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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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    Posted: November 19 2020 at 09:01
CD's have been on the way out for years but I still buy them. I like liner notes, artwork, and the physical product. I refuse to download music and have not bought any records since 1983. However, I stream music, and if I like it I will buy the CD if available. CD's can sound as good as vinyl, yet many are destroyed by over-processed madness, i.e., loudness wars. It is in the hands those who mix and master and the record companies. Unless the artist owns the recording I don't believe the artists opinion matters regarding the final mix/master.

So what are some of the best CD recordings to your ears in the past twentysomething years? Those that have dynamic range and are well balanced. My all time fave is Steely Dan's "Aja". Sonic nirvana. Here are some more.




Pat Metheny - From this Place
Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase
Thieves' Kitchen - Genuis Loci
French TV - Stories Without Fingerprints
Antoine Fafard - Proto Mundi
Wobbler - Dwellers of the Deep
Big Big Train - English Electric Part I
All Traps on Earth - A Drop of Light
Hiromi - Spark
Sanguine Hum - Now We Have Light
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Sean Trane View Drop Down
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Points: 19626 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 09:38
CDs have been my way since I was a late convert in +/- 92, and I will not return to vinyls (still have some) nor go dematerialized.



However, I really wish CDs would stop using ugly breakable plastic (outside the disc supporting the label, of course), beit in the form of a Jewel box (easy to replace still nowadays, though), or even worse those bloody  Digipak treys (that cannot be replaced).

We've that there are plastic-less alternatives, whether the "mini-Lp" format or the digibook object that Floyd and Gilmour have used in the last 10/15 years. It's hardly anything new, because if I remember well, Pearl Jam's Vitalogy (their second album) was all cardboard except for the disc support.



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dr wu23 View Drop Down
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Points: 20468 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dr wu23 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 09:52
My main purchase for all new music are cd's ...but I collect old vinyl also when I find something obscure or , well..collectable,
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Points: 10055 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 10:18
No need to write about the topic, obviously no one reads it. Only need a title?
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suitkees View Drop Down
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I generally prefer vinyl over CDs (in general because they just sound much better, although there are also bad productions/pressings on vinyl...), but I buy more of the last one... I too stream music but only to decide if I want to buy the CD or vinyl. I like the tangible objects.

That said, I don't have a list ready, but a CD that always impressed me because of its sound quality is Roger Water's Amused to Death. I haven't measured its dynamics, but anyway I trust my ears more than statistics of whatever software...

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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Points: 17498 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Catcher10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 10:48
I buy them cause they are cheap, usually a couple bucks and use them to rip for my portable music player. Compared to the original recording it is a lossy format, since recordings are mastered as 24bit/96khz or 192khz hi-resolution files. Redbook is 16bit/44.1khz, down-sample from 24bit master and yea the demise of the CD is its format limitations and horrid sound when mixing/mastering is poorly done.

The audio industry is slowly but positively moving to hi-rez streaming services and gear, I get gear catalogs in the mail and CDP make up maybe 1 page, whereas digital streamers, DACs make up several pages with offerings from $200 to $5K. Analog gear (turntables, cartridges, phono stages) can make up half the catalog now. 
CDs are super cheap to press and the margins are huge, that's the main reason they still press them but spending $12-$20 for a new issue CD IMO is a waste....wait 3-6 months and you can buy them for a couple bucks.

My best sounding CDs:

Peter Gabriel~So
Andreas Vollenweider~White Winds
Collective Soul~s/t
Styx~Paradise Theater (Japan version from 1980, worth $50-$80)
Porcupine Tree~Deadwing
Porcupine Tree~In Absentia
Sting~Bring On the Night
Santana~Supernatural
Eric Clapton~Unplugged

Those are the ones come to mind right now.
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suitkees View Drop Down
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^ Talking about Peter Gabriel, his Up album on CD sounds very good too...

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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Points: 10055 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 11:43
Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

The audio industry is slowly but positively moving to hi-rez streaming services and gear, I get gear catalogs in the mail and CDP make up maybe 1 page, whereas digital streamers, DACs make up several pages with offerings from $200 to $5K. Analog gear (turntables, cartridges, phono stages) can make up half the catalog now. 
Gave up LP's in 1983. The only thing I miss is looking at the artwork, reading the liner notes, and getting the occasional poster. Pops, skips, scratches..no thanks. As far as hi-rez streaming, good idea, but you'll need to by the equipment and pay a monthly fee to stream. Similar from VHS to DVD, then bluray. Or 3D TV'S. Forcing consumers to change. Are you going to be able to replace your entire music collection? And will they offer obscure music? Neil Young's failed Pono player didn't. Too bad CD's are being forced out. New cars have stopped installing CD players. Oh well.
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Catcher10 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

The audio industry is slowly but positively moving to hi-rez streaming services and gear, I get gear catalogs in the mail and CDP make up maybe 1 page, whereas digital streamers, DACs make up several pages with offerings from $200 to $5K. Analog gear (turntables, cartridges, phono stages) can make up half the catalog now. 
Gave up LP's in 1983. The only thing I miss is looking at the artwork, reading the liner notes, and getting the occasional poster. Pops, skips, scratches..no thanks. As far as hi-rez streaming, good idea, but you'll need to by the equipment and pay a monthly fee to stream. Similar from VHS to DVD, then bluray. Or 3D TV'S. Forcing consumers to change. Are you going to be able to replace your entire music collection? And will they offer obscure music? Neil Young's failed Pono player didn't. Too bad CD's are being forced out. New cars have stopped installing CD players. Oh well.

