The CD vs. Streaming

[RichardB]

Surely “Spotify “ is a metaphor for all streaming platforms.

If that's the case, though, it seems less likely that all streaming services will disappear in the longer term than that CD players will become increasingly difficult to buy or to service.

I don't really understand the nostalgia for obsolete technology here - when CDs arrived they were smaller than LPs, less prone to physical degradation, had longer playing times without a break in the middle, cheaper and less material-intensive to produce and (at least potentially) sounded better. Letting go of the physical sound-carrier improves further on all of those aspects.

[Bryn]

If that's the case, though, it seems less likely that all streaming services will disappear in the longer term than that CD players will become increasingly difficult to buy or to service.

I don't really understand the nostalgia for obsolete technology here - when CDs arrived they were smaller than LPs, less prone to physical degradation, had longer playing times without a break in the middle, cheaper and less material-intensive to produce and (at least potentially) sounded better. Letting go of the physical sound-carrier improves further on all of those aspects.

Some very valid points, there. Oppo's abandonment of optical disc production should act as a warning. The product cycle of CDs and their players is approaching its close, though I suppose, it may be extended and experience a marginal resurgence in the way vinyl discs and their players have. A niche market for Compact Cassettes has emerged but how many new cassette players are being manufactured?

[AuntDaisy]

Some very valid points, there. Oppo's abandonment of optical disc production should act as a warning. The product cycle of CDs and their players is approaching its close, though I suppose, it may be extended and experience a marginal resurgence in the way vinyl discs and their players have. A niche market for Compact Cassettes has emerged but how many new cassette players are being manufactured?

I still enjoy and collect CDs (but not 5000!) - the sleeve notes are a source of endless joy. (I find it more difficult / less satisfying reading them as digital versions, e.g. PDF.)

What about the Toshiba Aurex Hi-Res Cassette deck? Bow down ye lowly CDs and gaze upon the wonder that is tape.
Interesting review from Techmoan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD8i5zwtOmc

https://www.whathifi.com/news/toshiba-tape-player-promises-high-res-audio-cassettes

[EnemyoftheStoat]

I don't see much point in dumping the few Gergiev recordings I have. I will, however, continue not to purchase such in future.

Thinking about it, I'm not sure I've ever actually bought a Gergiev recording, thanks to having a partner in the industry who could scoop up comps from certain labels on request. The same is almost true for his concerts, except for the Prom where they performed all the Prokofiev PCs. An abiding memory from that one is the heavies, kitted out by Thug at C&A, who positioned themselves in front of the stage to deter physical assaults on Gergiev, who was much-loved even then.

[LHC]

I still enjoy and collect CDs (but not 5000!) - the sleeve notes are a source of endless joy. (I find it more difficult / less satisfying reading them as digital versions, e.g. PDF.)

What about the Toshiba Aurex Hi-Res Cassette deck? Bow down ye lowly CDs and gaze upon the wonder that is tape.
Interesting review from Techmoan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD8i5zwtOmc

https://www.whathifi.com/news/toshiba-tape-player-promises-high-res-audio-cassettes

The conclusion from that video appears to be, if you want to play cassettes, buy a Nakamichi.

[AuntDaisy]

The conclusion from that video appears to be, if you want to play cassettes, buy a Nakamichi.

Wish I could afford one.

[Bryn]

I still enjoy and collect CDs (but not 5000!) - the sleeve notes are a source of endless joy. (I find it more difficult / less satisfying reading them as digital versions, e.g. PDF.)

What about the Toshiba Aurex Hi-Res Cassette deck? Bow down ye lowly CDs and gaze upon the wonder that is tape.
Interesting review from Techmoan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD8i5zwtOmc

https://www.whathifi.com/news/toshiba-tape-player-promises-high-res-audio-cassettes

Hi-Res from 1;5 mm tracks running at 47.6 mm/s? I don't think so.

Note the USB(?) and SD card slots. That's where the Hi-Res might apply.

[AuntDaisy]

Hi-Res from 1;5 mm tracks running at 47.6 mm/s? I don't think so.

Tongue very firmly in cheek.

[hmvman]

A niche market for Compact Cassettes has emerged but how many new cassette players are being manufactured?

I think they tend to be 'boom boxes' or similar. As I understand it there is only one cassette mechanism being manufactured in China. It's pretty basic but it's all there is.

[Bryn]

I think they tend to be 'boom boxes' or similar. As I understand it there is only one cassette mechanism being manufactured in China. It's pretty basic but it's all there is.

I must admit that I still listen with pleasure to recordings made on my Walkman Pro (the original version with Dolby B but not C) and a couple of three-head Sony Dolby S decks. Drop-outs and fades from those were far less drastic than a missed helical scan from a DAT or annoying quiet ticking from VHS HiFi.

[hmvman]

I listen to CDs, LPs, cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, shellac discs, and cylinders, and enjoy them all. Sorry, Richard!

[richardfinegold]

If that's the case, though, it seems less likely that all streaming services will disappear in the longer term than that CD players will become increasingly difficult to buy or to service.

I don't really understand the nostalgia for obsolete technology here - when CDs arrived they were smaller than LPs, less prone to physical degradation, had longer playing times without a break in the middle, cheaper and less material-intensive to produce and (at least potentially) sounded better. Letting go of the physical sound-carrier improves further on all of those aspects.

Fully agreed. The vinyl resurgence defies belief. CDs and their descendants-namely SACD and Blu Ray-are vastly superior physical media. However look where the money is. The music industry made around $20billion last year, the most since the early nineties, up from around $6B in the early 2000s after Napster and other file sharing services filleted their business model. Streaming meets the needs of the industry-no pesky inventory, middlemen record shops, etc.- and consumers, the younger of which have been conditioned for two generations now to seek entertainment content from a computer and mobile devices. Streaming isn’t disappearing.

[RichardB]

I listen to CDs, LPs, cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, shellac discs, and cylinders, and enjoy them all. Sorry, Richard!

I don't think I or anyone else is suggesting that people don't enjoy obsolete media, just that they aren't the future (as a response to the article linked in the OP).

I've mentioned here before that I needed to digitise a lot of irreplaceable old cassettes so I decided to get myself a good machine on eBay (Revox rather than Nakamichi) and then sell it when I was finished. Fifteen years later I still have it of course. Such things could be picked up relatively cheaply back then.

[cloughie]

I listen to CDs, LPs, cassettes, reel-to-reel tapes, shellac discs, and cylinders, and enjoy them all. Sorry, Richard!

Nipper knows best!

[gradus]

I've not been able to play 78s since getting rid of my 301 some years back but I've kept them though disconcertingly I occasionally find breakages where they have been squashed as I've tried to withdraw LPs from tightly packed shelves. The last such casualty was that lovely recording of the Meistersinger Quintet from 1931, Schumann, Melchior, Schorr, Parr, Williams, voice types that have regrettably all but disappeared, intensely beautiful and accompanied by the LSO under Barbirolli - its here though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pKoWrFJWiw.