How Long Will CDs Last ??

[Music Head]

awesome
but I don't see how they could get much attendance.
Seems like any audio junkie who would appreciate it would already have them in their collection.

[Tiggi]

I thought that, Ed.

There might be something in the social listening experience, though...

[Drealm]

This is quite heartening:

Click_Here

Allelujah !! There is hope.

I really like to read that. I used to do that with my girlfriend and a friend. We sat, put the speakers loud and listened to whole albums while drinking some beer and smoking some pot. I was strict and too didn't allowed speaking or any distraction. I even had the impression I was too strict, finally creating an atmosphere of tension. I kind of progressively stopped to do that with people, thinking that alone is best; so I still today sit down and listen to 2 or 3 albums in a row while drinking some beer! I stopped the pot because I do not feel so well with that finally.

I understand their point of view (in the article) as today with mp3 players we tend to listen to songs separately from the albums, missing some part of the essence of a whole listen. I'm happy to see this happening and even think about maybe doing it again with people because as Tiggi said, a group experience is very great, like listening to a movie with some friends. But now, my only problem is that I don't know a lot of music lovers like me in my entourage. Maybe I should organize something bigger like in the article.

Anyway, I will do something about that because I realize I miss it.

[Drealm]

CD is quite lucky.............there are just so many machines around that can read them. Most "silver disc spinners' have backward compatibility and so we will not face a problem of what can we play these things on.

You just said what I was about to say.

Yes, contrary to cassettes that became obsolete because the players changed to CD, the followers of CD are DVD and Blu Ray, which use the same format as CD. So before our house are emptied of any machine capable of reading a CD, I think it will take a serious amount of time. Computers would need to progressively begin to remove any Discs players making place for only USB and other flash devices, and before we consider our Blu Ray player obsolete to the point of putting it to trash, time lies ahead.

Probably CD companies are aware of that and for the moment the threat of CDs is more about internet downloading than physical players limit/obsoleteness.

[jazzboCR]

They'll hang around as long as thrift shops keep stocking them. They (resale shops) only recently quit having old-style CRT TVs.

[Big Ears]

Commercial music CDs have been around since the early eighties and were initially seen as a replacement for vinyl. By the late eighties, they were thought to be a temporary/transitional system before DATs took over. DATs had their uses, but did not replace CDs. On the contrary, CDs, in the form of CDRs etc, replaced cassettes. I lke CDs as a compromise. They take up less space than vinyl/cassettes, you don't get scratches or surface noise (as a rule), there's no wow and flutter, they represent a hard copy and can't be wiped eaasily. They lack the depth and resonance of vinyl, but I hope CDs last for a few more years. There is no doubt that mp3s are inferior quality to cds/flac/good vinyl (which is rare), but I can store countless albums on my external drive and I am short of space. I just pray the drive does not fail!

I think vinyl has been around since the sixties, which is most of my life, so CDs could see me out!

[jazzboCR]

I think vinyl has been around since the sixties, which is most of my life, so CDs could see me out!

Vinyl was first introduced in 1930, became popular in the late 40's (LPs) and stereo was introduced in the late 50's (remember those Enoch Light "ping-pong" records?). There are are high-end, lossless recording techniques but the great mass of folk have been so acclimated to crap sound, they remain a niche. Interestingly, vinyl has made a strong comeback--180-gram vinyl especially (to be played on systems costing $10,000 or more just for the turntable--snob sh!t for real but eventually affordable on the 2nd/3rd hand market).
My usual plan--listen to a good artist on the crap sound of YT through my computer--if it grabs me sufficiently (and that's often but not always true), get the CD. If it's offered through CDBaby or the artist's own site, I go there--O/W 2nd hand from the Usual Suspect.

[Big Ears]

Vinyl was first introduced in 1930, became popular in the late 40's (LPs) and stereo was introduced in the late 50's (remember those Enoch Light "ping-pong" records?). There are are high-end, lossless recording techniques but the great mass of folk have been so acclimated to crap sound, they remain a niche. Interestingly, vinyl has made a strong comeback--180-gram vinyl especially (to be played on systems costing $10,000 or more just for the turntable--snob sh!t for real but eventually affordable on the 2nd/3rd hand market).
My usual plan--listen to a good artist on the crap sound of YT through my computer--if it grabs me sufficiently (and that's often but not always true), get the CD. If it's offered through CDBaby or the artist's own site, I go there--O/W 2nd hand from the Usual Suspect.

My understanding is that the material was invented in the 1920s, but was not developed commercially until after the war. Vinyl LPs, as we know them, were not available until the sixties. I am old enough to remember 78s and although you could play them, they required the higher rpm, were heavier, more rigid and gave poorer quality sound. My friend's mum had a 78 of Heartbreak Hotel!

[Bob]

I am thinking as vinyl is slowly returning to popularity, it will be the same with Compact discs, when they are replaced by the next best thing. There are generations of fans for both formats. There will always be something new, such as eight tracks, reel to reel albums and cassette tapes. They all served their purpose back in the day. I think downloads are great for folks who find that convenient but I doubt that downloads will replace vinyl or compact discs.

[James Otto Sweet Heart]

I hope that they never go anywhere because I like paying cash for my music. Also a CD is something that your favorite singer can sign for you if you get the chance to meet them.

God bless you and my favorites always!!!

Holly