CD Player or MP3 Player? What is the future

[MRMACPHISTO]

Just wondering if you could help me with a dilemma I have? What is the future for playing music?

I am looking at buying a replacement CD player (preferably Sony), but this seems to be a backward move. Should I move on to an I- Pod / MP3 player with a decent docking station?

I already have an 8gb I-Pod Nano, and I am thinking of replacing my CD player with the 120gb I-Pod Classic. My issue with this is I have heard bad reviews of the battery life (24 month maximum) and I am also unsure on the sound quality. I would be buying a decent docking station (any ideas up to £200, preferably with a DAB radio), but I think it may be a waste of money if the I-Pod gives up after 2 years!!!! I don't want to keep replacing it too often. Would the battery life last longer if the I-Pod is only used on the docking station through mains?

I have also been looking at the Sony Giga Juke NASS55HDE, but companies seem to have stopped selling this verstion (circa £400) for the multi room package (circa £560). Are there any other systems that do a similar job to this system, or am I better sticking with the Ipod?

I I would be grateful of any help you can provide.

 

[Anonymous]

I will be very sad if or when the CD format comes to an end as I've invested loads into the format as I'm sure many people have. I can't comment on the sound quality of the i-pod but I'm sure you already know that in general, compressed files won't sound as good as CD or uncompressed.

 

[Anonymous]

There is huge debate around this subject though it is obvious that if your music collection is HDD based you shouldn't feel forced to invest in a CD player at this point in time.

What equipment do you own already and what is your budget?ÿ

 

[El Hefe]

I guess the issue on ipod batteries is debatable. I bought my 60GB ipod in Dec 2005 and it is still working fine. Although the battery life is now reduced from 28 hours to about 16 hours, but hey, you only need those long hour battery life on long flights. For home use, I use the docking station and powered by the mains. No issues.

I would say CD format will still be here for a long time. However, we cant deny the portability and convenience provided by MP3 players. I even connect my iPod to my ICE.

 

[chebby]

The CD player is doomed more than the discs themselves. It will hang on in two niches, the very cheap and the very specialised/expensive but the middle ground will mostly be occupied by people playing music from HDDs. (HDDs in their DVD player/recorders, on their PS3's and in their computers.)

The CD disc itself will hang on longer in the 'hifi/audiophile' community until downloaded lossless/master quality material is widespread and cheap, has plenty of choice and everyone has decently fast broadband. Solid-state HDDs will be another 'nail' in CD's coffin when they eventually become cheaper, larger and more prolific.

Rip all your new (and old) CDs to HDD on your PC or mac in lossless for convenience and quality (and security if you take care over regular backups).

 

[Anonymous]

Just get an Apple Computer and use iTunes. The analogue output is pretty good as a starter unlike PCs.

Ash

 

[idc]

MP3 players/computer based music has a rosier furture than CDs and CD players on their own, as there is far more potential for improvement and possibilities. With the success of ipod and itunes computer based music lept over the first hurdle of becoming established. It will not fall away like minidisc and others have done. There is likely to be far greater investment into computer based music and MP3s than CDs, so that memories, ease of use and sound quality through ever increasing bit rates etc will grow and grow. I do not think CDs will die away like cassettes have done, because they have a variety of applications and uses such as being recordable, they can be played on DVDs and their use as backups to computer files.

Regarding reliability, I have had no problems with two ipods, the nano is now 2+1/2 years old. If anything it is the Logitech I have a problem with, as its battery charge has dropped to only and hour or so. Nothing electronic, including CDs is going to last forever. As to whether it is better to keep the ipod on full charge via the docking station or not, I'm not sure. However, I have flattened the battery in my nano on many occasion, and also at times kept it on constant charge in its speaker dock, and no problems. The classic which is 2 years old has been kept on full charge appart from once when I flattened the battery on a long journey, and again no problems.

Why not get yourself a Russ Andrews GQ-24 cable to connect the ipod to an amp and audition it along with your choices of CD player? Use apple lossless tracks and play about with the EQ settings to get your preferred sound out of the ipod.

 

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't bother with an iPod unless you want music on the move, because you can neither see or control them from the other side of a room.

iTunes is fantastic and Front Row in an Apple Computer the perfect home media system in a silent computer. I use Apple TV, a Mac Mini and a Macbook Pro at home and even the analogue sound output is pretty good. They can all be controlled remotely by the iPod Touch and really well too.

