adding DRM to my files!) than have to worry about space constraints just for taking 12 CDs with me.

The reason I buy CDs is because that is really the only legal way to obtain lossless versions of the albums I want.  Otherwise I would stick to digital distribution.  I do care about CD inserts and packaging but the iTunes Store is now providing CD inserts and packaging with many of their downloads in the form of PDF files.


The above takes up more space and holds a lot less music than this (something which fits in my pocket):


I still enjoy my CDs and purchase CDs exclusively unless a service (either the iTunes Store or Amazon mp3 store) offer up something exclusive (single, b-side, bonus tracks, etc.).  I also like to get my CD inserts signed by the artists.  I have over 25 autographed CDs in my collection and I plan on drastically increasing that number in about two weeks (yay Music As A Weapon IV!).  However, when it comes to actually listening to the music, I don't think anything can beat having your entire library in a device that takes up less than half the space of a portable CD player.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #10 –
Other than the sheer convenience, Replay Gain is probably my biggest reason for not opening my disks more often.

[edit] shear!=sheer
elevatorladylevitateme

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #11 –
Almost never, for a couple of reasons:
easier to carry around a portable than a ton of CDs and a player
Never have to bother to change CDs
I can watch video on it as well

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #12 –
kornchild, I am not saying that all people don't really listen to their mp3s on their computer, but I do tend to zone out more. Just personally I would rather listen to the CD because it's right there.  I am not bashing anyone's method of listening, just wondering if anyone else is like me here, and from the looks of it so far, probably not.  I still listen to mp3s, particularly obscure stuff that friends share with me that I would otherwise have to pay like $30 for on amazon as an import. But for the most part, I just listen to CDs.  My Car cd player doesn't play mp3 discs, only audio discs, and I do burn mp3s to audio CDs for the car just because I don't want to scratch my originals.  I still use mp3, just predominantly listen in CD form. iPods are great for people who are on the go all the time, I just never felt the need to own one. It is nice having your whole collection in your pocket, don't get me wrong.  I'm just the type who will listen to a favorite album 20 times in a row and not get sick of it. I also never felt the need to carry around a giant CD case with me, a small one will do.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Sound-of-Muzak on
Not really inconvenient. It keeps things simple. I'm also not stressing over codecs, ripping errors, tags, DRM, etc.

I don't stress over those things any longer. Once you acclimate yourself to The Way, you just go through the process and you're done. Bada bing bada boom.

These days, I actually find the whole thing relaxing.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #14 –
Quote from: Sound-of-Muzak on
... forces me to chill out on the sofa with the lights low and really listen.


I understand you. Every once in a while, but very seldom, I do the same with my old stationary CD player and some treasured album.

CDs are the best source for lossless purchases, as Kornchild has said. And I would never want to miss the benefits of my AAC collection and DAP again. So there is a raison d'être for both worlds, but maybe really not so much for a (semi) rant...

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #15 –
I'm one of the lucky ones who doesn't really care whether his MP3 encodings sound absolutely identical to the original CD at all times or not. I've carried out some informal ABX testing with LAME at -V3 and found that it convinces me nearly 100% of the time that I'm hearing the original CD regardless of what equipment I listen to it on, so I'm happy to settle for that.

All of the CDs I buy get taken out of their cases once, ripped to MP3 with LAME and then tucked away somewhere safe and forgotten about. I have no further use for them unless my multiple backups of the MP3s all croak simultaneously, and that's pretty darned unlikely. It'll be a cold day in Hell before I can't find a device of some kind capable of playing back MP3s, so I don't envisage ever needing the CDs again to be honest.

The MP3s sound fantastic to me on the home surround system via an optical digital connection from the PC media centre, on a pair of Sennheiser HD447 cans plugged straight into the analogue output of the PC media centre soundcard, on my Sumvision ICE800 DAP on a pair of Sennheiser PX200 cans, and in the car on an Alpine head-unit that supports playback of MP3 files from CD-R media.

I realise that it's not an approach that would suit everyone, but I'm perfectly happy to do things this way and my ears still seem to love me.

Cheers, Slipstreem. 

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #16 –
I don't think I've listened to a CD in over a year. If I want to listen to my stereo I'll just dock my iPod and listen to music from that, rather than a CD.

To be truthful, I look at CDs as an inconvenience these days. I have my collection backed up multiple times and if I really had to I could mostly rebuild it via the internet. CDs only take up space I could be using for something else.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #17 –
Quote
Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?
Nope.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #18 –
Last CD listen at home: 2002

Serious tip'o'the hat to Slipstream - I too don't care if my MP3's sound identical to the CD, and for me an early ABX experience convinced me that I can't really hear the difference 99%+ of the time, then later I decided I didn't care even if I could.  LAME v4 it is; never looked back.

Still have my original CDs as final backup option and some strange sense that I need to still own them if I'm going to listen to their music, even in MP3 form...but their cases are sure getting dusty.

Was that a 1 or a 0?

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #19 –
Quote from: Fandango on
Quote
Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?
Nope.

Last CD I bought was 6 months ago. The sound sucked and I liked only 2 out of the 12 tracks. Since then I've been downloading single MP3 tracks from Walmart, 44.1 kHz Hi-rez albums from B&W Music Club and  albums from HD Tracks in FLAC.

Except for comparison with my computer source audio, I don't play CDs anymore.

In process of ripping tracks off my collection of over 500 CDs. Using EAC to FLAC.
Carbona not glue.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #20 –
i listen to CDs all the time.


later

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #21 –
Like kornchild2002, I buy CDs so that I can own a physical, lossless copy of the recorded music. I immediately back them up to FLAC files and transcode those into the lossy format of my choice. If I can't buy music on a CD, as far as I am concerned, its not worth buying anyway.

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #22 –
I listen to them in my car, otherwise i back them up to flac to play on my computer, then convert to ogg for my portable, but im with alot of what was said, it is still the only legal way to get drm free etc. etc. lossless files, i do enjoy the liner notes, and the occasional band (eg Tool) that actually makes the case part of the art

by the way, i cant hear the difference between lossless and lossy the vast majority of the time (when its done right) but im basicly high order OCD  so i keep a lossless backup
My $.02, may not be in the right currency

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #23 –
I buy CDs all the time but never listen to them....I still prefer owning the CD, especially limited editions, boxed sets etc.

"I would rather listen to the CD because it's right there".....makes no sense how is my squeezebox or iPhone not "right there"?

Even in the car I'm switching over to one of Alpine's media players which has no CD player built in. I have more music on my iPhone which is with me all the time than I can fit on to a DVD full of MP3s so why would I just want to use CDs in the car? After all sound quality in the car is actually less important because of the amount of noise in there!

Anyone here listen to their CDs anymore?

Reply #24 –
I still listen to actual CDs, though it's quite funny when I can't find the actual physical disc I want (given that everything is organised by default on a PC!). They used to be stored alphabetically, but I gave up on that about five years ago, so it's a bit random now.

It's got nothing to do with sound quality. I'm just not organised enough to have everything as an mp3 available in every room. There are still <counts> 8 CD players in our house+car, 5 in (at least) weekly use. 2 mp3 players, both in daily use.

We wrote off our old car the other week. That was the end of listening to cassettes  !

Cheers,
David.