CD, LP or MP3?

Slartibartfast wrote: TartanTantrum wrote: It has to be the LP. I am 50 now and was brought up with them. Besides, I can't read the sleeve notes on CDs anymore! I'm only 43 until March, but I don't care for the LP other than the large format covers. I can't read the CD sleeve notes either.

CDs all the way. MP3s should be illegal (ok i'm exagerating, but...). MP3s are slowly eroding the incentive artists had to produce music at professional sound quality level. The more demand there is for MP3s, the less demand there is for CDs, the less you are going to see bands investing in sound quality. This is a real issue imo.

I voted CD's. I always buy an album on CD mainly because of the cover art etc. I do always rip the CD's and get them on my ipod, cause a CD isn't that entertaining when sitting in the bus without a CD player... I've never really experienced vinyl records. My parents uesed to have vinyls, but got rid of them a long time before I got really interested in music.

progkidjoel wrote: I choose CD's - Hate the fact that MP3's cost nearly the same for nothing but data, and I don't like the fact that they're stuck on my PC/iPod until I burn them to discs. I don't have a record player, although I'm considering saving up for one... Just not too excited about having to re-buy alot of my albums on LP... So CD's, all round. -Joel

data? Last time I checked, MP3s contained music ...

^ I know. But why is what you see more important than what you hear, when we're talking about music?

I think that 20 years from now CDs and vinyl LPs will be almost extinct, or at the very least CDs will join vinyl LPs in their role as obscure collectors' items. I don't think that by then we'll still be using MP3s, since file size will no longer matter then (we'll surely have terabytes of space on mobile players). My guess is that we'll purchase digital packages instead of CDs ... those packages will contain MP3s (for backward compatibility), high-def audio in various formats (stereo, 5.1, ...) and of course also the information we currently get as a paper booklet.

Personally, I'm looking forward to that ... I really care about the music much more than about the plastic case & disc.


Edited by Mr ProgFreak - September 13 2009 at 03:03

Mr ProgFreak wrote: ^ I know. But why is what you see more important than what you hear, when we're talking about music? I think that 20 years from now CDs and vinyl LPs will be almost extinct, or at the very least CDs will join vinyl LPs in their role as obscure collectors' items. I don't think that by then we'll still be using MP3s, since file size will no longer matter then (we'll surely have terabytes of space on mobile players). My guess is that we'll purchase digital packages instead of CDs ... those packages will contain MP3s (for backward compatibility), high-def audio in various formats (stereo, 5.1, ...) and of course also the information we currently get as a paper booklet. Personally, I'm looking forward to that ... I really care about the music much more than about the plastic case & disc.

So many things to consider. Each has it's benefits/detriments. For me I hate the sound of MP3's although I love the convenience of the simple portable technology. I love the sound of vinyl, but I hate the surface noise that interferes with the listening of the music. I like CD's because at least have some sort of packaging even if it's downscaled from vinyl.

My god...my head hurts.

^ well, he says that MP3s cost "nearly the same" as CDs, but that's not what I see in online stores. Sure, you might come across a CD that is reduced in price and then costs less than the MP3s, but generally MP3s cost only about 2/3 of the price of the CD. And if you include eMusic and Amazon MP3 in the consideration you can make that 1/2, and that's something which I am more than happy with.

So I agree with you and Joel that you should not have to pay the same for MP3s as for CDs, but usually there is a noticeable price difference.

Mr ProgFreak wrote: ^ I know. But why is what you see more important than what you hear, when we're talking about music? I think that 20 years from now CDs and vinyl LPs will be almost extinct, or at the very least CDs will join vinyl LPs in their role as obscure collectors' items. I don't think that by then we'll still be using MP3s, since file size will no longer matter then (we'll surely have terabytes of space on mobile players). My guess is that we'll purchase digital packages instead of CDs ... those packages will contain MP3s (for backward compatibility), high-def audio in various formats (stereo, 5.1, ...) and of course also the information we currently get as a paper booklet. Personally, I'm looking forward to that ... I really care about the music much more than about the plastic case & disc.

I'm all for that, really. As long as I can still have a physical package to have in my hands for the artwork as an option, the concept of all digital information is fine by me; it ensures that the music will never leave me, and no discs of any kind will risk corroding.

I'm still a sucker for pretty, physical art, though. Hopefully you get what I'm saying, haha.

J-Man wrote: Mr ProgFreak wrote: ^ I know. But why is what you see more important than what you hear, when we're talking about music?I think that 20 years from now CDs and vinyl LPs will be almost extinct, or at the very least CDs will join vinyl LPs in their role as obscure collectors' items. I don't think that by then we'll still be using MP3s, since file size will no longer matter then (we'll surely have terabytes of space on mobile players). My guess is that we'll purchase digital packages instead of CDs ... those packages will contain MP3s (for backward compatibility), high-def audio in various formats (stereo, 5.1, ...) and of course also the information we currently get as a paper booklet.Personally, I'm looking forward to that ... I really care about the music much more than about the plastic case & disc. That's not what Joel means. Of course the music is more important than the packaging! What he means is why would you pay the same price for just the music, when you can get that in addition to a case with artwork and a booklet.

Correct - I didn't mean it was the music, I meant that when I'm paying only a dollar or two more for the case, the CD and the Artwork, I don't see why I'd settle for less.

Also, I enjoy having to wait for an album in the mail... It builds my anticipation, and I really enjoy it once it arrives