Buying CD or Vinyl or both?

Now that I have a turntable again I prioritize vinyl. Fortunately most new vinyl includes either a CD or download code so I can add the album to my music server. If the music is not available on vinyl I will reconsider and ask myself how badly I want to purchase it. This usually happens with singles of electronic music. Since such music is largely meant to be disposable like bubble gum, I will purchase a track here or there from iTunes if at all.

In record stores I only purchase vinyl, though carrying them can be a pain, but also a blessing. I really have to be selective about the four or five records I will permit myself to buy. Vinyl can make a suitcase real heavy real fast.

There is little overlap between my CD and vinyl collections. Occasionally, if I find I truly love a recording I own only on CD I will search for a vinyl version of it. Otherwise I'm fine with the CD.

That said, I no longer buy CDs.

These days I just have them shipped no need to schlep around heavy vinyl.

I am buying more CDs than ever since got into Classical music. Many new titles still coming out on CDs.

Originally vinyl, converted to CD once CD players matured enough to sound reasonable, partly because decreasing music available on vinyl, and partly longevity compared to vinyl.

Eventually about 5-6 years ago ripped all my vinyl and sold the turntable, burning to CDs.

Then when CD player died and needed replacing it was clear that the future was streaming, went for that instead, and ripped all my CDs.

i now either buy downloads, or CDs to rip: replacing CD quality with high res where available, and replacing rips of worn vinyl with better copies, and I've been filling in gaps in my collection from back catalogues, but I have to admit that now my purchasing is less frequent as there's really not that much new music that I appreciate enough, and I have a significant collection already.

I can echo much of what was said above.  My first recorded music purchased was on vinyl.  So I grew up with only vinyl and cassette tapes.  This seems perfectly normal and met my needs (although I always wished I could have owned a reel to reel.  Then vinyl suddenly became in short supply in the mid 80's as CD's became the thing.  What became apparent rather quickly was that if you wanted a vast amount of music you had to go with CD.  The convenience thing was also plugged heavily. I listen to classical music and so it became attractive for me as if you wanted to listen to the complete works of any composer you could get this easily as a set (especially in the last decade).  The sound quality of CD's generally is better today than that of the 80's and early 90's too. 

So I have a rather large CD collection by now and am (have to be) fully committed to CD.  There is no way I could ever replace this in my lifetime with another format nor do I see any compelling reason to do so (unless good quality CD players vanish (Naim, why did you stop making a CDS3?  Or better yet, why don't you drop the price of your CD 555 to help guys like me out?).  About a decade ago I longed to return to vinyl but my only worry was that there still was not enough material available.  That slowly started to change now and for the past 5 years I have returned to vinyl.  I hope this trend remains strong and increases in the future.

To answer the question then I still buy both CD and Vinyl when available.  Yes, recently they finally have realized that if you buy the vinyl you get an MP3 download (which costs them nothing anyway).  If it is available on CD though I still buy it.  Even though CD is digital I prefer to touch things and hold things.  I normally do not listen to music randomly and so it is fun for me to search my library and it is a daily event in listening to music.  It isn't just random background noise for me.

When I have the time and want to receive the most pleasure in listening I pull out my records.  When I have less time or need the convenience I put on CD's.  

That said, I will never move in to streeming (or is it streaming?  I've even seen it called steaming...).  Listening to music should be about the music and not involve the majority of the time spent dealing with computer issues.   I also feel closer to my music if I sit down in a special place, score in hand, and focus on it.  

That said, in a similar fashion, I will never put a device on my grand piano that plays it for me.  Making things easier for the masses doesn't always make things better.  Putting on a CD or changing a record is not that hard to do.  It worked like this for decades and I don't see any benefit of changing to keep up with de-evolution of mankind :-)

I have to say that I do miss physical LP album sleeves ( though not their storage space!), 

however, streaming (from your own storage) need not be any more hassle than playing from CDs, less in fact as it is possible to browse and select from your listening chair. Though that requires a well set-up system which is where the hassle currently is in a lot of cases. Maybe dealers have failed here, as they should as a matter of course be offering the option of a ready set up compatible NAS or other storage, installing in your home and demonstrating how to add new music. 

Florestan originally posted:

"Listening to music should be about the music and not involve the majority of the time spent dealing with computer issues"

Sorry Florestan,

I can empathise with much of your post, but I have to respond to this one comment.

"Listening to music should be about the music and not involve the majority of the time spent ..................................."

Just insert any one of the following (or many other similar scenarios):

"looking for that CD that you have mis-placed"

"Looking for that CD that has not been filed away correctly"

"Re-arranging your CD collection every time you buy a new PC" 

and you have just described the perfect reason for moving to a good local streaming set-up.

I too have moved back to vinyl in a big way, but would never consider moving back to my CD player.

Still, each to his/her own. Enjoying ones music, however it is reproduced. is the main goal of most of us, and what it should be al about. 

Innocent Bystander originally posted:

"Though that requires a well set-up system which is where the hassle currently is in a lot of cases. Maybe dealers have failed here, as they should as a matter of course be offering the option of a ready set up compatible NAS or other storage, installing in your home and demonstrating how to add new music". 

This is a very valid point. I guess that most of us (including myself) who have worked with and feel entirely confident about our PCs, Macs, Networks and network storage devices have a tendency to take this for granted.

Although I personally have had next to no problems with my local network streaming set-up, I can understand how daunting the process can be for those without some real exposure to IT networks and how they work.

I agree that dealers should probably take more time to ensure that their customers do not end up floundering (sorry HH, hope you do not find this term offensive in any way) when attempting to set up a home streaming system from scratch. 

Just bought from a local shop Neil Diamond "Melody Road"  180G  Vinyl LP for £6.   Bargain

i buy vinyl only. the download codes are a nice bonus but i've never really used them!

when i want to jog from album to album, deezer is great -- i stream it through a sonos to the DAC in my supernait. i have a stable of radio stations from around the US that i stream this way, as well. (btw, if anyone here has recommendations for great indie rock stations in the UK, i'm all ears!)

i'm not anti-CD -- i have about 1000 of them in a pile in the corner of my living room. but between vinyl and streaming, i haven't felt the need to buy -or really, even play- a CD in ages.

Second hand CDs are so cheap these days, and new vinyl so expensive, that I buy more CDs. My CDP has the same level of detail as my LP-12, but it's not as musical. CDs are enjoyable as long as I don't do comparisons. Recent vinyl reissues (Sundazed, etc.) have been disappointing. Maybe they've forgotten how to make LPs, or the source tapes have become old.