David Ayers Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) Don't have too many CDs with me in this period and no time to sit down and listen anyway. CDs are very much 'for best'. Listen a bit on the PC when I am doing routine things (can't concentrate with music on) and also make CD burns for car (uh no ipod yet...). But anyway have basically concluded that mp3s don't sound at all bad for all except hi-fi purposes. And they save a lot of time and storage. We all mellow with time. Thought I'd share that with you. Just listening to this one - you get a good sense of MG's textures and timbres and the CD can sit happily in a box somewhere. [Oh and I mean honk if you support the continued existence of the topic description line as such - see this thread - it's under threat!] Edited January 11, 2012 by David Ayers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) I guess I haven't mellowed yet. Really don't enjoy PC music, iPod music, etc. I've become CD or better listener, or I'll just listen to the music in my head. Last job I had I couldn't listen to any music and it was fine with me, so figure if I have a next job that I can listen I'll just pass or have a cd based system. Sure have a lot of those. Edited January 11, 2012 by jazzbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Where a high price (and I'm increasingly regarding over £10 as high ) is being asked for a CD and a download is available, I'm going for that and burning a CD from it. Cover art is always available from Google Images and my typed "back cover" notes on personnel, titles, recording date, etc (data from a range of sites) are acceptably professional looking as far as I'm concerned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I've long accepted mp3 (or FLAC) for listening purposes, but I've mostly stopped either burning digital files to CD or ripping CDs to digital files. I figure that I have more than enough music in different formats that I don't need to duplicate it unless I'm making a comp. That is, I can listen to records or CDs or mp3s at home, CDs or cassettes in the car, and CDs or mp3s at work - I don't need to have it all available in each format. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) Where a high price (and I'm increasingly regarding over £10 as high ) is being asked for a CD and a download is available, I'm going for that and burning a CD from it. Cover art is always available from Google Images and my typed "back cover" notes on personnel, titles, recording date, etc (data from a range of sites) are acceptably professional looking as far as I'm concerned. That's what I've been doing for a few years now. Though I always buy mp3 unless it is only available on CD. I can't tell the difference between mp3 and CD. Or Stork and butter. The one irritation is that some continuous pieces divided into several mp3s don't join up seamlessly - more of a problem in classical. It'd becoming less of a problem but I occasionally still hit it. Chandos seem particularly prone. Edited January 11, 2012 by A Lark Ascending Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I can (usually) hear the difference between mp3s and CDs, and the former will never replace physical media (CDs, LPs, 78s) for me. But that being said, I love my iPod, and think it's somewhat miraculous that I can carry around a large portion of my music collection in my pocket. Before long car trips, I used to agonize over deciding which CDs (or cassettes, before that) to take. Now I know that I'll have an incredibly wide variety of music to choose from just by grabbing my iPod on my way out the door. When I'm in my living room or music room, it's records or CDs for me. When I'm working around the house or traveling, I'm glad to have the choice of mp3s. I just hope it doesn't become the only choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 But that being said, I love my iPod, and think it's somewhat miraculous that I can carry around a large portion of my music collection in my pocket. In the mid-70s whilst at uni I used to travel to Germany where my parents were based in the holidays. Unable to be without music, I'd carry an LP case with 50 odd LPs (and a case with one change of clothes! Priorities!). The ability to carry hours of music in my pocket is remarkable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 If the record labels would offer "lossless" as an option I would have completely switched a few years ago, however that doesn't seem to be a priority for them. Until they do I will continue to purchase physical discs...which never get played, they just get ripped into the computer as lossless files and then the discs sit on the shelf and collect dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Lossless files sound better if you put them in the freezer for an hour before listening. It also helps to reverse their polarity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Lossless files sound better if you put them in the freezer for an hour before listening. It also helps to reverse their polarity. You so crazy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmjk Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 I've actually gone a step beyond mp3s and often play streams when not at home (in the car, mostly). I have the Rhapsody app for my iPhone and for a small monthly charge, I can stream anything in their database---which is quite a lot. The sound quality is less than perfect most of the time, but I can deal with it. It's a good way to check out lots of music and if I like something, I'll buy the cd. So it's not much different that Spotify from a user POV, and it's just as mobile. I don't think I can totally give up a physical products like vinyl and cds, but streams and mp3s are fine for me in most daily situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Lossless files sound better if you put them in the freezer for an hour before listening. It also helps to reverse their polarity. You so crazy! Just olde worlde scepticism. We remember lossless from the last time it came round (the Renaissance, I think). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 For "ambient listening", MP3s work more than just fine for me, especially the higher bit-rate ones. But for "dedicated listening", nothing beats a lossless file, be it in the form of a hardcopy original or a FLAC thereof. The differences are subtle but real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonnymax Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 The one irritation is that some continuous pieces divided into several mp3s don't join up seamlessly - more of a problem in classical. It'd becoming less of a problem but I occasionally still hit it. Chandos seem particularly prone. With a little effort and a freeware editing program like Audacity, you can easily remove those bothersome gaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete C Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 (edited) At least 80% of my listening is on the run, during commute, and on the computer at work. I have over 1,000 CDs and hardly ever get a chance to listen to them in that form any more. I've ripped about 20% max of my CDs, but I have a merdeload of downloaded mp3s, especially from the early days of emusic, when they had no download limit for the monthly fee. Now I only buy physical CDs if it's a set with additional material I want (like the Miles bootleg set with DVDs) or if it's not available as downloads (I just bought Bud Powell Live in Geneva, but given the sound quality one doesn't really need "hi-def" media. At work I use mostly Spotify, and at home I listen to Pandora a lot, through my stereo system. Still, I can't part with most of my CDs. Edited January 11, 2012 by Pete C Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted January 11, 2012 Report Share Posted January 11, 2012 Now I only buy physical CDs if it's a set with additional material I want (like the Miles bootleg set with DVDs) or if it's not available as downloads. It's funny - I only buy downloads when I can't get the material any other way, like the recent mp3-only issue of James Booker's German albums. Or one of the tracks on my current blindfold test. (Possible hint.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harold_Z Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I can (usually) hear the difference between mp3s and CDs, and the former will never replace physical media (CDs, LPs, 78s) for me. But that being said, I love my iPod, and think it's somewhat miraculous that I can carry around a large portion of my music collection in my pocket. Before long car trips, I used to agonize over deciding which CDs (or cassettes, before that) to take. Now I know that I'll have an incredibly wide variety of music to choose from just by grabbing my iPod on my way out the door. When I'm in my living room or music room, it's records or CDs for me. When I'm working around the house or traveling, I'm glad to have the choice of mp3s. I just hope it doesn't become the only choice. EXACTLY (!) how I feel about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crisp Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 I'm no audiophile -- although I have roughly 8,000 CDs my stereo "set up" is a midi system my father-in-law gave me when he upgraded to separates. However, lossy mp3s are a step too far for me -- I can hear the difference and my ears protest after a while, especially using headphones. I've never tried lossless downloads, but it sounds like one way forward, if, as Shawn says, the majors would offer that option. Until they do, I'll stick with CDs for as long as they are available. Plus I love using my painstakingly compiled CD collection and would never dream of getting rid of it. PS: My iPod Shuffle is great for the gym. I have a regular iPod but never use it now. I don't need that much music on the move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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