What a sad world we now live in.......

The only thing a store can offer over the 'Net is instant gratification - if what music one desires is on the shelf/bin! And of course, the matter of sales tax!

It would be interesting to do a blind test playing the same song on a CD player Vs on Tidal.  Wonder if some would pick Tidal over a CD.  Then run a placebo test.

The smartphone/’Net has radically changed people’s buying patterns for music/movies. Along with a home computer/cable. New technologies are inevitably disruptive!

Did they stop selling dial telephones and Elcassettes as well?

Don't knock dial telephones - at least they work in a power failure when land lines don't and after cells run out of juice.

I still buy CDs to rip to my server and keep them as safe back-ups, but I guess the same thing happens with downloading - unless your digital backup crashes, gets stolen, or corrupted.  All of my buying is new/used online at prices that generally beat any retail source quite handily.

Ironic that while the CD is now on the way out, vinyl LPs seem to be actually increasing share a bit - and they are a 'safe' storage medium. 

With the right equipment, and not necessarily the most expensive, you cannot beat or duplicate analog sound reproduction, ie LP’s. There is just something inherently special and warm about playing a well recorded record. I mostly own and play older original copies of 1950’s and 60’s records, a lot of them bought on both Ebay and local thrift stores. Some of these records were scores and virtually unplayed, while others were a bit of a disappointment . In general, with a proper turntable and cartridge etc I think my records sound better than any download or streaming medium. I probably continue to buy at least a half dozen or more records every month, even though I say no more, enuff etc....lol. I will also buy a cd or 2 or 3 when I see something I dont have. I grab these mostly from yes...my local Walmart! They still have a pretty decent selection for the time being. If I dont find what I need at Walmart, I buy on Amazon or Ebay.  Right now I play my records on a pro-ject the classic sb using a hana el low output mc, playing through a pro-ject tube box ds. A great combo for not an outrageous amount of money.