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Edward Mass
Sep 14, 2011

𝅘𝅥𝅮 I wanna go home with the armadillo
Good country music from Amarillo and Abilene
Friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen
𝅘𝅥𝅮
Is physical media dead? This question has been asked countless times since digital downloads became commonplace about a decade ago. Obviously, the vinyl resurgence has kept record stores busy, and cassette culture has been making a comeback in recent years, but what of the CD? What of perfect sound forever? This is the thread for those of us who still buy CDs, for whatever reason we have. Why do I still buy CDs? It's several reasons, really. I like the convenience of the analog backdoor so that, if someone wants to rip a copy of an album into iTunes or their other music directory of choice, they don't have to spend any money. Like vinyl enthusiasts, I enjoy the physical object to hold, the liner notes, the act of inserting a disc into a box and pressing a button to hear the fast spin of the CD as it's read. Unlike records, the CD is portable and sturdier (if enclosed in a jewel case, my preference).



I have 537 CDs in my collection (including box sets and multi-disc releases, most of which reside on display). I just reorganized them the other day, and two of them still don't fit in the line. This is not promising for my latest purchase, the Ultramega OK reissue.

Post your CD collections, whether obsessively calculated or not!

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A human heart
Oct 10, 2012

Cassette culture isn't 'coming back' because it never went anywhere.

A CRUNK BIRD
Sep 29, 2004
I bought a CD copy of The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid from amazon a couple weeks ago when I was really drunk. Not really sure why I did that but it's a great album so whatever. Take it easy

stay depressed
Sep 30, 2003

by zen death robot
average available bandwidth has deprecated the need to write digital data on physical discs for efficient transfer from person to person hope this helps op

Ras Het
May 23, 2007

when I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child - but now I am a man.

stay depressed posted:

average available bandwidth has deprecated the need to write digital data on physical discs for efficient transfer from person to person hope this helps op

CDs are an investment in the inevitable Mad Max future

BigFactory
Sep 17, 2002

Ras Het posted:

CDs are an investment in the inevitable Mad Max future

I hope my Yorx still works in the future. hosed up it it doesn't.

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe
I still buy cds because having the physical copy of an album makes me happy, even though I just rip them straight away and put them in the cupboard. CDs are good.

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe
I go to op shops (goodwill sort of stores for my American friends) and buy like 20 of these motherfuckers at a time for &1 or $2 each it's really enjoyable.

TOOT BOOT
May 25, 2010

Sucks how everyone still wants a lot of money for them even though they're an obsolete format. It's like why would I want to pay $8.00 to have a CD shipped to me when I can pay $2 more and get it on iTunes.

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe

TOOT BOOT posted:

Sucks how everyone still wants a lot of money for them even though they're an obsolete format. It's like why would I want to pay $8.00 to have a CD shipped to me when I can pay $2 more and get it on iTunes.

Yeah it sucks that they are still pretty expensive, but on the other hand I don't like how they expect me to pay a similar price on itunes to only get a digital copy

CRINDY
Sep 23, 2010

forget about ur worries and ur strife
they're nice to have in the car when the radio is especially awful and I didn't plug in my phone

I don't think I've bought one in about four years since I jumped to vinyl but I still have my high school collection so I've been bumping return to cookie mountain and in rainbows lately

Molestationary Store
May 21, 2007

I think Physical Media is cool but I'm old.

IUG
Jul 14, 2007


I, too, have a large collection.



This is right after I built it. It is probably holding twice as many albums now. I don't know how many I have now (I'm at work), but I have an iTunes playlist of all my CDs that I physically own. I think it's over 300-400. I made my own shelving for the CDs when I first moved into my house years ago, 96 inch long planks with simple brackets holding it up. Although I just started to remove the paper and disks from the jewel cases and putting them into CD sleeves, and I'm finally going to stop collecting CDs I think. If there is an option to get it in FLAC, then there's really no reason to get the disks (especially since I just listen to the whole collection as MP3s anyways).

So far I've only done the As before I ran out of sleeves...

Edit: 487 albums now. Next one will likely be Gorillaz, which just put out a release date today.

IUG fucked around with this message at 22:34 on Mar 23, 2017

a_gelatinous_cube
Feb 13, 2005

I think this was around a thousand CDs. It took me a year to rip them maybe 10 years ago, and really haven't opened these since then. I honestly don't miss the format, and moving was a pain in the rear end.

