CD section

[RoA]

With the proliferation of new cd players and the format clearly having found a new lease of life, one visit to YT will confirm this ... why is there not a separate section?

We have one for TT's, streaming and Radio.

 

[matthewpianist]

Good question, and as someone who has never wavered in using the format, I agree. Furthermore, as someone who is involved in the business of selling CDs (as well as downloads, streaming and vinyl), I can confirm that sales are holding up nicely in classical and jazz music.

 

[Integralista]

With the proliferation of new cd players and the format clearly having found a new lease of life, one visit to YT will confirm this ... why is there not a separate section?

We have one for TT's, streaming and Radio.

Good point, fully agree with you.👍

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I suspect that admin's view is that turntables have lots of complexity about use in a system (cartridges, arms, pre-amp etc) and streaming has many platforms, bit rates etc. CD you just close the tray and off you go.

 

[Jasonovich]

I suspect that admin's view is that turntables have lots of complexity about use in a system (cartridges, arms, pre-amp etc) and streaming has many platforms, bit rates etc. CD you just close the tray and off you go.

I agree to a point, CD players don't have onion layers like TT but are many potential discussions to be had, such as digital output to an external DAC or digital input from CD Transport, issues relating to SACD hybrid disks, some players wont play, firmware updates, apart from sound quality, there's all sorts of issues to discuss. 😏

 

[matthewpianist]

There's things like gapless playback, some machines won't properly play anything longer than Red Book (and there are discs in some big boxes that are as long as 80+ minutes), transport noise, user interface (the Arcam CD5 one isn't great, for example)...

 

[Al ears]

Good question, and as someone who has never wavered in using the format, I agree. Furthermore, as someone who is involved in the business of selling CDs (as well as downloads, streaming and vinyl), I can confirm that sales are holding up nicely in classical and jazz music.

Which are, oddly enough, two of the genres best suited to SACD or Hi res downloads....

 

[nopiano]

I can see the point, although I draw attention to how amplifiers used to have Auxiliary inputs, then CD inputs, now Streaming or DAC inputs.

I have hundreds of CD and a couple of players, but I don’t think they warrant a standalone section here. They’re a solved design, and I can’t imagine any significant improvements after forty years.

 

[matthewpianist]

Which are, oddly enough, two of the genres best suited to SACD or Hi res downloads....

They are, and both BIS and Chandos have long released their albums as Hybrid SACDs, but big boxes collecting together the complete output of particular artists are more common than ever, and these are mostly from Warner and Universal, and on CD only (they haven't really taken SACD to their hearts). The sets aren't generally made available as downloads either, though it's quite often possible to piece most of a set together with individual releases. Then there's some single album releases that never see any kind of physical release. Being into classical and/or jazz music these days definitely needs a format-agnostic mindset.

 

[Al ears]

They are, and both BIS and Chandos have long released their albums as Hybrid SACDs, but big boxes collecting together the complete output of particular artists are more common than ever, and these are mostly from Warner and Universal, and on CD only (they haven't really taken SACD to their hearts). The sets aren't generally made available as downloads either, though it's quite often possible to piece most of a set together with individual releases. Then there's some single album releases that never see any kind of physical release. Being into classical and/or jazz music these days definitely needs a format-agnostic mindset.

You are right there which is why I currently use everything apart from reel to reel and streaming......

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

I suspect that admin's view is that turntables have lots of complexity about use in a system (cartridges, arms, pre-amp etc) and streaming has many platforms, bit rates etc. CD you just close the tray and off you go.

I think there is also a view held by many Hi-Fi enthusiasts, that vinyl is the "senior" format, the one true Hi-Fi format and, they can't ignore streaming because it is so popular.

 

[Integralista]

I think there is also a view held by many Hi-Fi enthusiasts, that vinyl is the "senior" format, the one true Hi-Fi format and, they can't ignore streaming because it is so popular.

If you listen to analogue on regular base, it does not mean that I ignore streaming. I just do not need it. And I love true physical formats. But never say never😉.

 

[Al ears]

With the proliferation of new cd players and the format clearly having found a new lease of life, one visit to YT will confirm this ... why is there not a separate section?

We have one for TT's, streaming and Radio.