Another choice of front end that is taking over surprisingly quickly is the PS3, because it plays Blue Ray as well as CDs and streaming music and videos as well as doing photo slide shows.

These products are the future and they are far more exciting and versatile than old fashioned and limiting hi fi IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

Ashley James:I wouldn't bother with an iPod unless you want music on the move, because you can neither see or control them from the other side of a room.iTunes is fantastic and Front Row in an Apple Computer the perfect home media system in a silent computer. I use Apple TV, a Mac Mini and a Macbook Pro at home and even the analogue sound output is pretty good. They can all be controlled remotely by the iPod Touch and really well too.Another choice of front end that is taking over surprisingly quickly is the PS3 too, because it plays Blue Ray as well as CDs and streaming music and videos as well as doing photo slide shows. These products are the future and they are far more exciting and versatile than old fashioned and limiting hi fi IMO.

Lets face it together Ashley, Front Row is truly rubbish. It is unresponsive and slow when you get there. I am a Mac fan but I would hate to urge any kind of advertising over Front Row.

 

[Anonymous]

I haven't found that on any of my five Apple computers or my Apple TV and certainly not in comparison with a clunky old CD player, so I'm puzzled. However if you find Front Row, which I think is the best media player currently available, too slow you could just use iTunes.

Both are faster still via an iPod Touch too.

Right now I think this is the best system and by comparison I think the PS3 is clunky and agricultural, but it's also cheap and extremely versatile.

 

[Anonymous]

Front Row isn't a media player it's a hog of an interface. Best avoided.ÿ

 

[idc]

So What hifi, how about helping MRMACPHISTO make his choice; Sony CDP XE370 vs ipod 120gb classic into a variety of amp/speaker combinations, which is best. Or more generally, how do MP3 players stand in comparison to CD players at the moment?

 

[Anonymous]

Octopo:
Front Row isn't a media player it's a hog of an interface. Best avoided.ÿ

I understand the Apple TV that uses it has just come top in a WHF test. I think you're wrong and can't understand why you should say such a thing.

If you are buying an iPod, IMO the Touch is the best one to have because it's a powerful computer as well. It's so much more versatile than the others and excellent value for money too. It means that you can buy an Airport Express and stream your music from iTunes in your computer that could be in another room and out of audible range. The Touch acts as an excellent remote control and it makes a magic system.

The Airport Express was tested by Stereophile in the States who found it as good as the best CD transport if used from it's digital output, however the analogue wasn't the best. It's good enough to get started and later on, you can add a Beresford or similar. Good DACs are getting cheaper all the time.

As regards sound quality, iPods can be extremely good, especially with better headphones, which is why you occasionally see people posting on Forums asking why they sound better than their hi fi. The reason is that a passive crossover in loudspeakers has about 100 times the distortion of an Active one or no crossover at all, as is often the case with headphones. However it's worse than that because passive speakers have very poor damping because of the resistance the of the crossover components . Bass boom is far better controlled in Headphones because they are connected straight to the Amp.

 

[Anonymous]

The basics of computer science my friend. If you don't understand it don't preach it.

 

[MRMACPHISTO]

Thanks for your replies everyone, much appreciated

 

[John Duncan]

Octopo:
Ashley James:I wouldn't bother with an iPod unless you want music on the move, because you can neither see or control them from the other side of a room.iTunes is fantastic and Front Row in an Apple Computer the perfect home media system in a silent computer. I use Apple TV, a Mac Mini and a Macbook Pro at home and even the analogue sound output is pretty good. They can all be controlled remotely by the iPod Touch and really well too.Another choice of front end that is taking over surprisingly quickly is the PS3 too, because it plays Blue Ray as well as CDs and streaming music and videos as well as doing photo slide shows. These products are the future and they are far more exciting and versatile than old fashioned and limiting hi fi IMO.

Lets face it together Ashley, Front Row is truly rubbish. It is unresponsive and slow when you get there. I am a Mac fan but I would hate to urge any kind of advertising over Front Row.

I'm kind of with Ashley on this one, oddly. But am off to check....