| Author | Message | ||
     kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1375 Registered: 05-2005 |
Recently I have heard friends say they now mainly listen to music on their computer, I have read threads on other message boards discussing this, and I have also read articles in mags recently on the subject of how people now purchase and listen to music. So what about us, we have touched on this a few times over the years but now it seems to be causing lots of debate. I now find that at least 75% of the new stuff(and also old stuff I never got round to buying) I listen to is acquired from Napster and played back on my PC, which is hooked up to the same hifi that I play back my vinyl and CDs on. In short, my PC is now an additional "seperates" component, and just as vital to the set up as my amps, CD player, turntable and speakers. I also have an external Creative Soundblaster which bypasses the vastly inferior internal soundcard that comes with the PC, as I have said before this makes the playback of my downloads sound fantastic, if not just quite in the same league as playing back CDs. However, its saving me a fortune on having to buy music via the "old" methods, £14.99 a month with Napster to download and playback as much as I want as opposed to an average of £10 per CD. I now only fork out the money for what I consider to be "essential" CDs, recent examples being The Hold Steady album, Orphans by Tom Waits and the Hooker Box set by John Lee Hooker. Over to you. | ||
| Jeff Whiteaker Member Username: Jeff_whiteaker Post Number: 480 Registered: 10-2004 |
I have a turntable. I buy records, which I listen to on my turntable. The only place I listen to mp3s on a computer is at work. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 957 Registered: 03-2005 |
My sole computer is a laptop. I haven't explored how to hitch it up to the old tech stereo--which in my case really is very old tech using high quality robust McIntosh components from the 1970s and two pair of largish speakers from the 80s (one pair KEF & one pair ADS). I even have an old set of Stax electret headphones with the booster box. They still sound great but they seem to apply pressure in the wrong place on my temples and can give me a royal headache if I listen to them for more than about one album. If a wireless hookup is possible for my laptop I'll be interested, but I suppose that will mean a loss of sound quality. Listening to music on the laptop is not viable because of the tiny crap speakers. So I still buy CDs but I'm getting more of them second hand or as cutouts all the time. Space is the biggest issue with them, but I'm not ready to give up on the objects that signify my music. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1377 Registered: 05-2005 |
Randy, I totally forgot to add in the bit about space issues. I was running out of nooks and crannies to store mine, much to my beloveds annoyance | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1491 Registered: 03-2006 |
Kevin, I pretty much have been following your model. Downloading a lot of stuff and dramatically curtailing the number of discs I buy. Space issues, not to mention money. And it's not that I can't afford to buy them, more of a prioritizing what I spend money on. And, I've come to realize that I've blown too much money on discs I don't even listen to, that sit there on the shelf. I don't really have a setup to listen to music from my computer, a laptop, though. I mostly either slap stuff on a disc or listen to it on my iPod. I also bought a cable that allows me to listen to my iPod through my excellent sounding little Tivoli radio... I think, like you Kev, I'll always buy the essentials, but less and less am I coming to care about the "object" as such, for the vast majority of music releases out there...I can as easily not listen to them in digital form as I can not listen to the actual CD... | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1174 Registered: 05-2005 |
I still marvel that several people in America, some in Scotland, Germany, France, Italy, Ireland and England and some in Sydney, Melbourne and NZ can all have a conversation online at the same time. Technology is wonderful. MP3s are a great invention. But vinyl and CDs obviously still sound much better. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 442 Registered: 01-2005 |
Randy, I still have my old school BIC Formula 6 venturi style speakers that I bought brand new in December of 1974. I thought they were pretty heavy for their size, until I helped the guy across the hall from my old apartment move. He had a pair of McIntosh speakers that were slightly smaller than my BIC's, but must have weighed a good 15 pounds more due to size of the speakers magnets! My old Pioneer SX1010 that I also bought brand new in December of 1974 crapped out on me 13 years ago, and I now have a Yamaha Pro Logic receiver from 1994 that sounds great to me, even if it doesn't have Dolby Digital or DTS capability. If fact, I have my DVD hooked into the Laser Disc imput/outputs as it's a pre-DVD receiver! My Dual 701 turntable needs some work. I have Definitive Technologies rear speakers and a DT center speaker with it's own power source. I have a Yamaha 5 disc carousel cd player also from 1994. DVD player is a Sony S360 that I bought back in 2000. It's not exactly other region friendly, grrrr! I also only have a Dell E1505 notebook, and have not bought seperate speakers for it or hooked it up to my Yamaha receiver. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 309 Registered: 08-2006 |
