Records and CDs

@rvpiano   Maybe it's just me, or it's my age, but I've always preferred to own physical media.  I don't stream at all.  I like to feel the CD/LP in my hands.  I like to read the liner notes and enjoy the artwork.  Sound aside, LPs are a leg up on the CD format in this area.  Mind you, when they take the time to include a nice booklet in the CD case, that can also be a joy.  It's really tough to beat the sound quality and convenience of the CD format.  SACD?  I've been disappointed with the number of SACD discs I have purchased and can't hear any  improvement over my original CD copy.  Even when paying $$ for the remastered versions from MOFI.  I still buy vinyl but  mostly things like Tone Poet releases from Blue Note.  Another fantastic series of recordings are on the Blue Engine label under the Jazz At Lincoln Hall LPs.  The Wayne Shorter double LP is one of the best recordings I own. It brings back your faith in the LP format.  

It’s a complex issue.  There were a lot of analog to digital transfers that were poorly done (I think this more prevalent in pop than Classical).  The playback equipment of the time wasn’t the culprit as much as the transfer engineers.  The playback equipment has improved, but I have read several interviews with recording engineers who all say that as time went on they became more comfortable with digital. 
  The irony is that as transfers and playback equipment both improved, that’s when the lp resurgence happened.

  The music is the thing.  If comparing different technologies is interfering with enjoyment, and one can’t stop making comparisons, then either:

1) Admit to yourself that listening to gear for the sake of listening to gear is an enjoyable end in and of itself; or

2) pack up either the digital or analog system and keep it out of the system for a while and see how you feel about after a few months 

It's all good if you didn't spend it on audio you would be spending it on your psychiatrists spending it there.enjoy the music .I have spent money  on cars that I wish I hadent but I had fun went fast was in many competing races and still do my corvette has been the best bang for the buck lt always works.im sure there is stuff in the audio world that is the same.stay healthy enjoy it all.

rvpiano

Nice thread. Server/Streamer(s) are a fool's errand, indeed. Nothing beats (no pun) physical media. CD and SACD forever-here.

Happy Listening!

I split my listening time between vinyl, CD, and digital (high-res files and streaming service like Spotify and Radio Paradise) and the sound quality varies greatly depending on the year something was originally issued and the specific medium, or the original master recording source (tape vs digital). Heck I have new records where the digital version is better (cleaner and more detailed and revealing) than the same album pressed on brand-new vinyl. I have recordings by artists whose catalog was predominately issued on CD and only now are being "remastered" for vinyl reissues.

When I go to my local record store and I'm looking for new-to-me jazz/funk/R&B records I tend towards the used vinyl vs the new re-issues will most likely not be great and have less dynamic range.  Heck, even the mid-80s 'cheap' reissues of jazz, blues, and R&B are closer to the original master tapes than today's reissues, and often the used copies sound way better.

For newer electronic and ambient artists, most are releasing only high-res digital files, CDs and maybe special vinyl pressings. I tend to stick to digital files with a preference for CDs because I like having the physical package and the SQ of the CDs on my system sound great.

I don't lean strongly towards one medium or the other as I buy music that is important to me personally for my collection. For everyday background listening with the family, it's strictly streaming. I use RP and Spotify as "new music to me" sources as well. I can dig deep into an artist's catalog without the expense of trying to buy every release.

At the end of the day, listening enjoyment and getting the most out of my collection is what it is all about and seeking out the best recording version is what I try to do without bias towards one medium or another.