Techno-types: is the CD going the way of all flesh?

[kalanamak]

Everywhere I turn I see things available as an MP3 download, often exclusively (e.g. PHP's SWB talks). I really have no interest in an MP3 player, etc. I take that back, I have a sub-level 0....a desire to really NOT have one.

 

Am I doomed to be excluded from anything audio beyond radio in the next 10 years? I don't follow technology, and my techno-whiz brother died. Words of advice?

[freerange]

You can listen to mp3 downloads on your computer. You don't need an. Mp3 player, although I do find ours very useful. I listen to SWB or audio books whilst exercising or hanging out the washing.

[5LittleMonkeys]

I have to laugh because a couple months ago I came across one of my favorite music cds that one of my dc was using and it had a huge scratch across it. I was very irritated and went to vent to my husband. I went on about when I had records they got scratched, when I had 8 tracks they wore out, when I had cassettes the film got pulled out and twisted, now I have to worry about my cds getting scratched! I asked him why on earth they couldn't come up with some way (other than the radio) to allow me to listen to my music without fear of it getting ruined. He looked at me like I was from Mars and said, "Seriously?" I asked him to clarify that comment and he said "MP3". All I could say was "Duh". Then I proceeded to have him show me how to put my entire cd music collection on the computer.

 

I have a very inexpensive mp3 player that I can hook up to my car radio but other than that I just download mp3s (mostly audio books)to my computer.

[Spy Car]

The audio quality of MP3s is atrociously bad. I can't believe anyone would pipe such a degraded audio format directly into their ears. Belch!

 

MP3s are not the only digital audio file format. CD files can be transfered to a computer at a 16 bits and 44.1. The files are bigger than MP3, because MP3s throw away fidelity as they reduce file size. Belch!

 

Bill (who want 24 bit audio)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Everywhere I turn I see things available as an MP3 download, often exclusively (e.g. PHP's SWB talks). I really have no interest in an MP3 player, etc. I take that back, I have a sub-level 0....a desire to really NOT have one.

 

Am I doomed to be excluded from anything audio beyond radio in the next 10 years? I don't follow technology, and my techno-whiz brother died. Words of advice?

 

I don't think that cd's will go away completely. I still spend the extra money for them for certain things.

 

For some music where I want a higher audio quality.

For lectures, audio books or other items that we will listen to for a season, then pass along. There is a small resale value to a cd, but there is no resale value to an mp3 file.

 

Also, I've had computers crash so often that it is nice to still have most of our music on CD. I'd hate to have to reload it, but at least I wouldn't have thousands of dollars worth of music just disappear.

[elegantlion]

I don't think that cd's will go away completely. I still spend the extra money for them for certain things.

 

For some music where I want a higher audio quality.

For lectures, audio books or other items that we will listen to for a season, then pass along. There is a small resale value to a cd, but there is no resale value to an mp3 file.

 

Also, I've had computers crash so often that it is nice to still have most of our music on CD. I'd hate to have to reload it, but at least I wouldn't have thousands of dollars worth of music just disappear.

 

:iagree:I'll buy audio downloads, like the SWB talks, but for music I prefer to buy the CD. Mostly for the above reasons and we buy older cars, it will be a long time before we upgrade to mp3 type stuff in our vehicles.

 

I have a small Mp3 player (Sansa clip) which is great for travel or while grocery shopping. I prefer to listen to CDs when I'm at home.

 

I also think a lot of good music is getting overlooked by people only buying one song by an artist. I spent a great deal of money in my youth on real albums and would go home and make it an event. Study the cover art while listening to the whole recording at least once, then pick my favorite songs to listen to again. You could really experience where the artist was with his music, albums had themes that tied the songs together. It really was a package experience. With a CD you can do that (except I really miss real cover art).

[Capt_Uhura]

As others have mentioned, you can download the MP3s to your computer and listen from there. However, I have so many MP3s to listen to (6 SWB MP3s, 4 Adam Andrews MP3s, 2 Andrew Pudewa MP3s) that I find it difficult to be strapped to the computer. It would be great if I had a mobile player with which to listen to them while I do laundry etc. I have a tiny Apple one that I wear to run on the treadmill and DH uses it when he does yard work. It makes the tasks a bit more pleasant when you can't use a CD. My tiny el cheapo Apple one, iPOD nano???, you can't select a particular song so it doesn't work well for putting my MP3s on.