I love my CD player. It's an Onkyo single-disc, purchased in 1990. Works like a charm. Play it through a pair of Advent Babys, circa the same time. My Denon tuner isn't a whole lot newer. I do listen to music through my computer, an iMac with factory speakers, from time to time, and I have an Apple boombox I play w/iPod on the back porch when I'm gardening on nice days (total per year in Chicago: 27). But the Onkyo has outlasted four jobs, three homes and one marriage. That's staying power. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 311 Registered: 08-2006 |
Oh, and I know this sounds old-school, but I buy everything in physical, CD form. I want the art, the liner notes, the credits, the whole kit and kaboodle. I fear data loss, basically. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1499 Registered: 03-2006 |
I know what you mean, Rob, about the long lives of some stereo components and the attachments we form with them. I had a great, huge Carver amplifier that produced just the cleanest, bestest sound that I enjoyed for at least a decade. Sadly, a big tree branch fell on my house, causing the doohickey that acted as a governor on the voltage to fail, which in turn caused all the voltage going into the house to double. It was quite strange - lights that I had turned off came on, got real bright, then exploded. It really was like something out of an X-Files episode. I was fully expecting to see the Mothership outside... Not so cool was that it blew out every single electrical item in the house. The insurance company replaced it with an Onkyo receiver, which is indeed niiiice, but man, I miss that Carver. I don't even know if that brand is still extant, but it was a superior piece of equipment that somehow transcended being a mere inanimate object. | ||
| Eddie Member Username: Lewisdhead Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2007 |
I'm with Rob. I too buy the physical format. Mostly CD but the odd bit of vinyl. I need to have the booklet ,notes, photos, lyrics etc. that come in the package. It gives me a sense of ownership. It is what I mainly spend my money on, my vice, so to speak. But I work hard enough, pay my bills and don't feel guilty about splashing out on a cd even if it doesn't always turn out to be a great album. I will admit that storage is starting to become an issue but one I'm sure I can solve. | ||
| kevin Member Username: Kevin Post Number: 1380 Registered: 05-2005 |
A couple of things that I hope, and think, will happen regarding downloaded albums. Firstly, the record companies will start to make albums available at Napster, Itunes etc a month or so earlier than the CD. The reasons are twofold, they know some people will buy the CD as well, and also surely in the long run it is financially beneficial for record companies to promote the sale of downloads over a physical artefact like a CD that costs money for them to produce. Secondly, I hope they make the artwork also available for download along with the music, maybe not as aesthtically pleasing as the real thing but still good to be able to look at. | ||
| joe Member Username: Dogmansuede Post Number: 95 Registered: 07-2006 |
i used to download a lot of music and still do - still yet to encounter a p2p even remotely in the same league as soulseek - but am a complete sucker for ebay store "bargains", which means that even though i may venture into jb hifi somewhat less (can't be arsed and they seldom have what i want) this glorious technology has only made the purchasing of cds and bits and pieces of vinyl even more efficient and satisfying. i love my pod to death and listen to it all day, but it will never really do the job and,when it kinda does, i go out and buy buy buy as soon as i can! | ||
| John B. Member Username: John_b Post Number: 93 Registered: 10-2006 |
I no longer have a big stereo set with big speakers, but recently chose this Bose Wave-Sound thing for the living room. I like the sound quality. I play my CDs on it, just like others I want the physical format. I have ca 600 CDs, no vinyl and don't (yet?) download music. But I have all my music on an ipod as well. I have discovered that I listen to a lot of albums on the ipod I wouldn't necessarily listen to at home. We can also hook up the ipod to the kitchen radio, although I like listening to the radio in the morning to know what's going on in the world. | ||
| John B. Member Username: John_b Post Number: 94 Registered: 10-2006 |
LK - our kitchen radio is a Tivoli as well, it really sounds excellent. | ||
| Paul N Member Username: Pauln Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2006 |
Still buying CDs, space is also becoming a problem, but I'm tackling that at the moment. Listen to the radio on the Computer and I download stuff as well. I've recently inherited my daughter's Creative Zen MP3 player (after having upgraded her th the latest model) and I'm putting stuff on there. I also worry about data loss, but most of what I'm putting on I have on CD. I'm playing the Zen a fair bit especially at work and I'm hearing a lot of things I wouldn't possibly play at home. The Luddite in me is going to buy a new turntable soon for all the old vinyl 7" & 12" singles we have. You still can't beat Vinyl record Covers. | ||
| Rob Brookman Member Username: Rob_b Post Number: 312 Registered: 08-2006 |
Kevin, I think you're right calling CDs artifacts. As soon as digital music is seen in the industry as more than an afterthought, I have the feeling CDs will meet their maker (or the landfill). I do hope digital music services and record companies get more adventurous in the way they provide supporting materials - cover art, credits, liner notes, etc. Once the iPod adopts the full-screen attributes of the new iPhone (which will probably happen in the fall), all sorts of display options will be possible. I'd love to see some band get creative and design packaging exclusively for the digital format. Then I might view digital downloads as a legitimate alternative to my dusty CD collection. That said, I do tend to overlook the digital-only music I have. I still look for music on the shelves first and foremost. And I do recognize that as 20th century behavior. | ||
