Are the CD'S days numbered?

Me thinks CDs are already dead. IF you look around, "low-end" CD players "redbook only" dissapeared from the market place about 6 or 7 years ago. Just go down to WalMart or Best Buy and see what they have...nothing really. I think that is why high end players have become so expensive too. They are only just a really small niche product...that's why a real top player will set you back 20K these days.
just my opine and observation.

Fifteen bucks or more only for a good vinyl, digital - free or next to free.

vinyl may be growing a bit, but it's still a tiny segment of the market--2.8m total units sold in 2010 vs. 325m cds. downloads will outsell cds for the first time in 2011. most telling stat, however, is that total 2010 music sales (downloads, cds, etc.) fell 12% from 2009. since i don't think people are listening to less music, i'd infer that free music sources like internet radio, free downloads, etc. are the unstoppable force. esp. as the economy continues to suck, i trust fewer people will be willing to pop fiteen bucks for an album in whatever medium.

Vinyl is the new old thing. http://whoknew.news.yahoo.com/?nc&vid=26245521

I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned the fact that Barnes & Noble is no longer up-loading the content of new releases for in-store audition.

When I was a kid I would see crazy old men buying 78s. They didn't know they were obsolete. I guess I'll be the crazy old man buying CDs...

I still buy a lot of CDs. But I always rip them to flacs on my Squeezebox server as soon as I get them.

My experience is the opposite of Tmsorosk. One of the two remaining stores (Barnes & Noble) in my city (pop. 90,000) to buy recorded music has been continually shrinking the supply of CD's in favor of DVD's and Blu-Ray discs. The other store (Second Spin) carries mostly used CD's with only a handful of new titles. Welcome to the world of downloads.

I now do all of my CD purchasing online from suppliers like importcds.com and a couple of very small independent sellers in specialized music genres.

Hi Tmsorosk

which hmv would this be? interesting turn of events!

The local HMV store is in the middle of renovations , a clerk told me there scaling down the DVD section and adding more CD's and Blue Rays . Good news I'd say .

Yes 2 days left!!

I am afraid so: anybody who has listened to a good computerbased system properly set up will move over. I have just scrapped my AudioAero Capitole MkIISE with modified output stages in favor of a mach2music system through Zodiac Gold + Voltikus. I tried the mac via SPDIF on the Audioaero and got a quantum increase in resolution and sound density. Moving to the Zodiac via USB2.0 and using memory play, upsampled to 176.4 Khz in hogmode opens not just a curtain but puts you right into the concert hall.
While the ripping is a pain, I don't see an alternative

CD's are better than scratchy records, except when I have to pay $35. for a scratchy record because that's the only way I can get the music. As far as their days, they'll be around for a long time.

Used cds will probably be available for at least the next 100 years if they can last that long. As for new releases..who knows? Anyway, I try to buy as few of them as possible especially new. And I go for Japanese. In my experience they are always better than anything else, always.

yes! let's hope so!

Lloydelee21,

Here's to hoping that the labels 'better angels in nature' see the potential and market for this. I've got a Trent Reznor NIN remastered CD that goes a long way towards making it listenable. There are so many CDs out there, begging for a new lease on life. Lets hope its not too costly.

Hi Nonoise

i also believe that as technology continues to advance, we are likely to see a continuation of a trend i have noticed...remastering of old albums onto CD. The entire Police/Sting collection, U2, and many other bands have had their stuff remastered (vintage '08...not '93)...and it is really good! Bob Ludwig has done all of the Police/Sting albums...i have several and they are incredibly good. Tons of jazz/blues albums are being remastered onto CD.

My only fear is that there will be an attendant loss of QC in the making of CDs as the demand lessens. There are so many poorly made ones out there that no DAC can rescue no matter the pedigree. That's not to say that they're aren't any great ones out there right now. You'll always find great mastering that will allow you to enjoy listening and forget about what format is lurking around the next corner.

With all the hype about computer based music sounding so superior to CDs, I just love reading Vic's blog over at Pacific Valve and Electric Audio. He thinks its all BS: you can't get 192 rates over a USB, computers are too noisy, etc. I don't know if he's right or way off base but its refreshing to hear another point of view that in the end validates the good old CDP. He seems to think modified Netgear servers are the way to go. I'll stick with my CDP.

Nothing's quite as boring as an untreated CD.

You will still be able to get cd as option its just not going to be standard. Its telling but this is from same company that went from 5th to 23rd in complaint rankings based in some part to its SYNC system with its numerous flaws so things may change.

They said the same things about the turntable a bunch of years ago . Look where it is now . CD's and LP's will be around long after we are gone .

"CD"? Yes they are. And did you hear about the new format they are launching next month? It's called "MN". They did not want the new format's days to number so fast. Hence they decided to skip "EF", "GH", "IJ" and "KL" :-)

Yawn,
This topic reappears fairly often. CDs are so very plentiful and relatively cheap. Couple that with the availability of many excellent redbook players, I think they`ll be around a good while.

Absolutely, everyone should sell their cds and buy Lps.

I think CD is going away...but it is a good medium (though clearly not the best), and is widely available (relative to SACD, blu-ray, DVD-a) for music. My suggestion? I like having a hard copy of music anyway...and when i can go to Amazon and buy nearly anything i want for 3 bucks...i am going to keep doing it til they run out...years from now. and then i can always transfer it to hard drive.

meanwhile, i am going to wait on trying to do high-res because there does not appear to be much available at this time. (certainly not in comparison to CDs). BTW, have you ever bought a CD for 3 bucks, and the lower-res mp3 version was 9 bucks? seems a bit silly.

I thought we were already obsolete? Damn I was gonna take the day off!!

I do not know but when I think the CD may be dead I hear a CD Player like the Audio Research CD 7 and or CD 8 and with the ease of use I end up going wow that sounds great. I have a Mach2Music Mac Mini and it is awesome too and it kills most CD Players as a transport. I have room for both the music server and the CD Player. I will keep my Mach2Music Music server and I will own an audio Research CD 8.

Every format will eventually become obsolete just as we will.

Yes- they are obsolete and everyone should sell their collections as soon as possible.

CDs becoming obsolete. Right! I've seen this movie before, and I know how it ends. I agree with a previous comment, let them become obsolete so there will be more available, even cheaper than today. I predict 4/$1.00, just like cassettes. I'll be lovin' it!

Ford made the announcement JULY 27. The CDs will be discontinued in the newer models, which happens to include US as well as the european cars. These are the facts my friends!

Probably about as numbered as LPs.
Todays kids will (for years) eye us playing CDs like we're spinning LPs.
So be it.

When did Ford decide this ? The 2011 Ford I drive a work has a CD player .

Regardless of what Ford is, or isn't doing, my guess is that the CD is headed towards one of two futures - either as a small niche product, like the LP, or into 8-track oblivion. Hard to say which, although I think oblivion would be a much longer time coming than it was for 8-track, simply because of the number of CDs in existence and their durability. Personally I lean towards "niche product," but my crystal ball has always had poor reception.

i hope so. that way there will be more at the flea markets for a dollar or two. old ones obviously. i had not heard that news about ford. i guess they are going to usb? or wireless?

Greetings,
I believe so. With music servers and Hi Rez downloads becoming more available and affordable I think so.
I'm looking at a music server/player myself.
I have been looking at the Bryston Hi Rez music player and it looks very nice.
I still play vinyl all the time so CD's might hang in there for a while.
Joe Nies