Do you still play your physical Audio CDs?

[Baldrick]

Streaming services for me.

(This is one of yoda313 polls revisited)

[yoda313]

Thanks!

I'm mostly files now. Usually 192kpbs wma. Though I do do 320kpbs mp3.

I very rarely pop in an original audio disc. I use my 30gb ZUNE for just about everything.

[t0nee1]

All my CDs safely tucked away..Streaming wirelessly to my PS3 or Xbox->to AR..Mostly 170~220 kbps Mp3s or 256kbps AAC/m4a..Once in a while when I feel the need, I go to my lossless flacs..
Oh, oh, here it comes!.. just waiting for the, MP3 is "crap" croud..

[ZQX]

Mp3s rule.

[Constant Gardener]

Mostly mp3 here, via a Slimp3, with the occasional CD or LP. Audio tape, though, seems to be a thing of the past. I unplugged the cassette deck last year and my family haven't said anything yet. My faithful Tandberg 10XD went years ago.

[orsetto]

I'm pushing 50 and a luddite: I don't find the thought of 10,000 songs on my PC or iPod remotely appealing. I've also spent 25 years (and a small fortune) buying, swapping and reselling the components in my audio system (not megabuck high end by any means, but not a Sanyo rack system either). After finally getting good samples of a Creek 4140sII integrated amp, Nakamichi OMS7AII cd player, Thorens TD145 turntable and Mission speakers, I'm not about to plug my freakin iPod or worse, my PC into it. My system is optimized for CD playback, and thats what I feed it. I haven't purchased much music in the last few years, but I still have hundreds of CDs I enjoy, along with some of my old vinyl. I like the whole ritual of rifling the shelves, picking something to play, looking at the sleeve and so on.

Just spinning my finger over a touchwheel or using a mouse to restlessly jump from one unrelated song to another doesn't do it for me: I can see if you're younger than me and grew up with this as your primary music technology, or if you're the type that can't survive without a 24/7 soundtrack, but I'm a more methodical type that has to be in the mood and feel an urge to listen to something particular. I use my iPod mostly for video, I love having dozens of TV shows in my pocket when traveling or stuck in line somewhere, and I do have it loaded with the entire run of Bob Dylan's eclectic "Theme Time Radio Hour" from XM satellite radio. But when I really want to listen, its "old tech" for me.

[MOVIEGEEK]

CD's at home and MP3 in my car.

[yoda313]

Just spinning my finger over a touchwheel or using a mouse to restlessly jump from one unrelated song to another doesn't do it for me:

I do have my zune on shuffle while I'm at work but I do occasionally listen to albums straight through. I can easily pick one artist and play a single album if I want.

[johns0]

Mainly mp3 on usb in my car stereo.

[filmboss80]

I still purchase music on CDs to have a good format from which to encode my mp3s. My first mp3 player was only 1GB, and I had to encode at 128kbit to cram as much on it as possible. Nowdays, I can go up in bitrate, and it's nice to have the CD sources to re-encode from. In the future, a new standard audio compression format may come out, and I'll still have the CD sources.

With that said, it's hard to find the best way to vote in this poll. Still play CDs, but play mp3s a little bit more.

[drjtech]

When I buy new CDs I don't actually play them. I rip to FLAC to use as the source files for conversion to MP3, ACC, etc. as the need arises. If I want to put Apple Lossless on my iPod or a 128K mp3 on my Archos I just go back to my FLACs without disturbing the CDs on the shelf.

-drjtech

[yoda313]

Just spinning my finger over a touchwheel or using a mouse to restlessly jump from one unrelated song to another doesn't do it for me: I can see if you're younger than me and grew up with this as your primary music technology, or if you're the type that can't survive without a 24/7 soundtrack, but I'm a more methodical type that has to be in the mood and feel an urge to listen to something particular

You know I had another thought about this comment - isn't listening to the radio the same as having an mp3 player on shuffle? I mean they never play albums on the air - they almost never play the same artist during one consecutive hour of airtime.

So if your that against shuffling does that mean you don't listen to music on the radio at all?