 

I finally got smart and downloaded the MP3s to a few CDs and put them in the car. Now when I'm on the road to somewhere I can plop them but I can't take notes.

[ChristusG]

I never purchase CD's anymore. I love that I can go to iTunes and choose only my favorite songs from the album. I always hated having to skip over those songs that I didn't care for....now I only purchase exactly what I want. And it's always at my fingertips too.

[DarlaS]

Okay, this may sound a bit like an advertisement, but here goes....

 

I love RealPlayer for burning audio cds from mp3 files. Love it. I know there is a way to do it with Media Player as I've done it before, but I can never seem to remember how to do it two times in a row. :banghead:

 

RealPlayer is easy--just drag and drop and it burns pretty fast (IMO).

 

I am loving it even more now that I'm downloading books from Librivox. You can also download youtube videos (and no longer have to see the moronic commentary!! Yay!).

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

You can listen to mp3 downloads on your computer. You don't need an. Mp3 player, although I do find ours very useful. I listen to SWB or audio books whilst exercising or hanging out the washing.

 

:iagree: I listen to MP3's on the computer:D You can also burn them to a CD as well:D

[Mothersweets]

The audio quality of MP3s is atrociously bad. I can't believe anyone would pipe such a degraded audio format directly into their ears. Belch!

 

MP3s are not the only digital audio file format. CD files can be transfered to a computer at a 16 bits and 44.1. The files are bigger than MP3, because MP3s throw away fidelity as they reduce file size. Belch!

 

Bill (who want 24 bit audio)

 

I've had some MP3 downloads sound good and some sound terrible - as though the person is speaking through a tin can.

 

Is there a way to change the format of a file once you download it? Or any other way to make it sound better?

 

ETA- I really like the convenience of audio downloads but think cds will still be around for quite a while.

Edited August 5, 2010 by Mothersweets

[Spy Car]

I've had some MP3 downloads sound good and some sound terrible - as though the person is speaking through a tin can.

 

Is there a way to change the format of a file once you download it?

 

You can transcode file formats once they have been downloaded, the problem is that won't do anything to restore the data (or audio fidelity) that has already been thrown out in the process of making an MP3 from an original 16 bit CD quality source.

 

Data reduction targets vary in MP3, but as a rough guide is than an MP3 audio file is about one-tenth (10%) the size of a full resolution 16 bit 44.1 CD quality file. Converting the file does nothing to get back the 90% of the data that's gone missing. When encoding MP3s (or AACs, which is the Apple iTunes file reduction scheme) it is possible to up the data bit rate (which increases file size). To my ears it is a very destructive process. Yes, one can get a lot more music on an iPod, but at the expense of audio integrity. For "casual use"? OK. But to pipe into ones ear-channels directly via ear-buds? Yikes!

 

Yet it is popular. I don't get it. Kids today.

 

The irony is that for recording purposes the once uber-expensive option of recording in 24 bit (vs 16 bit for CDs) and at sampling rates of 96 k or higher (vs 44.1 with CDs) is now very affordable. On the delivery end the speed of downloads will increase with faster Internet connections, and the capacity of portable music players will continue to rise. So it is possible that higher that CD quality digital music files could be delivered to us in the future in the same manner MP3s and AACs are now--just with much higher audio quality (and larger file sizes).

 

But by then I wonder if there will be anyone left with the ability to discern the difference between the audio integrity of high resolution audio and the severely compromised formats like MP3. People claim "not to be able to hear the difference" now between MP3 "quality" and CDs. That is probably true. That doesn't mean the file sound the same, just that the listener has lost the ability to differentiate. Belch!

 

Bill (grumpy old man :D)

[CLHCO]

Producing our CD and was told all about the quality, formats, etc. I was given the audio formats to listen to on different speakers of our work before approving, and I was warned not to do the mp3 because it would reduce quality.

 

I honestly can't tell you what the difference is, but it is there. I usually like to listen to my iPod or downloaded mp3s for convenience, because I don't always get a full CD and I like to do a wide mix, but I suppose if I were to blast music with the best sound, that is how to do it.

