Linn Forums

Paulssurround · 2013-02-22, 07:20

Am I the only one who still listens to CD's, SACD's and DVD-Audio discs? Tongue

I still buy CD's and listen to them, even though I have a DS.

I love my SACD and DVD-Audio multichannel discs, and probably spin them more than streaming my music from the DS. My DS sounds great, but I find the multichannel music more engaging.

Is there anyone else out there that still spins any of these disc formats?

Wilseus · 2013-02-22, 11:13

Yes, CD, since I don't have any money at the moment to spend on any new sources.

I also don't like downloads because I much prefer the tangibility of a physical disc in my hand.

Mr Onion · 2013-02-22, 11:21

LP's first, CD's second Downloads a very last third (ie only on the PC. I dont stream to the HiFi and have no intention to)

Owning a LP or CD is actual physical ownership. 'Owning' a download is a whole lot less tangible. Having something in my hand (ooer missis) and loading it in to the TT or CD spinner is (to me) a part of the listening experience.

stairpost · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-22 11:27 by stairpost.)

Hi Paul,

My collection is split between vinyl and CD. I tend to buy a lot of CD's as they are so cheap 2nd hand, I usually pay £1 or £2 for an album.

Most of my vinyl is funk, rare groove and soundtracks that can get pricey but are just plain lovely to have on vinyl.

Wilseus · 2013-02-22, 11:25

(2013-02-22 11:21)Mr Onion Wrote: LP's first, CD's second Downloads a very last third (ie only on the PC. I dont stream to the HiFi and have no intention to)

Owning a LP or CD is actual physical ownership. 'Owning' a download is a whole lot less tangible. Having something in my hand (ooer missis) and loading it in to the TT or CD spinner is (to me) a part of the listening experience.

You could be on to something there!

biquer · 2013-02-22, 12:45

The tactile aspect of physical media is an attraction.
The thought of managing an inherently flawed system (crashes, backups, virus protection, hackers, etc.) of spinning disks for a music library for me outweighs the "benefit" of convenience.
Cloud-based music is just plain crazy. Spending money on a music library out of my control makes no good sense.
My 2 cents.

Auric · 2013-02-22, 14:35

Silver discs are great especially now many record companies are bringing out these fantastic mega-boxed sets with their original sleeves etc. I have also recently acquired a really nice SACD player on which to play the many hybrid SACD discs I have inadvertantly collected over the years.

I don't get DS. Having access to a whole music library through a touch screen is a total turn-off. LPs are more fussy and I get frustrated about the lack of modern classical recordings and fed up of all the reissues from the so called 'Golden Age'. I'd far rather hear Viktoria Mullova or Baiba Skride play Sibelius than yet another reissue of Heifetz. I love rummaging through my collection re-discovering music or interpretations I had forgotten. I would no more consign my recordings collection to a digital library than I would our book library to Kindle. It's a shame Linn don't agree as our paths will eventually diverge.

As for sound quality, those complaining about 16 bit clearly haven't heard it through a top high end playback system. Some of my finest audio experiences have been played through a standard 16-bit CD on a variety of systems. On the other hand I've not heard a DS demo yet that I have found remotely more enjoyable than CD.

grimreaper46 · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-22 15:20 by grimreaper46.)

RIPs/Downloads and Vinyl. Probably Vinyl most at the moment.

When I first looked into streaming I thought I would still want to "hold" a CD when I was playing it. That was why I started with a simple SONOS system using my Lap Top as the source with a selection RIPed on there and streamed wireless, not the best for musicality but I wanted to test out my need for a physical connection to the CD.

After a very short period and much to my suprise I was going to the RIP's rather than getting a CD out.

That meant a move to a NAS and a few weeks RIPing my collection to it. Then I moved back to LINN and used the Majik DS-I straight into my Spendor A6's. When funds allowed I went to Majik Isobarik with Majik power amps in Aktiv mode.

I had traded in my CD player (Cyrus CD 8 with separate P/S) when I went Isobarik and since then all my CD's are stored upstairs and unmissed.

I generally only do HD downloads although I have a small number at 16 bit 44.1kBits.

Reputable downloads and RIPed CD's sound better than the original CD in most cases (but never worse).

Oh and with my eyes I need a 12" Album to get my fix both visually and tactile. The main failing with CD's for me was the damn size. Had to get my reading glasses out and even then it could be a struggle. Now 12" CD's that would be something. Tongue

Paulssurround · (This post was last modified: 2013-02-22 15:31 by Paulssurround.)

My DS music sounds much better than spinning a CD, and is certainly more convenient to play. But my SACD/DVD-Audio sounds almost as good, and I feel much more tuned into the music experience in full surround.

I do like to have a disc in hand, and read the liner notes.

I always wonder if all the 1's and 0's fall out of the hard drive someday, and then I would have a mess on the floor. What if you store all your music on a cloud, and it starts to rain?

Is that where hip hop, rap come from? Tongue

starman62 · 2013-02-22, 15:39

Since i bought my dsm i never listrn to a cd anymore. I dont need to have a cd in hand fir listening.
Much more enjoyable to listen to ripped cds or downloads, quality is much better then cd.
On the other hand i tend to buy mord vinyl again since i got my lp12 serviced.
This gives me more a haptic feeling of listening to music. Even the sound is better then some of the cds.
Enjoying my lp12 as much so that next upgrades are going to the lp12
Cheers
Joe