| spence Member Username: Spence Post Number: 1214 Registered: 05-2005 |
All in all I don't know what's going to be the best. I still seem to be buying CD's, have downloaded a few things, which is great, through iTunes. I suppose as there's hardly any real info on sleeves nowadays, as a lot of it is so minimalist, I will probably give up on CD's at some point. I tend to buy stuff from iTunes for artists that I am already aware of, and buy CD's for artists who I am less familiar with, so I can read the real dirt on the sleeve art. I loved the recent Josef K Entemology packaging and presentation along with the lovely remastered tunes, that buying experience would have been pretty shit had I merely downloaded the songs, however drooling over the sleeve art and all the notes was great. Beck's company had the right idea too, making the art a bit more of a DIY experience, with stickers you can rearrange on the graph paper blamk sleeve, its fun and cool, I like that a lot, my daughters can make the new Beck sleeve for me! I'd like my group's sleeve to be like that on the next release, if record company can stretch to the budget!!! I admire the vinyl buying public, not sure as I don't buy new vinyl if quality is better than cd, but its great to see you can still buy vinyl, I wonder if there is a vinyl relase with every artist now, does anyone know if vinyl is selling well again? Jeff? | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 445 Registered: 01-2005 |
I won a 30 gb iPod at our company Christmas party, but I have yet to fool around with it. I am still addicted to my cd's, although I do need to buy another shelving unit for them as the others are filled to the brim! I am rapidly running out of room in my family room for another shelving unit unless I start stacking them, wihich you can do with the ones I get from Sorice. | ||
| frank bascombe Member Username: Frankb Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2007 |
Download some from iTunes most recently a copy of Roberts Danger in the past as I have an LP and wanted t to listen too on my iPod,but on the whole buy CDs. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 962 Registered: 03-2005 |
Michael, I use my iPod for listening at work. If you have iTunes on your computer by all means load some music onto the iPod. I have a 60gig unit but because I'm only loading things in gradually I've used only 16gigs and that's about 5,200 songs. I like to listen to the iPod on shuffle so that I can hear things I've forgotten about. It's too bad the sound levels aren't uniform; I'm continually readjusting the level. | ||
| Wolfgang Steinhardt Member Username: Berbatov Post Number: 48 Registered: 09-2006 |
I'm twisted between the love for(and the haptical and optical experience of)vinyl and, a little less, for CD's too on the one hand and the easy handling via i-tunes and i-pod on the other. My old Acoustic Research amp and a Thorens together with Stax earphones are still the one and only thing concerning the sound, but I love doing housework and travelling by train with 5000 songs in my pockets and I can second Paul's and John B.s experience that a lot of stuff I listen to on the i-pod I'd hardly would have listened to at home. I don't download, but I borrow a lot from my friends collections. Randy, do you have these black McIntosh components with the blue displays (VU-meters and stuff)? Back in the seventies I saw them in Dad's hifi-mags and fell in love. McIntosh still uses that design today, but it's so incredibly expensive... Stax earphones are the most important invention since the wheel when you live in an appartment and neighbours don't share your sophisticated taste of music... And Spence: just today was an article in the local newspaper (Basel, Switzerland) that the record stores, even big chains like the Media-Market, start to stock vinyl again. More and more people ask for it and I know the same thing from Germany. Turntables designed like UFO's are the highlights of every hifi-shop display and I think it's just a matter of time until they offer the first PC with a vinyl slot... | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 964 Registered: 03-2005 |
I have a Thorens too Wolfgang! It desperately needs a new stylus and probably also a drive belt. I used to have two of 'em. Yeah, the McIntosh power amp has the big blue meters. The pre-amp has the cool illuminated lettering. Of course it doesn't have any of the inputs for a modern system but it looks and sounds great and lasts seemingly forever. I think the high price ultimately pays itself back. I bought my Stax when I was in a little single apartment in Santa Monica for the same reason you use yours. I shouldn't have worried since my next door neighbor was a dipso couple who argued loudly as foreplay to equally loud mating. | ||
| andreas Member Username: Andreas Post Number: 432 Registered: 04-2006 |
my old thorens still rules in my living room. 2005 i bought new stereo components: rotel. the second pair of in my lifetime. i like that kind of understatement. my i pod (60 GB) is a fine little helper. it enables me too listen to all that stuff which i still buy on my way to work and back home. one way fits exactly for a cd. because of that reason i don't often use the shuffle modus (even when i know that it has his advantages). downloading isn't my cup of tea, because like a lot of fellows i am a haptical minded, too. but the path kevin and hardin striked has his advantages and there are moments i think about that direction. but if i would do it i am sure that i don't have the time to listen to all that downloaded stuff. and listening to music must be joy not work (just a subjective objection as my time is very limited). and now i quit for a while. i am on my way to find some snow. | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 67 Registered: 03-2006 |
