Physical cds on demand

[Spotted Horses]

I digtized all my LPs and tapes and burnt them to CDR with a Maranz CD recorder in the early 1990es, and they all still play well after thirty years. Of course they have been stored dark and not too hot.

It is very dependent on storage. Years ago when my car had a CD player I would burn CDs to play in the car because I didn't want to take my CD collection into the car. The burned CDs deteriorated rapidly when the car was subject to summer heat.

[DavidW]

Maybe so, but LPs had one thing going for them, not just the romanticized inconvenience. They sound different (even if that difference is in an objective sense distortion and noise). There is no difference between sending data to a DAC from an optical transport or from a file on some sort of storage device.

I don't think that people are buying vinyl for the sound quality.  I think they are buying it for the same reason that dumb phones are becoming popular again and print books outsell ebooks by a country mile.  It is a rejection of the always online culture that has crept into our lives.

[Spotted Horses]

I don't think that people are buying vinyl for the sound quality.  I think they are buying it for the same reason that dumb phones are becoming popular again and print books outsell ebooks by a country mile.  It is a rejection of the always online culture that has crept into our lives.

Different people have different reasons. People rejecting streaming for LPs probably are probably rejecting online culture. People rejecting CDs are probably drawn to the "warm" sound. I have no idea what view is more prevalent.

Regarding ebooks, I think a major obstacle for adoption is the fact that publishers make ebooks almost as expensive as hardcover books. It feels like a ripoff to get just a file for the same price when you have relieved them of the trouble of printing the book. I use bookbub, which sends be notices of ebook deals. 99% of the ebooks I buy cost me $1.99.

[DavidW]

Different people have different reasons. People rejecting streaming for LPs probably are probably rejecting online culture. People rejecting CDs are probably drawn to the "warm" sound. I have no idea what view is more prevalent.

Regarding ebooks, I think a major obstacle for adoption is the fact that publishers make ebooks almost as expensive as hardcover books. It feels like a ripoff to get just a file for the same price when you have relieved them of the trouble of printing the book. I use bookbub, which sends be notices of ebook deals. 99% of the ebooks I buy cost me $1.99.

You know I only recently discovered bookbub despite being into ereading for so long.  My problem is that if it even seems vaguely interesting at $2 I'll buy it.  I've ended up with an overly large digital library!

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm an enthusiastic CD collector. I had long-time and costly experience with LP too but I realized that LP is not for me (although I must admit that LP packaging and booklets are unrivaled). My collection contains only original factory produced CDs (I have many CDs even from the beginning of the CD, 1982 and 1983).
I'm thinking about that main long-time problem with CD is not the deterioration of discs. The main problem will be lack of players. As far as I know today currently one Chinese factory produces laser pick-ups. Even the most expensive CD players use that cheap pick-up because there is no another. I use an old Sony ES from the 90s. Old players don't have replacement pick-ups or mechanism. If owner find another working compatible player in reasonable price, he is lucky. If don't, then he can throw out even the most expensive player. If the last factory stops pickup production, CDs will last as long as players work.
I know fellow hi-fi owners who sold all CDs not because deterioration of discs. Their player broke down many times and finally they said they don't want to buy new. Streaming is fine for them.

I'm curious as to where you heard that only one factory was producing the lasers?  And what is the name of the company and factory.  Not saying that your info is wrong, but am curious.

PD

[Florestan]

a rejection of the always online culture that has crept into our lives.

As a devoted, always online GMGer, I reject this rejection. 😁

[Madiel]

As a devoted, always online GMGer, I reject this rejection. 😁

Sometimes GMG isn't working. What then?

[Florestan]

Sometimes GMG isn't working. What then?

I break plates, growl and howl and one should better stay away from me...   

Now seriously, I just pick up a book from the tall pile of un-read ones I accumulated over the years.

[Spotted Horses]

You know I only recently discovered bookbub despite being into ereading for so long.  My problem is that if it even seems vaguely interesting at $2 I'll buy it.  I've ended up with an overly large digital library!

I avoided that trap by following my favorite authors on bookbub. Then I get a separate notice when a book by one of my authors is discounted. I usually ignore the curated lists they send me, but take note of offers on my favorite authors. Often when an author publishes a new work one of their prior works gets discounted as some sort of promotional strategy.

Of course, if I really want something (usually a new release) I will get it at full price but that is out of the ordinary.

[Irons]

I don't think that people are buying vinyl for the sound quality.  I think they are buying it for the same reason that dumb phones are becoming popular again and print books outsell ebooks by a country mile.  It is a rejection of the always online culture that has crept into our lives.

Vinyl is my main source but due to circumstances I was forced to forgo playing LPs for over a month and listening to the far more convenient CD which was a pleasure. Returning to LP after a hiatus surprised me as the musical presentation and experience is so different between the two formats. I have no argument with Spotted Horses that the for me the magical ingredient of LP is distortion and noise, maybe so. Whatever, the subjective emotional power of music is stronger in an analogue domain. 

[DavidW]

Vinyl is my main source but due to circumstances I was forced to forgo playing LPs for over a month and listening to the far more convenient CD which was a pleasure. Returning to LP after a hiatus surprised me as the musical presentation and experience is so different between the two formats. I have no argument with Spotted Horses that the for me the magical ingredient of LP is distortion and noise, maybe so. Whatever, the subjective emotional power of music is stronger in an analogue domain. 