[gadgetguy]

I seldom listen to recorded music. But when I do, I play the CD.

[videobread]

No. I tried to sell some good rock CD's on ebay with not takers. CD's go really cheap on ebay!

[orsetto]

So if your that against shuffling does that mean you don't listen to music on the radio at all?

No, I'm fine with it on the radio, because radio to me is a completely different experience. It depends how ingrained the "old tech" way of listening is for each person. I just find the whole MP3 phenomenon unappealing, it doesn't fit in with my listening habits. I might be more interested if I had gotten into the Walkman thing years earlier, but the subway system is so noisy it defeats all headphone systems unless you set them to ear-damage volume levels, so I gave up on headphone commuting ages ago. Doesn't stop other people, thats for sure: you can hear their earbuds from one end of the train car to another. I don't know how they can stand the volume jacked up that high!

[edDV]

I still have a multi CD player that I use to log the favorites. Sounds like a video workflow?

My goal isn't to rip the world but to find the gold nuggets.

[Noahtuck]

99.9% lossless all the way!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, oh, here it comes!.. just waiting for the, MP3 is "crap" croud..

Sorry... but ya know what they say about arguing on the internet :P

But seriously, MP3's are the best!!
Just like i love watching videos i encoded for my pocket MP3/Video player with a 1.5" LCD screen, at 192x160 at 16FPS on my 54" tv 8)


@ orsetto
My musical brother!!!!
8)
I also feel the same way, espc. about listening to unrelated songs.
Nothing like sitting back and listening to an entire album!!

These damn kids now a days just don't appreciate the true sound and quality of uncompressed music 8)

Just spinning my finger over a touchwheel or using a mouse to restlessly jump from one unrelated song to another doesn't do it for me: I can see if you're younger than me and grew up with this as your primary music technology, or if you're the type that can't survive without a 24/7 soundtrack, but I'm a more methodical type that has to be in the mood and feel an urge to listen to something particular

You know I had another thought about this comment - isn't listening to the radio the same as having an mp3 player on shuffle? I mean they never play albums on the air - they almost never play the same artist during one consecutive hour of airtime.

So if your that against shuffling does that mean you don't listen to music on the radio at all?

Radio ?? WTF is "Radio" ??

Man, i can't even remember the last time i just listened to the radio for music.
I only listen to the radio for the "Free Beer & Hot Wings" show maybe twice a week.
Yeah Grand Rapids!!

[t0nee1]

These damn kids now a days just don't appreciate the true sound and quality of uncompressed music

Yeah! these damn kids, don't appreciate anything..Don't they know that the "the true sound and quality of uncompressed music" is more danceable, and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy..
Damn them!..

[Noahtuck]

These damn kids now a days just don't appreciate the true sound and quality of uncompressed music

Yeah! these damn kids, don't appreciate anything..Don't they know that the "the true sound and quality of uncompressed music" is more danceable, and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy..
Damn them!..

Sorry.... i can't relate to deaf people 8)

Oh wait... you missed the part about the high quality 192x160 at 16FPS video :P


My children are 25, 24 & 23.
All of them are like, WTF are cassette tapes ??
Records ? Big round pieces of plastic that spin ??
With a needle!?!?!

Dad, what have you been smoking!!



I read an article not long ago, where a young boy wrote a paper or article about "cassette walkmans" and he did not believe his father when he was told that it used to be the big thing!!!
he could not believe that it really existed and people used to use them.....

The microwave crowd..... they just do not understand or appreciate a truly good home cooked meal over a real fire!!!!!!!

[johns0]

Cassette?!!what about the deep and rich sound of reel to reel?Those were tough things to lug around at the parties.

