The Rapid Rise (& Fall) of the CD

Used to purchase cd's on weekly, nearly daily basis, then I found streaming. Continued to purchase cd's much less frequently, and then began to notice the online sellers I frequented inventory getting smaller and smaller, now they're gone.

I understand the continuing interest in vinyl, I have vinyl setup which I continue to use. Don't understand continued interest in cd's, art work not close to vinyl, sound quality nothing unique, I've found streaming superior, vinyl retains it's unique sound qualities. CD drives disposable, I've lost too many to ever go back. Streaming vs. cd, streaming wins on so many counts.

@mapman Thought I was reading my own entries!

There is value to all the various means to playback music. I have turntable, reel to reel, two cassette players, cd transport, tuner. And I've held on to all my physical media,

Streaming became my primary choice for listening to music over time. Initially, it was the novelty of a new format with access to an incredible number of recordings. Over time the complexity was the allure, I was bored with digital playback via cd, tt setups have the complexity, but I was set at the time. With streaming one can have a simple setup  or extremely complex array of equipment, I've gone with the latter. As an audiophile I admit to  fascination with the equipment and diy aspect of my setups. My streaming setup very much custom, diy and complex, and still, and always will be in flux. And then we have the music, my streaming setup provides me with hours of best sound quality I've experienced, this with decades of audio experiences. Streaming listening sessions can be stream of consciousness experience, no physical media can replicate it with all the getting up and changing out cd's and vinyl. This stream of consciousness mode of listening has completely changed my level of engagement with the music, five, six hour listening sessions pass by so fast, believe it to be 11pm, clock says 2,3am, time to go to bed, sigh.

I don't get the aversion to streaming if the intent of this hobby is the music. Streaming easily beats out any physical media for easy access and affordability. Between my cd's, vinyl, cassettes, reel to reel I probably have well over 10k physical media, this simply pales in comparison to whats available with streaming. I could never have the storage space or afford to purchase even 1% of the entirety of streaming libraries, streaming is a music lover's paradise.

Sakogear makes sense in my case, vast majority of my vinyl stored away, likely never to be played again, prior to my streaming same situation. I've always maintained around 500 vinyl in listening room and I likely really only rotate about 100 on semi regular basis.

And yet I find myself unable to liquidate a single vinyl, have sold a minimal amount of cd's. I'm at point where I'm selling off excess of material possessions, I have rule that if something hasn't been used in past seven years, out the door. Suppose it's nostalgia that keeps me in hoarding position. There is a certain memory that goes with every vinyl, just looking at cover brings it all back, cd's don't do this for me.