What is reasonable price for CDs?

[Grazioso]

If it's not a budget-priced disc, part of a budget-priced box set, on sale or otherwise well below the theoretical $17-19 for a new domestic disc in the US, I almost always refuse to buy it. When I can get beautifully recorded discs featuring the world's best artists for a few bucks each, why should I pay more? I won't even buy Naxos discs at full retail price anymore. (I remember when they were around $5 each.) When you figure in the per-disc cost of box sets on sale, I usually spend around $1-$10 per disc max. The classical music industry has taught me vividly that you can indeed get the best for the least, so why should I pay $20 per disc?

Not surprisingly, I don't have many BIS or Hyperion discs, but that's no great loss since I have a huge backlog of discs to listen to and can always find more reasonably priced music that I also want to hear. There are no discs I simply "have to have", merely ones it would be nice to hear.

[71 dB]

Not surprisingly, I don't have many BIS or Hyperion discs, but that's no great loss...

...except BIS and Hyperion discs tend to be DAMN GOOD! It would be cool to collect complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas played by Ronald Brautigam with gorgeous multichannel SACD sound but the prices are just too high. So, I have only the first volume. Perhaps I buy the last volume too when it is finally released because I am interested to explore Beethoven's late sonatas.

[Grazioso]

...except BIS and Hyperion discs tend to be DAMN GOOD! It would be cool to collect complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas played by Ronald Brautigam with gorgeous multichannel SACD sound but the prices are just too high. So, I have only the first volume. Perhaps I buy the last volume too when it is finally released because I am interested to explore Beethoven's late sonatas.

I don't at all debate the quality of their engineering, the desirability of their repertoire, or the status of their artists--all generally top-notch. But they charge too much compared to the competition If there's, say, a box set from EMI that I want and a single Hyperion disc I want, both for the same price, the former gets my money.

[Martin Lind]

I usually buy cheap CDs. Much of Brilliant or the Decca piano collection or the Decca Puccini and Wagner box or now the Elgar box. All this was very cheap, 1 -2 Euro or even cheaper. I sometimes buy Naxos ( last a Brahms or Schönberg CD) or if I see a special offer ( last the Dowland lute pieces from Harmonia Mundi). This is then a bit more expansive, about 5 - 6 Euros. Or I bought Ravel with Abaddo from Amazon Marketplace. Sometimes I buy used CDs at Ebay, lately some very beautifull Bach CDs ( 5 CDs cantatas with Rotzsch). Or I bought the piano concertoes from Saint Saens of Hyperion as a speciall offer.

So 90 % of my CDs are very cheap ( at least since the times of Brilliant), the rest is cheap, and I really never buy expensive CDs, even midprice. Maybe I should sometimes buy midpriced CDs, I don't know. But I don't do it.

[Harry]

As cheap as possible, that's my view on buying cd's.

[71 dB]

As cheap as possible, that's my view on buying cd's.

As many as possible, that's also your view on buying cds. 

[mn dave]

As many as possible, that's also your view on buying cds. 

Good one.

[71 dB]

I adore Fauré's Piano Quartets and Quintets. I have only one recording of these works, the Decca twofer with Pascal Rogé + Quatuor Ysaÿe. I believe many do not think these are that good performances and that Hyperion's releases are the best (Domus+Anthony Marwood). The problem is Hyperion CDs are expensive. Hyperion re-releases some discs in the budget cataloque Helios. I wonder if these Fauré CDs will be re-released? 15 euros/CD is a bit too much, Helios discs are much cheaper. With my luck there is no chance in hell. 

[DavidW]

Those that view cds as a commodity to be bought by the pound (or for some people by the truck load) tend to want the cheapest price at all costs.  Those that realize that a good cd will be listened to dozens of times realize that even full price is a good deal.  I used to be in the former category, now I am in the latter.

[Bulldog]

Those that view cds as a commodity to be bought by the pound (or for some people by the truck load) tend to want the cheapest price at all costs.  Those that realize that a good cd will be listened to dozens of times realize that even full price is a good deal.  I used to be in the former category, now I am in the latter.

Me also.  There are always folks who take great pride in acquiring products at very low cost, bragging about it all the way home.  I prefer to take a more flexible position.  Some of the stuff I buy is low cost - some costs a great deal.

[prémont]

It would be cool to collect complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas played by Ronald Brautigam with gorgeous multichannel SACD sound but the prices are just too high.

Yes, a multichannel SACD gear is too expensive, so I prefer to spend my money upon standard CDs.

[Daverz]

I'll pay US$20 or a little more for something rare or difficult to obtain that I really want.  For example, I ordered the Schneiderhan recording of the Martin Violin Concerto with the composer conducting (not the mono Ansermet recording) from JPC for about that much (they may not be able to provide it).  Much more and things get into the "someone must want it more than I do" territory.  But most everything else can be found for under $15 if you shop around or wait for sales.  I'll sometimes pay a little more for things I know are of very high quality for performance and sound (e.g. Savall recordings).

[71 dB]

Yes, a multichannel SACD gear is too expensive.

Not really. My Pioneer DV-575A was 200 euros and supports SACD.

[marvinbrown]

Those that view cds as a commodity to be bought by the pound (or for some people by the truck load) tend to want the cheapest price at all costs.  Those that realize that a good cd will be listened to dozens of times realize that even full price is a good deal.  I used to be in the former category, now I am in the latter.

 

Me also.  There are always folks who take great pride in acquiring products at very low cost, bragging about it all the way home.  I prefer to take a more flexible position.  Some of the stuff I buy is low cost - some costs a great deal.

That makes 3 of us  !  I tend to look at CDs as an investment that I hope will return many rewards over time.  Cheap CDs that prove to be dissatisfying end up being a financial loss since I rarely listen to them after the initial disappointment. They sit there on my shelves taking up space and  gathering dust  . Thankfully these represent a small percentage of my collection, usually a result of an impulse purchase- perhaps it's time for a small cull ?? 

  marvin

[The Six]

CDs cost nothing to make, so the price should depend upon the production. I'd say up to 5 dollars for the content, and 1 or 2 for the booklet, if there is one.

[Bulldog]

CDs cost nothing to make, so the price should depend upon the production. I'd say up to 5 dollars for the content, and 1 or 2 for the booklet, if there is one.

Production cost is only one of the factors that make up the retail price.

[Brian]

Production cost is only one of the factors that make up the retail price.

For example, there are often performers. 

[Todd]

CDs cost nothing to make, so the price should depend upon the production. I'd say up to 5 dollars for the content, and 1 or 2 for the booklet, if there is one.

Out of curiosity, do you work for a record label, or are you just writing a wish list?

[The Six]

Production cost is only one of the factors that make up the retail price.

For example, there are often performers. 

Out of curiosity, do you work for a record label, or are you just writing a wish list?

You people are amazing. The topic asks what is reasonable for a CD to cost. That's what I gave. But thanks for the helpful info. CDs have performers, wow!

[Todd]

The topic asks what is reasonable for a CD to cost. That's what I gave.

How did you determine that your number is reasonable?  Did you actually review the detailed financials of what it takes to run record companies of various sizes?  I'd love CDs to be $5, and cars to be $3000, but companies need to make money to make products, especially luxury items like CDs.