Is it unwise to buy a state of the art CD player at this time?

[Jazzhead]

You mean like a 2-5k streamer compared to a 20k CDP? Also trend in improvement of streamers every two years, they get much better

Nope , I mean in the 10 k bracket , streamer v/s an used SOTA transport. Also two years later the server is worth not much , if anything .

 

[microstrip]

People!!!!

That you can find it, doesn't mean it isn't being phased out .. Click here ...One can find 8 mm camera films.. Does that mean they aren't gone? I find and buy from time to time CD and DVDs but would you bet they are alive and well? I don't care much to downlaod music, the economics don't work for me ... I usually buy used CDs and then promptly rip them and have found pristine gems for less than $5 shipping included... Do you see Walkman coming back? or Discman? Would netflix suddenly find itself renting more DVDs and BluRays than movies being streamed? Allow me to have my doubts... The future of media is in the cloud .. Money is already in the Cloud... Some would even say the future of computing is in the Cloud... I don't know yet , I am somewhat reluctant to send everything to the cloud but we are already there however much resistance we may want to propose. "Is it wise to rely so much on the Cloud", could be an interesting question. Perhaps a thread on the matter

DVDs, now Super-8mm at eBay ... Why not Edison cylinders? Why looking for comfort in anecdotal non related facts about side subjects and systematically ignoring the available statistics?

 

[853guy]

DVDs, now Super-8mm at eBay ... Why not Edison cylinders?

Teehee.

 

[FrantzM]

I agree 853guy

I find this thread merely a reflection of members' feelings.

Frantz you may be right but are you really saying they are truly going to shrivel up and go away

Frantz you have said the same thing about vinyl and it isn't going anywhere

People will be buying CD's for many decades to come. Not everyone is interested in digital files or streaming

Why is that so difficult to comprehend that many people still want to be able to play CD's. If truly they won't be produced any more and there is no interest, I would beg to differ. At the recent Hong Kong Audio show there were more booths playing and selling CD's than I ever saw at a USA audio show

Steve

People are still buying shellac disks! and they will buy these for several decades. Vinyl is gone and done except for the few of us who continue to buy them and some other people who will also buy them for decades to come, perhaps century as the main medium.. Let's compare the ratio of Artists that will release their albums on shellac or even R2R or Vinyl in next 5 years as compared to Digital means by that I mean CD or downloads ? Would you debate that?... For the record I showed you some people still buy Silver-based film .. Would you say they're not gone? Ask Nikon how many TOL DSLR they sell with respect to their film based SLR ? Does Canon even care to make a film-based SLR anymore or Olympus? .. Perhaps they've one odd model but not 3 different models. We see what we want. Things are what they are.. There is no escaping the facts that physical media are on their way out.

I am OK with people wanting their CDs, i am not trying to impose my view simply stating an opinion backed by current facts. I am OK with me liking to read magazines and some books in print form. I read at least 5 new books a month and they're always in e-book form. That I like magazines and reference books in paper forms doesn't mean that the idea of paper books is not going away. Some like their paper money, it is also going away.. This is one of the funniest story but it tells you where things are heading ; PLEASE READ BY CLICKING HERE.

It isn't difficult to understand that some will still want to play their CD or read their paper books or play their Vinyl. Some are on the fence and are trying to make a decision based on inputs from others. I presented my input and it came to be different from others. I defended my position. That doesn't mean I am imposing my view.

 

[bonzo75]

DVDs, now Super-8mm at eBay ... Why not Edison cylinders? Why looking for comfort in anecdotal non related facts about side subjects and systematically ignoring the available statistics?

Maybe CD players will go like video cassette players? I am nostalgic about those too, as kids we had to convince a video library lender to lend us a porn cassette against the rules - whichever kid got a cassette was considered the alpha of the group - the kids these days have it easy with all the streaming.

 

[microstrip]

You mean like a 2-5k streamer compared to a 20k CDP? Also trend in improvement of streamers every two years, they get much better

I have no doubts that it is question of time - our spinning CDs of the 90's can sound today much better than five years ago. There are lessons to be taken from this evolution, if audio designers managed to do it using CD spinners they must be able to get similar performance from equivalent content digital data. However they must invest their time and resources in such job, and they will not do it unless they find there is a market for it. And looking for the reaction of most high-end buyers about streaming and/or downloading in this thread I understand why they seem somewhat reluctant to embark in such adventure, that possibly will need a few years of development.

 

[853guy]

People are still buying shellac disks! and they will buy these for several decades.Vinyl is gone and done except for the few of us who continue to buy them and some other people who will also buy them for decades to come, perhaps century as the main medium..Let's compare the ratio of Artists that will release their albums on shellac or even R2R or Vinyl in next 5 years as compared to Digital means by that I mean CD or downloads ? Would you debate that?... For the record I showed you some people still buy Silver-based film .. Would you say they're not gone? Ask Nikon how many TOL DSLR they sell with respect to their film based SLR ? Does Canon even care to make a film-based SLR anymore or Olympus? .. Perhaps they've one odd model but not 3 different models. We see what we want. Things are what they are.. There is no escaping the facts that physical media are on their way out.

