The Rapid Rise (& Fall) of the CD

@fleschler  - obviously you are a hoarder or maybe more kindly, an overcollector. What is the point of having a record that you can't possibly listen to more than once in your lifetime? I listen maybe 15-20 hours a week which equates to about 1000 records a year. If you listen more than that, maybe you can listen to it twice in your lifetime (on average).

I listen to records I like and selectively add to my library of 350 or so records so the longest I would go without listening to a particular title (adhering to a fairly tight rotation based on how they are sorted) is 3-4 months. I can understand maybe going to 1000 records and listening once a year - maybe. Beyond that makes no sense to me.

I try to get the best issue/pressing I can (which are coming out all the time thanks to Chad at Acoustic Sounds, Mofi/Music Direct, Blue Note, Speakers Corner and the others) and occasionally replace them if a much better sounding new issue becomes available and I really like the album. Then I sell the old one! These guys who have 6 copies of the same record are a curiosity to me unless they are hoarders or overcollectors. Why wouldn't you just listen to the best sounding one and be done with it?

As long as there is profit in a format, the manufacturers will make them. There is enough support for vinyl to be growing for the past 20 years. They will never go away.  

I am surprised no one is talking about HiRez downloads - they sound like a good alternative for the paranoid out there who don't trust the streamers or streaming quality is not good (I wouldn't know). I don't have that set up - I am vinyl only on my home system. Just make sure you back up your server.

Any HiRezers (if that's what you call them)?

@sokogear  So, I am a hoarder and overcollector.  I am 68.  At 5 years old I had 300 records (78s & LPs).  The variety provided that I would not get bored.  I removed/sold 18,000 records in the past two decades.  I have probably another 10,000+ to remove.  I also have 3,000 books in two libraries.  I put more money into my music than into my equipment and listening room until 5 years ago when I purchased a home with a 5,700' ground floor and an upscale guard gated neighborhood where I thought theft would be less likely, especially with 13 tons of music.  

I chose this as my primary hobby since I was a child.  I had friends Thomas Chandler, Chandler's Wind-Up in San Bernardino with 1.5 million recordings, Music Man Murray with 1 million, Michael Lane with 250,000 78s and 50s LPs and my a half dozen friends of Thomas Null with 225,000 recordings (Varese Sarabande and other mid-tier record/CD producer.

My ethnic music collection of 3,750 recordings, 150+ made/recorded/mastered by me including major venues Disney Hall, Royce Hall, Ford Ampitheater, etc. has provided music to many other musicians in Southern California.  I was and am the archivist for two mid-level classical composers including the 11 CD compilation of the Erich Zeisl Vienna Centennial in 2005. 

So, if you want to throw negativity on my collecting music for the purpose of listening to it or using it like a lending library for ethnic music, go ahead if it makes you feel better.   

+1@oddiofyl...I too have an Aurender and a transport. The streamer certainly has its role in my system but appreciate the consistency of redbook playback.

+2@jmalen123...I have four front ends in my system and use all four daily. Only one has a computer in the signal path.

For those living in the northeast check out "nyrecordfairs.com." Various sites throughout the year and usually held at a church or VFW. Great selections and typically $5-$8 for a CD.

Sakogear makes sense in my case, vast majority of my vinyl stored away, likely never to be played again, prior to my streaming same situation. I've always maintained around 500 vinyl in listening room and I likely really only rotate about 100 on semi regular basis.

And yet I find myself unable to liquidate a single vinyl, have sold a minimal amount of cd's. I'm at point where I'm selling off excess of material possessions, I have rule that if something hasn't been used in past seven years, out the door. Suppose it's nostalgia that keeps me in hoarding position. There is a certain memory that goes with every vinyl, just looking at cover brings it all back, cd's don't do this for me.

@fleschler - I didn't even think of the term archivist. If you are creating a reference library for others to access, it makes sense, especially since it sounds like you have the space for it and can find a title in a minute or so. As far as listening to them, you can't listen to all of them and get to them all.

I have to expand my storage every 60 records or so and am constantly rearranging them so I don't have to think much on my next selection (with exceptions of course) to maintain a pretty even rotation between artists or types of artist (in the case of jazz where they aren't a top favorite like Trane or Miles).

@sns - at least the ones you don't listen to are stored away and you can listen to the ones you like.

You can't really like everything....or else you really don't like anything.