Is it really worth buying CDs?

[Bryn]

CDs were developed by Philips (and by Sony) as a storage medium for data in a digital format - initially music, then data, video, whatever - so EA is correct to say that they are digital. While the source material might be analog in nature, it still has to be converted to a digital format. And your use of an expression which, if I used it here in the Alpes Maritimes, would get me a thump on the nose or worse is a bit excessive, n'est-ce pas?

Surely Thropplenoggin's use of the phrase was as self-criticism for his or her crass error in counter-posing 'digital' to 'CD'? Every schoolboy knows that CD is a digital technology.

[Hornspieler]

I didn't really start a serious collection of CDs until 1998, but by 2000, I had copied all of my 78s and LPs onto CDs, printing my own labels and cover information as I went along. Then I made copies of all my cassettes - both off air and commercial recordings - to cover deterioration of this fragile medium (even among some commercial tapes). In all those cases, I have kept the originals. Open reel tapes came next and I started to increase my collection of CDs via Britannia Music.

But CDs can deteriorate over the months (especially "home recorded" CD-Rs), so I had to go back to some of the original disks and cassettes and start again. So, don't scrap them until the "managing director" starts to blow a few fuses.

Using "Magix Audio Cleaning Labs" or similar software on my computer(s), I can now record from radio and transfer to CD those recordings that I wish to keep; but wavefiles take up a lot of disk space and I only found the solution 3 years ago.

External Hard Drive My 1 Terrabyte detachable drive can hold hours of music (as well as backup data from both computers) so I record everything (Proms, PO3, etc) and the act of deleting what I do not wish to keep is only a keystroke away. Some, but not all of what remains, I then copy to CD to add to my library of recorded music.

I can play my CDs in the lounge, the car, my Sony Walkman (but I don't) and I have the reassurance of knowing that a rescue passage is available in the event of disasters ranging from CD distortion to a complete computer crash. There's a lot of talk about insurance these days. This is one form that you don't need to scour comparison web sites to cover your investment.

HS

BTW My External Hard drive cost me only £68. Try your local computer specialist.

[gradus]

I have almost stopped buying cds as I find most of the music I want on Spotify Premium. OK there are some problems with the search system and you need to dig a little sometimes but it is streamed in good quality sound, is technically stable and reliable and avoids storage problems. I have kept my cds but use them rarely - rather like my lps.

[HighlandDougie]

Surely Thropplenoggin's use of the phrase was as self-criticism for his or her crass error in counter-posing 'digital' to 'CD'? Every schoolboy knows that CD is a digital technology.

Ah, let's hope so.

[martin_opera]

We are so very lucky to have so much choice (but does that choice really help us listen to our music). I rather think I've become my own manic DJ. I play music on my laptop all day (at 320kbps through Teufel speakers, which in my small home office sound superb) and when on the train or walking I listen through my i-pod (again at 320kbps) - all 450 GB worth backed up on an external hard drive. I rarely play CDs anymore and yet continue to purchase them and download them to my laptop. The main reason being that second hand they are often cheaper than downloads and there is a certain joy to seeing shelves of lovely boxes and the glint of the DG yellow label against the red of EMI.
I need a new CD player and was nearly convinced by the Brennan but have ultimately decided on a good SACD system. Bringing the music alive through greater sound quality and definition seems more important than easy access, plus I have a small but growing collection of SACDs that I have never really "heard" (Abbado Mahler 6, Kempf in Gershwin and Mackerras in Mozart). It may even tempt me to do what I used to do and listen to my music rather than play it.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Surely Thropplenoggin's use of the phrase was as self-criticism for his or her crass error in counter-posing 'digital' to 'CD'? Every schoolboy knows that CD is a digital technology.

It's actually quite a widespread misconception. Not surprisingly, they get it wrong in Gramophone. I recall a reference to Hyperion being slow to "go digital" when in fact they had done so in the mid-1980s.