[t0nee1]

" Humpty Dumpty was fat and depressed
Until Humpty Dumpty was losslessly compressed
So all the kings codecs could algorithmically
Play back Humpty Dumpty bit-perfectly "

Night all, I'm off to load some more lossless AAC tracks on my iPod..And thankfully not using MS-DOS..I am getting a bit hungry..time to nuke some frozen burritos..
T. out!.. 8)

[Noahtuck]

" Humpty Dumpty was fat and depressed
Until Humpty Dumpty was losslessly compressed
So all the kings codecs could algorithmically
Play back Humpty Dumpty bit-perfectly "

Night all, I'm off to load some more lossless AAC tracks on my iPod..And thankfully not using MS-DOS..I am getting a bit hungry..time to nuke some frozen burritos..
T. out!.. 8)

I would bring up SACD but it would just make the MP3 crowd's head implode!!!!

:P

[Noahtuck]

Cassette?!!what about the deep and rich sound of reel to reel?Those were tough things to lug around at the parties.

Oh we sooooooooooo don't wanna go there!!!!!



Hauling around... under glass 8)
It rocks!!!!!!

[ZQX]

Cassettes were magnificent and had their time & place in history, but IMO they are an obsolete medium now (though some will disagree still). Reel-to-reel (even 1/4"!) is a different kettle of fish altogether - the depth & richness & sheer dynamic power etc. It should still be a viable alternative, but RtoR tape is impossible to find? That's a great pity. (But it was a recording medium, not a playback medium.)

Vinyl is still alive, but I've always disagreed about the supposed "superiority of vinyl over CD". Call me a traitor to the vinyl cause. Vinyl collectors are brainwashed IMO. "Oh those cracks & pops & muffledness give it a superior 'warmth' lacking on digital CDs" ha ha...

CD is the superior medium for music... but (for me) 320 CBR mp3 does EQUALLY as well (and takes up less shelf space). I know flac/ape/ogg/whatever are better formats, but mp3 is so entrenched...and I can't tell the difference. Can you?

[zoobie]

cassettes were a piece of crap
as anyone in the recording industry knows
their only benefit was convenience
awful playback characteristics

[dannyboy48888]

Ah yes this one.... Well in 97 when mp3 first came out I had 128k mp3s for my 4gb hd and played cds the rest of the time. Now I still buy CD's for a good refrence and rip to flac. from ther e i goto mp3,ogg,wma depending on my need. Bottom line I buy CD's but dont play them.

[Video Head]

cassettes were a piece of crap
as anyone in the recording industry knows
their only benefit was convenience
awful playback characteristics

Agreed! That is why one always saw them tossed on the road, their half mile of 1/4" wide stereo magnet debris hanging from the body...what a way to go!

Now it's CD's in the vehicles (both have 6 disc changers) and MP3's out of the Media Center to the surround system at home...thinking about a new Pioneer indash touchscreen DVD in the SUV. This Pioneer has a USB port...plug the smartphone in and play MP3's off the microSD card via voice command...I think this could be a go!

[ZQX]

cassettes were a piece of crap
as anyone in the recording industry knows
their only benefit was convenience
awful playback characteristics

Absolute crap.

Cassettes moved music around the world and made underground bands world famous. I bet they were the thorn in the side of many corporate exec "recording industry" fuckers.

I wasn't talking about the "fidelity" of cassettes. I was talking about the medium itself. They "niched" it and were phenomenal in their impact on the whole wide world. CD(-R)s/mp3s/myspace/youtube/etc took over of course.

[lordsmurf]

CD in car. MP3 in house.

Cassettes were convenient. It's not like most car stereos or boomboxes were quality output anyway. With no audio being piped through the speakers, many of them already had hiss.

Records had all kinds of problems vinyl-lovers tend to forget or overlook. Pop, scratch, fizzle, muffle, speed-related/tempo, etc.

CD has problems. Audio is cooked too loud.

MP3 has problems, especially when done by novices on freeware.

Even live music has problems.

The quest for audio perfection is a fool's quest. Many of the quest'ers are deluded. Myths and idiocy, be it arguments over CD-R brands affecting quality ("I can hear the wobble!") or whatnot.

[t0nee1]

The quest for audio perfection is a fool's quest. Many of the quest'ers are deluded. Myths and idiocy, be it arguments over CD-R brands affecting quality ("I can hear the wobble!") or whatnot.

Green markers do make a difference..