I love the new Blue Note reissues too, I’m going to have to check out Verve’s reissues, thanks!
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I have some cassettes Cr02 from Musical Heritage Society. It was an incredible discovery that a Dolby B cassette allowed you to carry an entire album in your shirt pocket, and you could dub your records onto a cassette and play them on an aftermarket deck in your car. I have a very cool cassette of the last broadcast on a hippy station from 1972. The “DJ” was high, had wind chimes in the background. I went on to have a Nakamichi Dragon which went some years ago to a Ebayer. Back on topic: I am guessing I have a couple thousand CDs and SACDs, but I tend to just play Qobuz. Unlike a real enthusiast, I almost never sit and listen to even a complete song much less an album. And if I did…I would be on my iPad at the same time. My concern is less for meta data than for why my wife and I are stuck in the Sanitorium on Until Dawn (PS5).
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Hey, I’m an old man whose hands more and more are trying to go on strike.
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I got some reel to reel tapes from them in the 70s
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I explain it this way: Those who use mainly or entirely vinyl are attracted to that aspect of the hobby specifically. The only way they can get new material is to buy records, which often are sold as collector’s items, increasing interest to many LP-philes. It doesn’t seem to matter to vinyl lovers that only a minuscule fraction of the newly recorded catalog is available on LP.
Those who are interested in access to a wider selection of music, especially music that is being performed now, lean more towards digital, of necessity. For such people, moving to a streaming service is natural, and with that, the number of CDs bought declines.
I went to a lot of trouble to set up a vintage vinyl rig. I still had my Pioneer PL-71 from ~1975 so I got a new cartridge, a record mat, a record cleaning machine. I dug out my old albums and cleaned most of them up. I listened to a few. That was about five years ago. I haven’t played a vinyl record since I discovered Roon. The time and trouble to play a record combined with the impossible to ignore record noise is simply not worth it.
I just cover all bases, apart from r2r which I managed to get away from a couple years ago.
That’s a shame, considering that’s the best analog format.
I do totally agree on that but it is also by far the most expensive and most maintenance involved of the " big three" analog options.
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But you have no problem paying 3x more for vinyl than for CD.
Kevin has stated many times that he does as I do and frequents charity shops with vinyl in. Pop in one, you will find that they don’t cost that much.
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Those are more often than not poorly maintained. I’ll let restoration experts deal with those. Besides, it seems vinyl sales increase is driven by new records, not old.
Vinyl sales surpassed CD sales in the US and WW last year. CDs are now a niche business and IMHO they will slowly go away. CDs provided a lossless and super convenient format format. Digital is as good or better and is cheaper to produce so there is little reason for CDs to remain. I wish that wasn’t so but thats where my money is.
Vinyl will likely be here to stay as it is a revered niche format. Many feel they sound better than CDs and digital and are the best audiophile format. It will never be more than niche but it is currently a growth business and I don’t think it’s going away.
I will also note cassette sales are also growing and I have absolutely no idea why…
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That’s a compliment to me.
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Darko seems to have a different take FWIW.
I meant actual experts, but sure. Most likely the cheap records found in charity stores are already available in digital format.
I’m fully aware of the meaning behind your posts, luckily I can work out that they are just opinions the same as every one else’s including my own.
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Yet something tells me (things you said in the past) that you have an idea of how many and for how log had (some still have) the same opinion about Vinyl!
So is the SACD for the digital, yet is nowhere near extinction.
Anyway, to all of you betting on the CD’s death, please send yours in my direction, I’m still spining my CD Players 24/7 (long may they live)!
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I hardly call running a few dirty records through my us cleaning rig a huge chore.
Heat up the water, load up records on the rotating spindle, lower into water, wander off and do whatever else is on my honeydo in list.
Return in 45 minutes or so, remove from the bath and leave to air dry on a rack.
But I think it may well be best for me to simply ignore all future posts and jibes by @Marian .
Unfortunately posts of that nature were one of the main reasons for leaving the Audiogon forums after many years.
No offense but please ignore me as well.
Take care!
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I don’t pretend to know the future any better than anyone else but like everyone else I have my opinions. What I do know is that Vinyl and yes SACDs (they deserved to be mentioned separate from CDs), are niche, premium formats that command high margins. High margin premium businesses tend to stick around.
CDs were designed for the mass market. They owned it for a long time. I love CDs and wish they would not go away. I have thousands of them and continue to buy them. But digital now owns the mass market. People don’t buy CDs because it’s the best audiophile format. That means it will be under pressure given rapidly declining sales and there are better options if you’re looking for premium formats. But in the music industry formats die long slow deaths. If CDs go away, and I do believe they will, it will take a long time.
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