Why Do ~You~ Still Play CDs?


I'm curious why you still play CDs in the age of streaming. I recently got back into CD listening and I'm curious if your reasons align with mine, which are:

  • Enjoying the physical medium—the tactile nature of the case, the disc, the booklet, etc.
  • Forcing myself to actually listen to an album, versus being easily distracted by an algorithm, or "what's next" in my playlist.
  • Actually owning the music I purchase, versus being stuck with yet another monthly subscription.

Others? 

itanibro

I don't stream, and haven't listened to any of the hundreds of digital downloads I purchased a decade (or two?) ago in, well, about a decade.  I like the experience of selecting physical media (LP, CD or whatever), and I've got more to listen to than I can handle in the few years I've got left.

All my CDs fall into a few categories.

  1. CD came with the record.
  2. Album not available on vinyl and I need a copy.
  3. Album not available on vinyl and bought to support the artist.

I like CDs but prefer the sound of records. Tried streaming Tidal Hi-Fi and didn't like sound at all. Not willing to invest in better digital gear. I do listen to a lot of YouTube on Firefox with Ublock Origin for ad free viewing. 

I personally find that my CD's sound better than the exact album on Tidal streamed directly through a high-end computer into the same DAC as the CD player. I also spend too much time in front of screens and computers for work, so it is nice to keep that out of my listening room. I like owning the album and the tactile nature of a CD.