I think that's a fair point, there's plenty of variety in CD player design to warrant a separate section.

 

[Al ears]

I think there is also a view held by many Hi-Fi enthusiasts, that vinyl is the "senior" format, the one true Hi-Fi format and, they can't ignore streaming because it is so popular.

I assure you, as of right now, I can ignore streaming.....
🙂

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

I assure you, as of right now, I can ignore streaming.....
🙂

Me too, mostly...

 

[RoA]

I am not using sleep over it but did think it is a little odd. Never mind.

If nothing else it would stop me from gate crashing the vinyl 'what are you currently spinning' section with CD choices 😀

Here's a little reading from a manufacturer's point of view. Ignore the vested interest (!) for a moment and you'll find some interesting points;

Are CDs making a comeback?

Manufacturer of hi-end audio electronics - amplifiers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, D/A converters, CD-players and custom installation amplifiers.

www.hegel.com

 

[RoA]

I assure you, as of right now, I can ignore streaming.....
🙂

Oh, I could never do that 👍

 

[Jasonovich]

I am not using sleep over it but did think it is a little odd. Never mind.

If nothing else it would stop me from gate crashing the vinyl 'what are you currently spinning' section with CD choices 😀

Here's a little reading from a manufacturer's point of view. Ignore the vested interest (!) for a moment and you'll find some interesting points;

Are CDs making a comeback?

Manufacturer of hi-end audio electronics - amplifiers, preamplifiers, power amplifiers, D/A converters, CD-players and custom installation amplifiers.

www.hegel.com

Really good read. Was it 1983 when I purchased my Marantz DD-73? Anyway, I recall I was playing the vinyl and CD version of the same artist side by side.
The first thing I noticed, was pitch and stability, the CD was rock solid. It was pulling off more detail than vinyl.
CD sounded brighter, the vinyl was smooth as fudge.
CD was already good and today it has advanced many folds.
It's great there's a re-awakening of the format and definitely needs it's own slot.

 

[nads]

Mmm CD HDCD SACD and then DVD A and Blu-ray A?

 

[daytona600]

New dCS Varèse CD/SACD is available to order worldwide now, with systems beginning to ship later this month. It is priced at £35,000

Varèse - Our Boldest Ideas Realised | dCS

Experience exhilarating realism and undiluted immersion with our most advanced music system to date. Novel design and bespoke technologies bring a level of performance beyond anything we had previously dared dream possible.

dcsaudio.com

 

[Angle Poise-Lamp]

New dCS Varèse CD/SACD is available to order worldwide now, with systems beginning to ship later this month. It is priced at £35,000

Varèse - Our Boldest Ideas Realised | dCS

Experience exhilarating realism and undiluted immersion with our most advanced music system to date. Novel design and bespoke technologies bring a level of performance beyond anything we had previously dared dream possible.

dcsaudio.com

View attachment 9963

The full stack there, is £185,000 at HiFi Lounge…

 

[tiggerjoint]

With the proliferation of new cd players and the format clearly having found a new lease of life, one visit to YT will confirm this ... why is there not a separate section?

We have one for TT's, streaming and Radio.

What hifi only want to promote streaming or vinyl, for months now they have ignored cd's. They must think it won't sell magazines, so they stick to what is trendy! Cd has never gone away,selling less yes, but a lot of us still have cd collections, so reviews for cd players should continue!

 

[manicm]

What hifi only want to promote streaming or vinyl, for months now they have ignored cd's. They must think it won't sell magazines, so they stick to what is trendy! Cd has never gone away,selling less yes, but a lot of us still have cd collections, so reviews for cd players should continue!

Agreed. But what WHF is doing is catering to a younger audience, which is not a bad thing by any means, but is leading towards increasingly questionable editorials.

 

[tiggerjoint]

Agreed. But what WHF is doing is catering to a younger audience, which is not a bad thing by any means, but is leading towards increasingly questionable editorials.

They are catering for them I agree, but I fear they are also pushing them , by excluding cd's for instance.

 

[Jasonovich]

What hifi only want to promote streaming or vinyl, for months now they have ignored cd's. They must think it won't sell magazines, so they stick to what is trendy! Cd has never gone away,selling less yes, but a lot of us still have cd collections, so reviews for cd players should continue!

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