Huge impact.
I quit seriously listening to music in the 70s. Since getting into iTunes, I have tripled my CD collection over the past three years - now I pick and choose from 1,500 CDs. Obviously ease of access is unbelievable. But there are other perhaps lerss tangible benefits too: for instance I no longer have to dedicate entire walls of my room to storing the CDs, I now have one library that supports multiple rooms instead of having CDs scattered all over the house, and I can also support my iPod which means my entire library is available on my trips, my boat etc
I believe (and perception is everything) that I am having an equivalent or perhaps superior audiophile experience for less money with greater convenience. What's not to like???
Think about it - what was the alternative? A CD changer or a CD jukebox? Totally inferior in every regard and a technological dead end.
This is a train that has already left the station and is rolling down the tracks at full speed. I am mindful and respectful of the fact that many readers and posters are not terribly computer literate, and that it is difficult for them to deal with this new technology. I also understand that a very small percentage - those with Wadia and better gear are legitimately concerned about maintaing the quality they have spent so much to achieve.
But what everyone else is hanging on to is frankly a mystery to me. It's not the second coming - it's just an easier way to get a superior result.
I quit seriously listening to music in the 70s. Since getting into iTunes, I have tripled my CD collection over the past three years - now I pick and choose from 1,500 CDs. Obviously ease of access is unbelievable. But there are other perhaps lerss tangible benefits too: for instance I no longer have to dedicate entire walls of my room to storing the CDs, I now have one library that supports multiple rooms instead of having CDs scattered all over the house, and I can also support my iPod which means my entire library is available on my trips, my boat etc
I believe (and perception is everything) that I am having an equivalent or perhaps superior audiophile experience for less money with greater convenience. What's not to like???
Think about it - what was the alternative? A CD changer or a CD jukebox? Totally inferior in every regard and a technological dead end.
This is a train that has already left the station and is rolling down the tracks at full speed. I am mindful and respectful of the fact that many readers and posters are not terribly computer literate, and that it is difficult for them to deal with this new technology. I also understand that a very small percentage - those with Wadia and better gear are legitimately concerned about maintaing the quality they have spent so much to achieve.
But what everyone else is hanging on to is frankly a mystery to me. It's not the second coming - it's just an easier way to get a superior result.