I'm not saying that it doesn't sound different.  I am saying you're not the primary demographic.  A big chunk of the sales are coming from Gen Z and Millenials.  Not audiophiles, who are always in the minority.  And they are not seeking out old albums either, it is new releases like Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift.  They are buying them because of their tangible nature.

https://www.insideradio.com/free/whos-driving-up-vinyl-lp-sales-in-2022-its-probably-not-who-you-think/article_925df5ae-0987-11ed-9061-432d41ea0a23.html
https://www.vinylmeplease.com/blogs/magazine/generation-z-vinyl-resurgence

I'm not saying that your experience isn't valid. Just that it has really nothing to do with the resurgence.

[Roberto]

I think one reason of the success of the LP in the 21th century is that this medium is quite simple, and even its operation gives visual pleasure to the owner. It has a kind of ceremony when the owner puts the record, cleans the dust, etc. If somebody likes this, no other medium gives it.

[Roberto]

I'm curious as to where you heard that only one factory was producing the lasers?  And what is the name of the company and factory.  Not saying that your info is wrong, but am curious.

PD

I don't remember. I changed my whole hi-fi system 2 years ago and I read much about CD players at that time. I tried a Heed CD player too. Even its manufacturer said that they had to stop using earlier very good Sanyo pickup because its manufacturer stopped its production too. Or he wrote it in a local forum, I don't remember. It's just an addition. I've read about that today even the most expensive Accuphase CD players use $12 mechanism because there is no another (in the 90's they used Sony's high-end linear drive mechanism). There are no replacement SACD pickups for players produced in the 2000's because factories stopped the production long ago. When I took my player to the local service they said if its linear drive mechanism stops working, I can throw out the player because is's impossible now to acquire spare parts. I think this is logical: if the market falls down, factories close.
Maybe DVD or other video disc player market lasts longer but I think eventually its market will disappear also because of streaming.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I don't remember. I changed my whole hi-fi system 2 years ago and I read much about CD players at that time. I tried a Heed CD player too. Even its manufacturer said that they had to stop using earlier very good Sanyo pickup because its manufacturer stopped its production too. Or he wrote it in a local forum, I don't remember. It's just an addition. I've read about that today even the most expensive Accuphase CD players use $12 mechanism because there is no another (in the 90's they used Sony's high-end linear drive mechanism). There are no replacement SACD pickups for players produced in the 2000's because factories stopped the production long ago. When I took my player to the local service they said if its linear drive mechanism stops working, I can throw out the player because is's impossible now to acquire spare parts. I think this is logical: if the market falls down, factories close.
Maybe DVD or other video disc player market lasts longer but I think eventually its market will disappear also because of streaming.

Thank you for the info.  Well, hopefully my "beast" will last for quite some time longer (knock on wood).  I have a Pioneer player which I quite like.  It plays:  CDs, DVDs, SACDs, and DVD-Audios.  I use it mostly for listening to music (through my main setup).

Short of watching some Youtube videos or (very rarely) a concert online, I haven't (yet?) given in to subscribing to online streaming.

PD

[DavidW]

Thank you for the info.  Well, hopefully my "beast" will last for quite some time longer (knock on wood).  I have a Pioneer player which I quite like.  It plays:  CDs, DVDs, SACDs, and DVD-Audios.  I use it mostly for listening to music (through my main setup).

Short of watching some Youtube videos or (very rarely) a concert online, I haven't (yet?) given in to subscribing to online streaming.

PD

Dvds are still sold everywhere, and so many titles never made it to streaming.  Combine that with the frustration many feel over the fragmented landscape (due to so many competing services splitting content) and I think that it is far less likely to see dvds and their players die anytime soon if at all. Especially now that the second golden age of streaming is well behind us.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Dvds are still sold everywhere, and so many titles never made it to streaming.  Combine that with the frustration many feel over the fragmented landscape (due to so many competing services splitting content) and I think that it is far less likely to see dvds and their players die anytime soon if at all. Especially now that the second golden age of streaming is well behind us.

Do you also use your DVD player for music David?  And if so, what formats can you play on it?

PD

[DavidW]

Do you also use your DVD player for music David?  And if so, what formats can you play on it?

PD

I used to.  I had an Oppo that was a universal player.  It supported cd, dvd, dvd-audio, and sacd.  I have a dedicated cd transport now though.  It only plays cds, but its selling point is that it can play even heavily scratched cds.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I used to.  I had an Oppo that was a universal player.  It supported cd, dvd, dvd-audio, and sacd.  I have a dedicated cd transport now though.  It only plays cds, but its selling point is that it can play even heavily scratched cds.

Ah, a real workhorse of a CD player then!  What brand is it?

PD

[DavidW]

Ah, a real workhorse of a CD player then!  What brand is it?

PD

Audiolab.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Audiolab.

Interesting about the scratch bit.  Wondering how that works/differs from what I have?  From what I recall, sometimes my Pioneer won't like "scratched things" (like stuff that I borrow from the library--normally, I steer clear of purchasing CDs if there are a lot of scratches on them); however, my inexpensive *under-the-counter combo CD player & radio which I have in the kitchen oftentimes does better with them.  $600 vs. $60...go figure!  The sound though is very good (re Pioneer) and I like that I can play different formats on them--though I have a total of one DVD-audio/video (one of those strange two-sided contraptions) and I think maybe also one straight SACD (the rest are your usual hybrids).

*And, yes, it sounds "tinny", but it's nice to be able to listen to either a CD or NPR programs whilst working in the kitchen.

PD