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe
I have 1668 CDs and I just keep buying them! They are the best format

Mt. Modular
May 18, 2006

realbez posted:

I go to op shops (goodwill sort of stores for my American friends) and buy like 20 of these motherfuckers at a time for &1 or $2 each it's really enjoyable.

Exactly. I don't love CDs, but I like going to Goodwill and buying 5 good albums for less than an iTunes album download. Plus, the added thrill of thinking you're buying a Broken Social Scene CD, getting in your car and then finding a Justin Timberlake CD inside the case instead. FUN!

RestingB1tchFace
Jul 4, 2016

Opinions are like a$$holes....everyone has one....but mines the best!!!
Yup. I enjoy popping a cd into my car and listening straight through. Great way to find gems that I otherwise would have missed. Perfect example is "The Downward Spiral" by NIN. Other than a few of their obviously well known songs.....I was never much into them. Got ahold of this CD a couple years ago and other than a weak few songs in the middle.....it's become one of my favorite albums. "Reptile" is a criminally underrated gem of a song.

Plus......as an ebay junkie......there are many merchants that sell TONS of CDs at any given time.....offering $1 shipping on every extra cd bought. Great way to load up on five to ten albums for a dollar or two on average. I'm trying to cut back on buying these however. Around 300 CDs.....probably don't need to increase my backlog much more. I'll continue to support my favorite bands when they put out new records though. Like many of you.....I like having physical copies of my music. I don't trust that drat cloud. I hate the DRM that iTunes put on their music (do they still do that?). Plus.......a big sticking point........I want to import my music in the format that I choose. gently caress AAC.

IUG
Jul 14, 2007


Just now, as of posting this, I just finished ripping a CD to my collection to listen to today on my phone. I even bought the CD (Depeche Mode's "Spirit") from Amazon, and got the mp3s automatically, but I had to wait until I ripped the CD. It doesn't even make sense but this is what I do apparently.

Beelerzebub
May 28, 2016

I came here to laugh at you.



I've got some more in my bedroom as well, but I'm currently in my car.

Edit: My CD collection is pretty poo poo, to be quite honest.

Beelerzebub fucked around with this message at 15:02 on Apr 18, 2017

BigFactory
Sep 17, 2002
Those are all your CDs?

Sorry I missed what you said. Can you post your bedroom CDs too?

BigFactory fucked around with this message at 16:02 on Apr 18, 2017

Nail Rat
Dec 29, 2000

You maniacs! You blew it up! God damn you! God damn you all to hell!!
I won't intentionally buy a CD, but on occasion I will intentionally buy a vinyl record.

If it's something where the physical CD costs as much or less than digital album, which happens occasionally, yeah I'll buy it then.

Beelerzebub
May 28, 2016

I came here to laugh at you.

BigFactory posted:

Those are all your CDs?

Sorry I missed what you said. Can you post your bedroom CDs too?

Yeah. I'll edit them into this reply once I get home. It's not a huge collection. I've only got about 20-30 CDs total.

e1: also, there's a CD on the far left squished between the side of my console and Metal Health. It was a CD that came with Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.

e2:
Just bought these. Listening to Because The Internet right now. As someone who isn't a fan of rap, it's pretty alright.

e3:

Beelerzebub fucked around with this message at 16:24 on Apr 19, 2017

BigFactory
Sep 17, 2002

Beelerzebub posted:

Yeah. I'll edit them into this reply once I get home. It's not a huge collection. I've only got about 20-30 CDs total.

e1: also, there's a CD on the far left squished between the side of my console and Metal Health. It was a CD that came with Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.

Couldn't you just turn on classic rock radio to hear all of those songs?

Leon Einstein
Feb 6, 2012
I must win every thread in GBS. I don't care how much banal semantic quibbling and shitty posts it takes.
I donated about 750 cds. I only buy vinyl now if I want a physical copy.

Beelerzebub
May 28, 2016

I came here to laugh at you.

BigFactory posted:

Couldn't you just turn on classic rock radio to hear all of those songs?

Then you have to listen to commercials, and gently caress that.

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe
I like vinyl, but unless you buy it off bandcamp you're unlikely to be able to listen to the album on the go with a digital copy. Download cards not being included in every new vinyl is dumb. CD supremacy.

