What a sad world we now live in.......

@inna 

Are you ok? Not trying to put you on the spot but your words go beyond the usual “I miss the good old days” (which were not all that great BTW) that is far too often spoken here on Audiogon by a few. The bitterness communicated was probably unintentional but nonetheless worrisome.  Everyone and every thing must change. Even those who resist change are in a constant state of change, please don’t miss out on the opportunities that surround each of us every day.

Distribution methods and channels of distribution have changed radically in the past and will continue to do so. Always have and always will.  Why the angst? 

Machete don’t stream, or shop at Walmart...

There are CDs in urban, country stores and perhaps Walmart. For example, I have seen in Michigan off the beaten path cities with stores that sell and rent DVDs and Blu-ray’s, CDs. Yes, it’s a business model that drives commerce to sell mainstream products but invariably the business model to stop selling CDs at Walmart is probably moreso in the major cities or outskirts and probably has to do with the fact that yes, streaming is gaining popularity due to easy accessibility to high speed streaming formats in those areas. While, out in the country, we don’t get high speed internet, we get Dish, satellite or a phone plan with unlimited streaming at that data rate the carrier offers, plus the expense to go with it. Depending on where you are, your SOL for reliable internet or phone. There have been inroads in bringing point to point towers with supposed high speed bandwidth, 10-20mbps, give me a break, but that’s sparse, and expensive for the majority of folks who live in the country. Just because it’s a thing in the city, it’s not a thing in the country, where some technology is slow to creep in. So, my retirement home in Michigan has to be close to a transmission line with at least 200mbps...that’s what I told my wife, haha. I think there is a correlation between the availability of streaming and the sales of CD, therefore, Walmart is cutting products at locations where the sales of those products are null. 

Personnaly, I am agree with the OP, I am hanging on to my physical formats, 7500 records strong, 1100 CDs strong. I don’t have time to rip CDs, but spend time listening. That being said, I am looking at this Auralic streaming/Dac device that will propel me into the streaming century, that’s another conversation on another thread, perhaps. 

The last time I looked at data, the entire world sales (the dollar value) of recorded music is about 1/4 of what it was at the peak.  This is the case despite people buying and accessing much more music than ever before.  Theft through file sharing has changed the economic model such that music must be sold very cheaply to compete with stealing.  That means streaming, people buying rights to single tracks vs. albums, etc.  Physical media that costs a lot to produce is particularly non-competitive in this era.  

So, to me, what is regrettable about the decline of physical media is not so much the loss of the particular medium, but, the conditions that cause the loss.  This loss of revenue to file sharing means that artists, in particular, are getting far less money and only mega-stars continue to rake it in.  Most other artists are worse off than they used to be.

I’ll stick with Cd’s and LP’s thanks. I like the look, feel, and sound of physical media, but that is just me. I dont like the modern way of listening. It’s just as easy for me to get off my lazy ass and put in a cd or a record....and I personally think it sounds better.....plus I like looking at my collection and reading the cd inserts and the album covers 😁. Oh well I’m old hahahaha.....I still buy pre-recorded cassettes! My Aiwa AD F770 works like brand new and I bought it new in 1983. I do own a DAC, but it's still in the box lol.