I still buy CDs. Far too many, really. I have, I think, about 2000 or so. Maybe more. I am scared to count. That being said, my entire collection is encoded onto my G4 PowerMac at work, which is where I do most of my listening. Still, I like the idea of the music existing in a physical format. At home, I have a nice little Denon CD player, but also play my iPod though my Tivoli iPAL radio when I'm wandering from room to room doing chores. I also have a Thorens turntable. I don't use it that much, but I like being the kind of person who still has a record player. | ||
| Allen Belz Member Username: Abpositive Post Number: 174 Registered: 09-2006 |
I've been able to beat the expense thing to a large extent by utilizing the three excellent library systems in my area...request the CD, check it out, burn it, take it back, repeat ad infinitum. For me a big part of the worry is that, like most electronic devices these days, computers and Ipods are built to last but a short time...when they die, there goes your music collection. Which is why I still want to have some kind of hardcopy. | ||
| Michael Bachman Member Username: Michael_bachman Post Number: 451 Registered: 01-2005 |
It was close on my final choice of a Thorens or a Dual 701 in December of 1974 when I bough my Pioneer SX1010 (a pretty powerfull unit at that time with 100 watts per channel) and my BIC Formula 6 speakers. I ended up with the Dual 701 turntable. | ||
| Little Keith Member Username: Manosludge Post Number: 1509 Registered: 03-2006 |
In the States it seems that you can't really find CD players any more, people just buy DVD players and use em for both purposes. I, in fact, despite having some decent equipment, am currently using an old raggedy-ass DVD player for my CDs. I guess I'll find out soon what's out there - this puppy has developed some issues, skipping, etc... | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1188 Registered: 05-2005 |
Same in Australia LK. Record players have outlasted CD players. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 975 Registered: 03-2005 |
I was going to put this in the "pet peeves" thread but it fits here better. It continues to piss me off that record stores seek something like $8.99 for secondhand CDs. I'm not talking about rarities like "Brave Words." They don't wear out, fewer people want them and yet the stores still think it's reasonable to charge more than half the price of a new one. There are a lot of things I don't have because, well, other more exotic things seemed more pressing, but I do like to pick up some of the overlooked generally acknowledged classics from time to time but I refuse to pay $8.99. Once it's secondhand there's no more royalty money going to the artist so I can't see any justification for it at all. And assuming you all are right and CDs are going the way of the oozlum bird, soon these overpriced secondhand discs are going to be 99 cents or in the landfills. That might not have happened if the stores had been more realistic about them in the first place. | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 69 Registered: 03-2006 |
Randy. count yourself lucky. In Auckland (NZ) there's one giant sec. hand place, Real Groovy Records, which has totally cornered the second hand market. Their default price for a second hand CD is 2/3rds of the price of a new disk. Except, of course, that there are loads of big chains which sell their new release/chart CDs at a lower price than Real Groovy. So, basically, a sec. hand copy of a recent release is probably no cheaper than a brand new copy five minutes drive away. Sure, there are bargain bins etc., but, really, as a consumer here you get shafted. (And don't even get me started on how much they'd give _me_ for a CD if I was selling it to them.) | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1198 Registered: 05-2005 |
Lawrence, there used to be a store front second hand place on, I think, K Road, that was great. Last time I was there was November 2003. I hope it's still there. I got David McComb's album there for $7 (that's about 2.50 pounds sterling folks)! As I bought it and a few more things I was hoping they would not realise from my demeanour that I'd gladly have paid $40 for the McComb CD! Real Groovy would have realised how much it was really worth, and then added another 20% to that. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 165 Registered: 01-2006 |
Lawrence & Padraig, either or both of you know the pub at the top of the K road and Ponsonby Road junction called the Dog's Bollix? A friend of mine used to work there (late nineties) and i used to drink there a bit when I lived on Ponsonby Road... | ||
| Pádraig Collins Member Username: Pádraig_collins Post Number: 1199 Registered: 05-2005 |
Yes! I remember that bar. Hard not to notice it! I'm pretty sure I had a drink or two in there. | ||
| Lawrence Mikkelsen Member Username: Simplythrilledhoney Post Number: 70 Registered: 03-2006 |
I saw The White Stripes at the Dogs Bollix when you could still see The White Stipes for little more than the price of a drink. re: those record stores, there were three brilliant shops on K Road - Revival Records, Record Excange (also known as 123 K) and Crawlspace Records. Sadly, all three have now closed down, hence my comment about Real Goovy (AKA Real Greedy) having cornered the market. | ||
| XY765 Member Username: Judge Post Number: 167 Registered: 01-2006 |
Yeah it was an old converted church, run by an Irish and English guy, I had some fun in that pub as I knew all the staff.... |