Sorry to disappoint you but I don't have any pops, skips or scratches from my records Big smile. Sure some of my older records have some surface noise, but can't hear it once the music starts. I have new records that have mfg blemishes but does not affect the playability or sound.

I don't stream as I prefer to own my music, but I think the subscription for some of these services is rather inexpensive monthly. 
I can get an ADC and rip my records to digital file and they sound much better than the CD version, records are mastered from the original 24bit file. Yesterday I was spinning the new issue PG-Plays Live record and A/B with the 24bit download that came with it, playing thru JRiver MC literally cannot tell the difference but records win with a better soundstage than the digital file. 
Now DSD files are amazing, but the offering is minimal and nothing in the genre we listen to, I have a couple jazz DSD files. They are also expensive and you don't own anything, there is nothing physical about a digital file, so I don't see myself, like you mention, replacing or duplicating my collection with digital.
As far as cars yea no CD player, which is fine, hit a bump in the road and your CD skips. That's why I rip them for my media player......5,000 songs on my device....I'm good!

I appreciate the CD for its no value resell pricing LOL
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SteveG View Drop Down
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DSotM, WYWH, Band On The Run, Aja, Avalon, Best of Eagles, most 1987 Beatles CDs, So, Up, all Alan Parsons Project expanded remasters, later Porcupine Tree CDs, TAAB original 1997 master.

Edited by SteveG - November 19 2020 at 16:16
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Almost forgot: All Mark Knopfer solo with Shangra La and Get Lucky being the best.
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Points: 16205 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 19 2020 at 17:20
I'm a cd guy until the day I die. ;) I have bought cassettes and vinyl in the past but cds are my bread and butter and my favorite. I never really got much into downloading or streaming although I might do streaming at some point for supplemental listening. I have no plans or desire to abandon cds though. The only thing that could stop me is if they stop making them and or stop selling them. 




Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - November 19 2020 at 17:21
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JD View Drop Down
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LP's = 1068 Titles
CD's = 1225 Titles
Not going to discuss the pro's and con's (done to death).

I was actually thinking about doing a poll on best sonic offering by year about 1/2 an hour ago as I was out picking up some pizza for dinner.

So for yours, these come to mind:

Kraftwerk - Autobaun
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth
Peter Gabriel - So
ELP - Trilogy
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I continue to buy CDs. Call me old fashioned, but I like something to hold and look at. Some artists can't afford to get CDs made and just have downloads. That's OK. I buy the download if it's the only choice and then burn it to a CD-R.
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New CDs for many fringe or semi-popular artists that I follow e.g. Wishbone Ash (I noticed this for their last album), Martin Barre, Bert Jansch, and many others are actually getting more expensive as the years go on, as I presume they are pressing fewer CDs than before...and these CDs on resale value e.g. eBay and Discogs, appear to be actually increasing in value ...is this because there are smaller numbers of them being initally pressed? Probably.

BTW: I love CDs and always buy 2CDs and 2vinyls of a particular album. One CD and vinyl to play and potentially damage.....the other CD and vinyl to cherish and hopefully sell in the future.


Edited by BarryGlibb - November 19 2020 at 22:00
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Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

LP's = 1068 Titles
CD's = 1225 Titles
Not going to discuss the pro's and con's (done to death).

I was actually thinking about doing a poll on best sonic offering by year about 1/2 an hour ago as I was out picking up some pizza for dinner.

So for yours, these come to mind:

Kraftwerk - Autobaun
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth
Peter Gabriel - So
ELP - Trilogy

The better poll would be "what kind of pizza did JD get??" Tongue
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JD View Drop Down
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Thumbs Up
Harry Stones Pizzeria and Ale House, best pizza around.
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Frenetic Zetetic View Drop Down
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CD is still my go-to method for purchasing music. I just got a string of Genesis discs from Ebay, just now, for like $19, including shipping. Can't go wrong!

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021
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Points: 19626 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 25 2020 at 04:20
To further the debate (that Grumpy didn't want to develop LOLTongue)
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Sean Trane Sean Trane wrote:

To further the debate (that Grumpy didn't want to develop LOLTongue)


OMG Hughes, this is great.
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