Seeing the future of how we listen to music

[Dean Morris]

For years I have always been someone who never downloads or streams and will always buy CDs.

things are changing for me and most people? I stream most music through Apple TV via iTunes or spotify. The quality isn't as good but it's more convenient.

Now there are streamers like bluesound node which is amazing bit if kit for £400! Hi end streamer. That combined with using Qobuz gives you cd quality as well as being as being able to stream 24 bit master files!

All under control on your phone or tablet.

Do I sell my cd collection? Sell my arcam blu ray 300? Get half decent money for it before it's to late and put it towards a bluesound?

my setup would be simple, arcam a19, kef r100, bluesound node and Apple TV for films! Simply!!!

 

[Frank Harvey]

I don't see the future of how we listen to music going any one way in particular. Whilst we sell Sonos and Denon HEOS, streaming systems from Marantz, Denon, Cyrus, and Naim, as well as various stand alone streamers from Cyrus, Naim, Marantz, Rotel, Denon etc, we sell more turntables than any of those put together. I'm not saying it is going the way of vinyl, as many vinyl owners have access to streamed music as well, and have done away with CD. It is tricky to predict, but there will be those who will want to simplify absolutely everything they have and may well end up with a system similar to yours (or even simpler), those that want the best of everything and stick with multiple separates, and those that just want a single source, whether that ends up being analogue or digital in one form or another.

I have access to Napster and Last.FM (I have tried Qobuz and Spotify, but not enough selection for me) but that will in no way replace my vinyl collection, and while my CD collection will see less action, I don't see the point in selling any as they'll only fetch pennies. I have access to Netflix and Amazon Instant, but again, that won't affect my Bluray collection, which will continue to expand with select titles. I'd love to just have something like Spotify and Netflix as a source - while both are good enough for certain genres, they'll never tear me away from owning my favourites from other genres on the format of my choice.

 

[Dean Morris]

You can get around all that and buy the bluesound vault which allows you to stream everything and rip your whole cd collection. Again another great bit of kit

 

[fr0g]

Whilst we sell Sonos and Denon HEOS, streaming systems from Marantz, Denon, Cyrus, and Naim, as well as various stand alone streamers from Cyrus, Naim, Marantz, Rotel, Denon etc, we sell more turntables than any of those put together.

I imagine this rather skewed stat is because, well, why would I need to go to a specialist Hi-fi shop to buy a Sonos or a Bluesound? Click, click, order. Done.

I also imagine this hipster epidemic is fuelling sales of turntables. Do they often have rather OTT beards P

I must say, I never thought I would get to this point, but all my purchases are now digital usually from Boomkat or Bleep. (Plus one or 2 from Linn)., all my CDs are in boxes in the garage and I would estimate that 80% of my listening is through Spotify.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I imagine this rather skewed stat is because, well, why would I need to go to a specialist Hi-fi shop to buy a Sonos or a Bluesound? Click, click, order. Done.

Quite possibly.

I also imagine this hipster epidemic is fuelling sales of turntables. Do they often have rather OTT beards P

Nope.

 

[tino]

It is in the record industry's interests to get us all on to a £10+ per month subscription model because it guarantees a very large steady revenue stream for them. It's the same reasoning that mobile phone operators want to get us all into locked in phone contracts. And the cost invariably works out much more than £10/month if you add on the need to have a high bandwidth and high data volume internet connection.

I listen to music streaming services (radio, free internet streaming services and a premium streaming service which was bundled in with the purchase of a Sonos). Whilst I wouldn't mind paying £5 per month for music, I won't pay the £10 or even £20 per month. I am quite prepared to accept lower bit rate streaming for casual listening or for music discovery, but I would still keep buying physical media. The advantages are that new and second-hand prices are still reasonably cheap for physical formats, well at least they are for CDs. The CD is merely a physical digital delivery mechanism for me but it has the benefits that I can make a personal copy for streaming on any device that I choose, I can use any wired or wireless medium to play or transfer the music, and I also own the right to sell on my music at any time.

I am happy to embrace digital streaming (I already do), but I don't want to become wholly dependent on a streaming service in the future.

 

[Jota180]

Don't sell your CD collection! Rip it to a NAS drive and you can stream them. If you rip your CD's then sell them then you're breaking the law although it's unlikey you'd ever get caught.

You can have your CD's on NAS, internet radio and any number of online streaming services. You could have all this with as few as 3 'boxes'. Your NAS and two active speakers such as AVi or you could have DAC's, pre amps, power amps, speakers. It's for you to decide what's best for you!

 

[fr0g]

Don't sell your CD collection! Rip it to a NAS drive and you can stream them. If you rip your CD's then sell them then you're breaking the law although it's unlikey you'd ever get caught.

Not that would do this, but it's an interesting point.

I have quite a few downloaded albums now that I am not certain where I purchased them from. I have no idea how to prove I didn't simply copy them.

Then again I guess most people don't keep receipts for physical media either, so equally difficult to prove they weren't simply stolen?

 

[fr0g]

I also imagine this hipster epidemic is fuelling sales of turntables. Do they often have rather OTT beards P

Nope.

Are you certain?

 

[relocated]

David is in Coventry, fr0g. Hipster still refers to trousers hanging part way down your 'arris.