Cemetry Gator
Apr 3, 2007

Do you find something comical about my appearance when I'm driving my automobile?

realbez posted:

I like vinyl, but unless you buy it off bandcamp you're unlikely to be able to listen to the album on the go with a digital copy. Download cards not being included in every new vinyl is dumb. CD supremacy.

It depends on what you're buying. The reality is that on the high end, those download cards get 25% attach rate, which raises the question if it's worth the expense, especially when most people have streaming, and the people like me who don't prefer streaming are really a minority, and eventually, even I will succumb to that beast.

But most releases I've gotten have included download cards. I think it's partially an expectation, and the cost might not be that bad. You can never tell.

Elrobot
Dec 28, 2004
Press the buttons all at once, all of the time
stoked to get these in the mail

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
I love buying records and CDs especially digipacks

Matador were the kings of mid-90s digipacks

Danny LaFever
Dec 29, 2008


Grimey Drawer
I'm down with digipaks. Jewel cases take up too much space. Its just too much.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames
Why do they call them "jewel cases" anyway

Leon Einstein
Feb 6, 2012
I must win every thread in GBS. I don't care how much banal semantic quibbling and shitty posts it takes.
Digipacks are way better. The Broken EP by NIN had the coolest packaging.

Mister Kingdom
Dec 14, 2005

And the tears that fall
On the city wall
Will fade away
With the rays of morning light

precision posted:

Why do they call them "jewel cases" anyway

wkipedia posted:

Origin
According to Philips, the name "jewel case" reflects either the generally high quality of the case design compared to initial attempts, or its appearance. According to one publication, initial attempts at packaging CDs were unsatisfactory. When the new design, by Peter Doodson, was found to be "virtually perfect" it was dubbed the "jewel case".Another publication quotes Doodson describing that he "specified polished ribs as they pick up the light and shine" and states that the resulting appearance led to the name.

In case you weren't kidding.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames

Leon Einstein posted:

Digipacks are way better. The Broken EP by NIN had the coolest packaging.

Constellation Records does a lot of great ones, the art included in GY!BE/Silver Mt. Zion discs/albums is worth the price alone

e: I still have my copy of the Slow Riot For New Zero Kanada EP that I bought in 1999. The Broken EP was literally the first compact disc I ever bought, in 1993

e2: Ironically Fixed had better music but a cheaper digipack for some reason

e3: the second and third CDs I ever bought were Front 242's 06:21:03:11 UP EVIL and REM's Green. In retrospect, my taste in cassettes was much better than my taste in CDs (at the time I was buying Husker Du, King Missile, Legendary Pink Dots, Pavement, all on tape so I could listen to them in my car and now I feel stupid

precision fucked around with this message at 02:31 on Apr 22, 2017

realbez
Mar 23, 2005

Fun Shoe
Digipacks can be pretty cool, but I've had more than a few new CDs turn up stuck in the glue of the digipack, sometimes making the last couple of tracks unreadable. Shops always take returns though so it's cool.

Beelerzebub
May 28, 2016

I came here to laugh at you.
Merge Records' digipacks are loving great. They open easily and the disc doesn't take loving forever to pull out like the ones the use for Pink Floyd CDs.

Beelerzebub fucked around with this message at 11:01 on Apr 22, 2017

drowned in pussy juice
Oct 13, 2009

by FactsAreUseless
my cds live a chaotic toy story life on the floor of my car, one day I hope to have an accident and get decapitated by a copy of the dawsons creek soundtrack

Mister Kingdom
Dec 14, 2005

And the tears that fall
On the city wall
Will fade away
With the rays of morning light

drowned in pussy juice posted:

my cds live a chaotic toy story life on the floor of my car, one day I hope to have an accident and get decapitated by a copy of the dawsons creek soundtrack

So, what you're saying is that you don't want to wait for your life to be over?

drowned in pussy juice
Oct 13, 2009

by FactsAreUseless

Mister Kingdom posted:

So, what you're saying is that you don't want to wait for your life to be over?

This looks like I gave you a really easy lay up for a great joke but in reality I have bad taste in music

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Mister Kingdom
Dec 14, 2005

And the tears that fall
On the city wall
Will fade away
With the rays of morning light

drowned in pussy juice posted:

This looks like I gave you a really easy lay up for a great joke but in reality I have bad taste in music

I've heard of worse.

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