RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD"

We know these as facts, by the late 80's the majority of recorded music buyers adopted the CD as their standard. Some for what they felt (and argued pro v con) was an audible improvement over vinyl and audio cassette. Most bought into CD because like in the linked article it was convenient, easy to move about from home to car to personal listening. It was flooded into stores to make buying easier. Vinyl was sidelined as a result.

Vinyl was kept alive by both aficionados and hard core audio listening zealots. The argument of its superior to CD sound stayed loud and alive for anyone who cared about such. Vast libraries of discs were kept in play or at min in storage by many listeners. Ditching all one's vinyl to replace with CD was not the most responsible thing to do, add the fact that not all vinyl discs were to be remade in CD format.

As time past and the vinyl market shrunk it became more and more special and thus value for its niche. Upstart and long term smaller turntable manufactures created products that added a visual and often performance appeal to keep vinyl spinners content.

On the other side of the tracks (digital) convenience ruled more and more. Again most CD adopters DID NOT BUY INTO CD FOR PERFORMANCE! But they bought into it for ease of use and general convenience. They could more easily sold away from CD buying if other formats were seen as even more convenient. Though the newer non physical formats can be debated as being possibly NOT so convenient, more on this later. They offer daily ease of use and thus would eat into CD's sales.

Vinyl not only offers what many consider better fidelity but also a coolness, large cover art, liner notes and the effort to get playing is rewarded by its classic qualities. It just looks cool spinning on a hi-fi system. Even non hi-fi buffs or audiophiles can appreciate its visual coolness once they get the experience of such.

As the article linked noted for industry (virtually any) it's either associate a value to your product or a convenience. If you in your business (again most any) do not go down either route your business is likely to fail.

Many turntables are designed to look cool and/or stunning and not all of the looks are for better audio performance. It's a visual value added and those turntable manufactures GET IT! High end gear in general often looks stunning NOT FOR BETTER FIDELITY! But for value added in visual appeal. We hi-fi buffs and audiophiles do not merely shop with our ears we shop more than you may think with our eyes. CD's lack that appeal, though higher end CD players do well to keep it.

As to downloaded digital audio, yes it offers day to day convenience but not IF but WHEN your hard drive fails you could be seeing your music LOST FOR GOOD. Most computer uses do not routinely back up files. Convenience breeds laziness. Apple via iTunes will give you one free restore of lost files but you will likely see a lot of hassle in rebuilding your downloaded only music files.

So if you do not care to partake in analogue audio via especially vinyl It may still be in your best interest to buy your music on CD, rip the discs to your digital device and at minimum keep your CD's in storage. At least you get at minimum a 16/44 file on a physical copy vs lossy files downloaded only. But most digital only and non-physical music listeners will not do this as time passes as again downloads through day to day convenience breeds laziness and nobody ever thinks a hard drive or a computer failure WILL HIT THEM!

Vinyl will not return to its 1970's hey day. But it will remain a viable and pleasurable audio format for those who want cool physical media. CD's will be around for a long time too even in a shrinking market for them as many (even digital only) people do want physical discs. Downloaded music will keep growing and will become the dominant format soon enough but will as in our past with previous formats will not be bought by the masses for better fidelity but for convenience.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Bromo33333 12:18:09 05/31/12 (12)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Munkie_NL 03:48:12 06/01/12 (0)

Tom's posts here sometimes... - rebop 19:17:14 05/31/12 (1)

RE: Tom's posts here sometimes... - tom.dennehy 13:48:05 06/30/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - dinchart 16:59:46 05/31/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Time_Stands_Still 14:21:14 05/31/12 (5)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Tao 20:40:39 05/31/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - phlogiston 14:59:18 05/31/12 (0)

Exactly. And that is why the CD still lives. - rbolaw 14:53:15 05/31/12 (2)

But . . . - Langdell 19:59:43 05/31/12 (1)

RE: But . . . - rbolaw 11:10:40 06/04/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - MillHouse1835@aol.com 13:57:10 05/31/12 (1)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Bromo33333 14:17:24 05/31/12 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Time_Stands_Still 14:21:14 05/31/12 (5)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - Tao 20:40:39 05/31/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD" - phlogiston 14:59:18 05/31/12 (0)

Exactly. And that is why the CD still lives. - rbolaw 14:53:15 05/31/12 (2)

But . . . - Langdell 19:59:43 05/31/12 (1)

RE: But . . . - rbolaw 11:10:40 06/04/12 (0)

RE: Link: "How Vinyl and iPods Ganged Up to Kill the Audio CD"

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