CDs

Woebot

Well-known member
A very nice article about CDs at The Quietus

http://thequietus.com/articles/24710-cd-revival-vinyl-revival-cheap-cds-compact-discs

"Add to this the fact that much of today’s new vinyl is exorbitantly expensive, prone to issues of quality control due to overburdened pressing plants, and often digitally sourced - which means a new LP is basically a big, expensive CD with added vinyl noise"

This I have been saying for years - ever since I was with dear departed Nick Kilroy witnessing the mastering of the early Junior Boys records.

Some of my own earlier thoughts on this:
http://www.woebot.com/search/label/Digital Audio

My answer? Keep your CDs - get a transport-only CD player and a very good DAC and you'll have rich, deep, and warm (yes) sound far eclipsing what you can get on a record (bless em)

The only gatekeepers to this being crap re-mastering.
 

Woebot

Well-known member
your mate was talking about buying up thousands of cds on monday,

yeah he's cottoned on. the thing is if you get the playback sorted they're brilliant.

good cd player (unless you're clever) = £25,000
good record player = £150
 

john eden

male pale and stale
There's big demand for things like the Blood & Fire CDs too and stuff like the Bob Marley JAD boxsets.

Big discussions on the remnants of the Blood & Fire board right now about recent VP/Greensleeves vinyl sounding atrocious - even for things that had previously been remastered decently in the 90s and noughties.
 

droid

Well-known member
I wont quickly forget my disgust at the quality of those Jammy's CDs on VP. Appalling mastering, destroyed the tunes - and Id already bought three of them before I got a chance to listen.
 

firefinga

Well-known member
CDs and DVDs are swamping the second hand markets and online selling platforms like mad for very little money. It's tempting to stock up collections with next-to-nothing money.
 

Woebot

Well-known member
CDs and DVDs are swamping the second hand markets and online selling platforms like mad for very little money. It's tempting to stock up collections with next-to-nothing money.

definitely worth doing IMHO or at least picking up stone classics
 

Woebot

Well-known member
There's big demand for things like the Blood & Fire CDs too and stuff like the Bob Marley JAD boxsets.

Big discussions on the remnants of the Blood & Fire board right now about recent VP/Greensleeves vinyl sounding atrocious - even for things that had previously been remastered decently in the 90s and noughties.

wish i had more of those B&F on CD. i have the 'riginal vinyl but their congos reissue is a work of art - a labour of love even (visions of UB40)

some of the reggae remastering is fantastic.

the greensleeves stuff kevin metcalfe did is amazing.

http://www.soundmasters.co.uk/kevin-metcalfe-engineer-at-soundmasters-international

he went back to the tapes and really got the bass on board. the original rockers remastering is WAY better than the vinyl.
 

Leo

Well-known member
i've been saying this for years, i like CDs! i dig vinyl as much as the next person but prices are ridiculous here, $16-20 for a new 12" single and albums (since there's all double/triple albums now) often $26-40. sadly, labels often aren't even bothering to release new albums on CD, but as been stated it's prime time to stock up on older titles.
 

version

Well-known member
I only really play digital music, but I still buy CDs because it gives me a physical copy I can rip for more or less the same price as picking up a digital album. If you're lucky you can get several secondhand CDs for the price of one new digi release.
 

martin

----
I wont quickly forget my disgust at the quality of those Jammy's CDs on VP. Appalling mastering, destroyed the tunes - and Id already bought three of them before I got a chance to listen.

Are you referring to the 'Selector's Choice' CDs?
 

martin

----
Where are you seeing all these cheap stockpiles of CDs? Every time I flick through Discogs or eBay they seem as ridiculously overpriced as ever - and that's not to mention Amazon Marketplace, which is just mental (says the man who sold a Maya Deren DVD there for £90)
 

version

Well-known member
I think people are cottoning on and the prices are going up a bit, but there's still plenty of stuff on Amazon for £2 or £3 secondhand. It depends what you're looking for though, the classics on major labels are usually cheap. There are a ton of books and DVDs on there for around £3 including postage too - just seen a copy of Heat on DVD for 1p.
 

Leo

Well-known member
you can buy a decent cd player in the states for $125-200, under $50 for a portable discman type thing that, when plugged into a stereo amp/receiver, sounds pretty much as good as a component. of course, you can spend $300-7,000 on high-end audiophile units as well.

also, i find most of my cheapo $1-3 cds at used record stores, not online. even if you find them them cheap online, you then have to pay another $4 for shipping/handling, or more if international.
 

firefinga

Well-known member
I think people are cottoning on and the prices are going up a bit, but there's still plenty of stuff on Amazon for £2 or £3 secondhand. It depends what you're looking for though, the classics on major labels are usually cheap. There are a ton of books and DVDs on there for around £3 including postage too - just seen a copy of Heat on DVD for 1p.

Indeed. Depends on what you're looking for. But generally, with a few exceptions, prices are ridiculously slow these days for second hand CDs and DVDs, also computer games.
 

firefinga

Well-known member
also, i find most of my cheapo $1-3 cds at used record stores, not online. even if you find them them cheap online, you then have to pay another $4 for shipping/handling, or more if international.

Also a good point. Flea markets, charity shops. It seems a lot of people don't bother putting stuff on discogs sales sub pages or ebay, it's too much hassle, so they give away bulks of discs to charity sales and the likes. Just to get the stuff outta their homes quick.
 

Leo

Well-known member
Also a good point. Flea markets, charity shops. It seems a lot of people don't bother putting stuff on discogs sales sub pages or ebay, it's too much hassle, so they give away bulks of discs to charity sales and the likes. Just to get the stuff outta their homes quick.

except charity shops are usually just full of mainstream cds, in the states anyway. good to picking up old led zep or public enemy cds but not the more obscure or experimental stuff. people who were once into music or in need of downsizing their collections are probably more likely to sell them to a used record store, if there's one around.

not that you get much for them: i remember getting $3-5 per cd for good stuff back in the day, now you're lucky to get $1 per cd.
 
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