What will become of my beloved CDs?
Most of the new CDs I buy come from Amazon and about every fifth or so disk is part of their Amazon Music program. In this curious animal, your CD automatically appears in your online account for streaming and potential download as a MP3 file. So while I am waiting for the CD to arrive, I sometimes stream the advance copy and get a feel for the new listening style. Here's what I have found. Something strange in Amazon keeps the file order unpredictable so the stream will not always move from track to track properly. There are, as well, numerous clicks and pops as part of the streaming network process -- usually at least one for every track. When you download a MP3 file and compare it to the stream the download sounds better -- clearer and more precise (even though they should be the same). Then, when the CD comes I rip it into JRiver and upsample it to the DAC with SoX. The sound quality is so much better that it always reminds me: MP3 really sucks but its faults are particularly evident when you compare it directly to a CD wave file. SO, despite the continual pressure from the forces behind the Spotify/Tidal crowd I do not find streaming the same quality as CDs well done and think it is another case where the philosophy of "almost as good" is being sold to the public. |
glupson: Speaking of Bose, I also have a pair of fairly new 901s in the garage and I'm not getting rid of them, either. They are the most hated speaker in the world while, at the same time, having the longest production run. I know many classical musicians (and especially composers) that love them. Just like Sony, it is a mystery to me why Bose won't update the 901s with computer technology and EQ and produce a state of the art result with their holographic soundstage capabilities. Wrote to them and suggested a specific plan; they said they'd get back to me (3 years ago). |
glupson: No wind-up players but have taken a large 2 car garage and slimmed it down to one single car space with industrial shelves for the old stuff. AND, YES, have over 30 boxes of nothing but cables (carefully organized...). Have built several small home studios and the number of cables in the world, just like Cavalier Spaniel hair, is infinite... |
Elizabeth: As someone who has 25 or so music blu-rays, can second your assessment of their marginal value. In the classical field they have perished a quick death because of high production costs and low sales. The best I have are the Chailly Mahler symphonies that are memorable because of their sound engineering -- which is the best I have heard for orchestral music. Naxos tried to offer blu-rays that could be played without a tv connection and I tried several of their offerings -- they are awful. Have been told that Sony abandoned the SACD format after reputable articles appeared showing it had inherent noise/distortion faults in the 1-bit design. So, this last week, bought some new Sony CD releases made after they moved to the high-res PCM format. They are incredibly accurate for orchestral textures and far superior to any of the SACDs I have gotten. As I have stated many times, think the death of the CD was prematurely announced and that it will survive more emphatically than many streamers believe. |
glupson: Well, I have a vintage Oppo BDP-83 (garaged of course) that has had its value increase dramatically because of Oppo's demise. Don't think it has SACD, though. My two main sound systems are video-based on Oppo Darbee players and when they die, will be up the creek. Just like CDs, think that Oppo overreacted to the supposed upcoming demise of the CD in closing its shop. BTW, experimented with SACD offerings for several years and to my ears, the best sounding ones are those that reissue quadriphonic releases from the 70s. The Doors, Pink Floyd, and Blue Oyster Cult SACDs are spellbinding. The quad revolution (remember it well) did not mind funneling a lot of music content to the back speakers. And its a gas, still, today. |
Ikea CD shelves -- check them out. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00323364/ Am using 13 so far -- they fit perfectly in hallways. Use a Brother PT-D210 labeler to identify each letter and sort by name. But this may too expensive for some; the labeler is a hot $25 (LOL). |
