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The demise of the music CD inevitable?

Hi,

Back on campus, my senior year. Everywhere I look, its all earbuds and cell phones streaming audio. None of my friends would even consider purchasing a CD! I as well almost completely stopped purchasing CD's now that I have lossless streaming from TIDAL. It seems that SQ is not an issue anymore for this generation, its content that is most important and there is no loss of it out there in the streaming world.
grm
rhyno's avatar
rhyno
649 posts
 
the thing about physical media is the security of the software (no worries if a HD fails) and the process. sure flipping through media on an ipad is easy & convenient. but i'm single and i have cds stacked high and low. and if (!) a woman comes over and wants to listen to something, its a lot more fun to watch her stretch & stoop as she looks. ---an ipad cant get me that visual. 
grm OP
149 posts
 
Hi all,
Yes, lowrider57, you noticed exactly what I have observed myself, he never purchased a CD and... likely never will. I honestly think those who still purchase CD's or Vinyl will one day be the exception. I predict there may be a huge step change in hard media purchases to the point where company's are just going to get out of the business of CD's. As far as watching movies on his phone, I have VUDU myself on my phone and watch it on rare occasion, I prefer the movie theater. 
hifiman5's avatar
hifiman5
1,826 posts
 
I suspect CD will be with us for a long time.  The format has been around for about 35 years and have, over that time, achieved such market penetration with "gazillions" of them in circulation world-wide that the silver devils and the machines that play them will be here for the foreseeable future.

Look at the renaissance that is happening with vinyl!  After all of the old "record" stores sold off their vinyl in the late eighties, early nineties, in favor of CD shelf space, I never foresaw the re-appearance of vinyl in stores but here we are.  Even Borders book stores carry some vinyl.  The last mall store I entered had a large vinyl display with records of most current major releases. It is a part of the cultural "retro movement" currently taking place in the West. The question that time will answer is whether it is a "fad" or a true re-emergence of vinyl.  The good news for the audiophile world is that vinyl will hopefully ignite a spark in younger listeners to care about sound quality and engage in the hobby we all so enjoy.

It will be interesting to see what happens over the next 5-10 years.

vindanpar
58 posts
 

CD rot was happening a short time after cds came out but it was do to bad manufacturing facilities that were used by certain labels. Classical labels such as Hyperion and Pearl and one anomaly I had was a Pinnock DG cd.

However the overwhelming majority of my cds are fine and I continue to buy them. I am genuinely astonished that in 2016 so many new ones are available on the internet and that at least in the classical sector there are so many comprehensive reissues of artists long dead for whom I thought at this point the audience would be equally dead. Vinyl is for pop and I can't believe how bad the compression and lifelessness are on 'remastered' pop cds these days.

I'm stuck in the 20th century and always will be so I don't give a hoot and a holler about streaming. The only thing that annoys me is that discmans today are few and far between and break down in no time whatsoever. If they're not going to make them to work beyond a couple of weeks why make them at all.





vindanpar
58 posts
 

do=due, ugh

As to my point as on classical reissues it is gratifying to see so many great artists long gone and whose artistry can never be replaced still being appreciated by many younger people.

 

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