[Ferretfancy]

You only have to read the comments here about the various downloading methods, with all the arguments and techie talk to realise that there is still a lot to be said for putting a disc into a tray and pressing start.
As for the survival of the medium, well, my local Oxfam shop recently had a nice collection of 78s in excellent condition, in new plain sleeves. They were bought within a few days.
As long as equipment exists to play them, solid media should outlast us all, whereas digital formats soon become obsolete on our computers.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

As long as equipment exists to play them, solid media should outlast us all, whereas digital formats soon become obsolete on our computers.

Oh dear me -now you are doing it too, Ff. Perhaps the word "digital" in this context should be replaced by the word "virtual"?

[Bryn]

It's actually quite a widespread misconception. Not surprisingly, they get it wrong in Gramophone. I recall a reference to Hyperion being slow to "go digital" when in fact they had done so in the mid-1980s.

Indeed. On this occasion I omitted any emoticon indicating irony since I thought that too might be considered crass. I must admit I also find myself chuckling over the FM versus 'digital' debate regarding Radio 3. As far as I am aware, all current Radio 3 broadcasts go through at least one 'digital' stage before reaching their transmitters, and at one time that meant 32kHz sampling (anything higher was then considered wasteful since FM was filtered above approximately 15kHz anyway), and often the use of a lossy codec too, since everything had to be squeezed through a pair of BT ISDN lines for live outside broadcasts.

[Mandryka]

I've commented elsewhere on here about my dislike of downloads and other 'digital media'. The only downloads I have ever bought have been from Classical Music Mobile, as I couldn't obtain physical copies at a reasonable price.

Yes, 'download talk' still seems to be encrusted with jargon known only to the owlish and the anally retentive. I would far rather take a disc out of its case, put it in the tray and hit 'play', while then settling down to read the liner notes.

I also tend to be scornful of people who would have me believe that CDs sound 'cold' and are inferior to vinyl/whatever. To my ears (which is all that matters - to me), they are STILL the best sound-carrying unit I have ever heard, or am ever likely to hear.

But to answer the question posed by the thread title: YES. At current prices, it wouldn't make sense NOT to buy them.

[amateur51]

Yes, 'download talk' still seems to be encrusted with jargon known only to the owlish and the anally retentive.

Well they probably don't give a hoot for your opinions then, Mandy

[Bryn]

I've commented elsewhere on here about my dislike of downloads and other 'digital media'. The only downloads I have ever bought have been from Classical Music Mobile, as I couldn't obtain physical copies at a reasonable price.

Yes, 'download talk' still seems to be encrusted with jargon known only to the owlish and the anally retentive. I would far rather take a disc out of its case, put it in the tray and hit 'play', while then settling down to read the liner notes.

I also tend to be scornful of people who would have me believe that CDs sound 'cold' and are inferior to vinyl/whatever. To my ears (which is all that matters - to me), they are STILL the best sound-carrying unit I have ever heard, or am ever likely to hear.

But to answer the question posed by the thread title: YES. At current prices, it wouldn't make sense NOT to buy them.

Do get yourself sorted out. Mandrake. You write that you dislike "downloads and other 'digital media'", then go on to praise one such digital medium, the Compact Disc. You do seem quite fond of that digital medium, the Internet, so why not use one of the many Internet search facilities to seek clarification of the "jargon" which you do not comprehend.

[MrGongGong]

You mean you can find out about things you didn't already know on the internet ??

astonishing

[gurnemanz]

It's actually quite a widespread misconception. Not surprisingly, they get it wrong in Gramophone. I recall a reference to Hyperion being slow to "go digital" when in fact they had done so in the mid-1980s.

Re "widespread misconception", I'm sure you're right but there's no reason to be ignorant, I'd have thought. You only have to read the analogue/digital SPARS information (ADD, DDD etc), given on all CDs. They must all be digitally mastered - the last D in the SPARS code.

I hope that Gramophone were just being unclear about what they exactly meant by "going digital" rather than getting it wrong.

[Ferretfancy]

Oh dear me -now you are doing it too, Ff. Perhaps the word "digital" in this context should be replaced by the word "virtual"?

Fair enough, but I doubt if in future I'll be persuaded to download bits of code which might be corrupted in storage, and find myself faced with the task of burning it to a CD and downloading the notes if they exist, to print them. Thirty five years doing a technical job was enough for me!