 

I was also told that CD sales are horribly down, but for our purposes, they are what work best, despite the fact that we offer downloads. When people see a show they like to be handed the CD. We have download cards but I think I've only sold one. It's not the same. I can see how, for many, it never will be the same.

[EmilyK]

I don't think that cd's will go away completely. I still spend the extra money for them for certain things.

 

For some music where I want a higher audio quality.

For lectures, audio books or other items that we will listen to for a season, then pass along. There is a small resale value to a cd, but there is no resale value to an mp3 file.

 

Also, I've had computers crash so often that it is nice to still have most of our music on CD. I'd hate to have to reload it, but at least I wouldn't have thousands of dollars worth of music just disappear.

 

 

This is why I am still buying Cds though I thought last night -- will my kids in a few years think "why?". Like I do with our LP collection.

 

That said, we have Mp3 players. But our computers crash, I have an old Bose I love to listen to Cds on, and my kids can easily swap out Cds (we use audiobooks and music to go to sleep at night). With our Mp3s, we end up looking for the laptop, etc. We can change Cds in the dark, and they always stay in the bedroom, unlike a laptop. And I can rip our Cds to MP3s (yes I know you can do the reverse, but I never get around to it --- maybe that's something to pay my son to do for me).

 

We also find CDs easier to listen to in our cars (and rentals, grandparents etc) and to pass on to other families when we are done.

[CalicoKat]

I have to laugh because a couple months ago I came across one of my favorite music cds that one of my dc was using and it had a huge scratch across it. I was very irritated and went to vent to my husband. I went on about when I had records they got scratched, when I had 8 tracks they wore out, when I had cassettes the film got pulled out and twisted, now I have to worry about my cds getting scratched! I asked him why on earth they couldn't come up with some way (other than the radio) to allow me to listen to my music without fear of it getting ruined. He looked at me like I was from Mars and said, "Seriously?" I asked him to clarify that comment and he said "MP3". All I could say was "Duh". Then I proceeded to have him show me how to put my entire cd music collection on the computer.

 

I have a very inexpensive mp3 player that I can hook up to my car radio but other than that I just download mp3s (mostly audio books)to my computer.

I can put my cd's on the computer and then on my MP3?!!! I did not know that. That would be sooooo helpful.

[LibraryLover]

You'd get along quite well with my brother who counts pixels.

 

Of course, nobody likes to watch anything with him, because it's never pixel-y enough. ;)

 

 

The audio quality of MP3s is atrociously bad. I can't believe anyone would pipe such a degraded audio format directly into their ears. Belch!

 

MP3s are not the only digital audio file format. CD files can be transfered to a computer at a 16 bits and 44.1. The files are bigger than MP3, because MP3s throw away fidelity as they reduce file size. Belch!

 

Bill (who want 24 bit audio)

[Spy Car]

You'd get along quite well with my brother who counts pixels.

 

Of course, nobody likes to watch anything with him, because it's never pixel-y enough. ;)

 

Are you sure I'm not your brother ;) :D

 

Bill ( who is glad to know he's not alone in the world :tongue_smilie:)

[Food4Thought]

But by then I wonder if there will be anyone left with the ability to discern the difference between the audio integrity of high resolution audio and the severely compromised formats like MP3. People claim "not to be able to hear the difference" now between MP3 "quality" and CDs. That is probably true. That doesn't mean the file sound the same, just that the listener has lost the ability to differentiate. Belch!

 

Bill (grumpy old man :D)

 

You and my DH would get along well. :) For the music we really care about, he buys CDs and then goes through a careful series of conversions to get it to a portable file size he likes without losing sound quality. I have to say that I *can* tell the difference if I'm listening to my player with ear buds, but it's subtle. DH, on the other hand, has ears like a bat and goes absolutely insane if it's not just right.

[DarlaS]

Are you sure I'm not your brother ;) :D

 

Bill ( who is glad to know he's not alone in the world :tongue_smilie:)

 

You're not. I have a 16 year old (a pianist and classical music enthusiast with very sensitive ears) who has NO tolerance for mp3 anything.

 

I don't know what he uses on his computer, but when he makes me a copy of something I bought for him, it's not mp3 (some "archival" quality thing). Whatever it is, it's free and it sounds GOOD. I play these cds in my car and they come through nicely. (Okay, he says it's ogg something or other--off to google).