Frantz, just stop. Your assertion isn't backed up by the data.

To re-re-quote myself:

The trend for vinyl is year-on-year increase for the last ten years straight. CD’s? Year-on-year decline for the last ten years (though still generated six times the revenue of ad-supported streaming in 2015, and accounted for 78%, 70% and 57% of music industry revenue in Japan, Germany and France respectively - still alive and well there). Downloads? Down 8% in 2015. (edit) ...the Nielsen 2015 report is saying less than 9% of people will pay for a streaming service in the next six months, with 78% saying it’s somewhat to very unlikely.

Vinyl is the only format right now that has year-on-year increase and shows no sign in 2016 of abating. Metallica now owns its own record pressing plant. Come on, dude. Less people are downloading. Subscription based streaming is still not profitable. The only format that has had reliable, consistent year-on-year increase is a physical medium declared "gone and done" (your words) in 1983.

 

[Al M.]

Frantz, just stop. Your assertion isn't backed up by the data.

Yeah, I just don't get Frantz's stubborn insistence against the data.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Yeah, I just don't get Frantz's stubborn insistence against the data.

I don't get this thread. 14 pages for what seems like a simple question.

 

[Sharp 1080]

Frantz, just stop. Your assertion isn't backed up by the data.

To re-re-quote myself:



Vinyl is the only format right now that has year-on-year increase and shows no sign in 2016 of abating. Metallica now owns its own record pressing plant. Come on, dude. Less people are downloading. Subscription based streaming is still not profitable. The only format that has had reliable, consistent year-on-year increase is a physical medium declared "gone and done" (your words) in 1983.

I think Frantz has his mind made up? I have been repeatedly been asked to drink the download "Kool-Aid"! I believe that this will never end with a clear winner. Now if you will excuse me I am off to buy more "outdated" CD's.

 

[853guy]

Yeah, I just don't get Frantz's stubborn insistence against the data.

Passionate... Vociferous... Opinionated... Us?

 

[microstrip]

I don't get this thread. 14 pages for what seems like a simple question.

This is WBF, Johnny!

It was a simple question with a non trivial answer. IMHO once the OP told us that he was discarding the Spectral CD player for sonic reasons we lost our guide line and went on a free debate concerning mainly live style and futurology ...

 

[Steve Williams]

Hi Frantz. IMO to say vinyl is dead is totally misguided and misrepresenting the facts. So similarly your notion of CD's. Yes times they are changing but to say vinyl and Cd is dead is merely your take on the facts.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hi Frantz. IMO to say vinyl is dead is totally misguided and misrepresenting the facts. So similarly your notion of CD's. Yes times they are changing but to say vinyl and Cd is dead is merely your take on the facts.

Agree completely. And to add, even if production ceased there is so much out there on the used marked that you could buy it for the next 50 years.

 

[Steve Williams]

Agree completely. And to add, even if production ceased there is so much out there on the used marked that you could buy it for the next 50 years.

Precisely my point John

At the Hong Kong show every form of music was being sold BUT CD sales were everywhere and completely outnumberiing other formats when I was there

 

[Mike Lavigne]

my perspective on spinning silver discs, especially CD's, has changed recently more toward Micro's perspective.

5 years ago I got a music server which was increasingly my go to digital source. finally last summer I sold my Playback Designs MPS-5 disc player and went server only.

recently I've seen more and more that my access to new music is a bit stifled and i would bet that within 6 months i will have some sort of CD spinner again. it seems that many here are traveling a similar path.

is that a trend?

maybe just with those who have gone 'server' or 'streamer'. and not a market changing thing.

 

[Steve Williams]

I have a server as well Mike with quite a bit of music on it but for me the reality is that I use both my CD player and server.

 

[witchdoctor]

I have a server as well Mike with quite a bit of music on it but for me the reality is that I use both my CD player and server.

Which has more bang for the buck the server or the CDP?

 

[bonzo75]

my perspective on spinning silver discs, especially CD's, has changed recently more toward Micro's perspective.

5 years ago I got a music server which was increasingly my go to digital source. finally last summer I sold my Playback Designs MPS-5 disc player and went server only.

recently I've seen more and more that my access to new music is a bit stifled and i would bet that within 6 months i will have some sort of CD spinner again. it seems that many here are traveling a similar path.

is that a trend?

maybe just with those who have gone 'server' or 'streamer'. and not a market changing thing.

Why don't you stream new music online?

 

[Rodney Gold]

Mike, subscribe to tidal lossless for..a lifetimes worth of "new" music.. cost you $20 a month ..chickenfeed
Roon , as a front end is worth a $1000000 for leading you down discovery paths and with your local collection and tidal is a formidable audio tool..