Which Is Better, CDs Or Vinyl?
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- Опубліковано 31 тра 2024
- The debate has raged for decades. Which is better, CDs or Vinyl? For this discussion topic, I look at the pros and cons for both the CD and Vinyl to explore what makes each format good and bad. The intention being, that with the information provided, it will allow you to draw your own conclusion on which format is superior.
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I was never a fan of vinyl. The static, pops, skips, etc. while playing always annoyed me. And making a mix tape from vinyl sources is an arduous process. Once CDs arrived, the clarity of sound was amazing. Plus, being able to easily select tracks on CDs to create mix tapes and (eventually) mix CD-Rs...I was in heaven. And now that I've ripped lossless digital flac files of my CD collection, I can put 4K+ songs on a USB drive to play in the car. Sure, I know you can rip vinyl, too. But I'm guessing it takes more than a $20 CD/DVD drive to do it. Bottom line...like what you like when it comes to media type. Just take care of your collection and enjoy the music!
I just sold all my vinyl collections because tired of it and back to my cds
Have to agree with your assessment. I recently re-ripped all of my CDs from MP3s to FLAC. With a decent HI-Fi you can hear the difference over the MP3s. I grew up with vinyl. When I would get a new record the first thing I would do was record it to reel-to-reel tape then store the LP. Less concern over degradation over time with the LPs. I do the same with the CDs, I rip them to FLAC then store them away.
When CDs came around I was happy to leave the process of manually recording individual tracks behind. And the cracks and pops... They used to make a box made by dbx that would suppress the pop and cracks. The size of the record and the art work is of no concern to me. My focus is on the musical content. Vinyl mastering has to be compressed in order to be pressed onto the LP. That has to do with the limitations of the media. They do not / cannot have the dynamic range or the frequency response of the CD. That warm sound is distortion.
I changed over the CDs when they came out and have not purchased another LP since.
I prefer CD... The convenience is just too good. I rarely pick up a vinyl anymore unless it's something that only comes on Vinyl I just gotta have.
but ,if you record to a cassette a compilation from vinyl ,it will sounds several time better than the cd version, for no reason every famous band in the world recorded all their albums in analog,being the final format digital , the compact disc but at the same time the albums were all relesead in vinyl and half the price of the cd, in 93 i bought a already considered good cd player ,i assembled a new system from SONY ES(esprit series) ,some say that is elevated standart ,that ´s what was written on the cover of some early 90´s catalog, either than the amplifier everything else started to fail in 3 to 4 years ,so i give it a touch and sold it faster than i thought, IT´S A SONY, after i bought a URUSHI system from Pioneer, and i´m still waiting today for it to give problems , only changed the belts on the cassette deck twice, a CT-93, some used to say that the best deck in the world was the DRAGON , i had two the second instead of 3 lasted 4 years, i took a cassette to this friends house a SONY UX , he when hearing the cassette with the correct azimuth notice that the recording was more dynamic and he searched for a recording in METAL MASTERS from SONY and TDK MA-XG, but he had to say," this you must have done something to it ",i recorded it with FLAT response with the cd either than conected to the amplifier also was conected directelly into the cassette deck, here on youtube there´s a video where a guy compares the NAKAMICHI deck to the CT-95, the model released later with a cheap design but he was amazed how good the pioneer sounded , check it
Whether you prefer CDs, vinyl records, cassettes etc., I'm just glad to see physical media getting attention again.
I agree as well. As long as it’s physical media it’s great!
cassettes were made for a boomboxs to sound good/cds were made for a television to sound good
Corralling the public away from physical media is probably part of the agenda that has been coined in the actual promo as ¨You will own nothing and be happy¨.
Here Here! The only streaming I'm concerned with involves my urine.
Cassettes? You're serious? 🤨
Sold off my vinyl collection back in the mid 80's shortly after I bought my first cd. I prefer the cd for the size and sound and ease of use plus now with the vinyl resurgence and the price of vinyl, cds are a much better value. Cds rock!
Thanks! 😀 (I needed to know this) I don’t even have an vinyl player anyways 😅
@@munchocrisps does it look like we care
I totally agree
CDs all the way! Never bought anything but CDs after they came out!
Delighted to see all the love for CD’s here.
I live in a small town in southern Virginia. We don't even have a record store. Christmas of 1983 I was 16 years old, and asked for a cd player. We had an electronics/furniture store that had one cd player, Fisher brand, and 5 cds to choose from. The player cost $325. and the discs were $23.95 each, a hell of a lot of money in those days. Keep in mind, LPs retailed for $8.99 at the time. There were rumors that cds were indestructible. They didn't scratch, skip, warp, etc. That you could not break it, even using a hammer. Well, we now know these statements aren't true. I did get the cd player and one disc, Christopher Cross 1979 debut album. Christmas morning when I hooked everything up and hit play I was blown away by the sound. I never looked back. To me the cds sound was far better than vinyl or (certainly) cassette or 8 track. The issue back then was availability. I had to travel an hour to larger towns to find stores that even had limited stock. Also, new releases didn't immediately come out on cd. Many never came out on cd, and those that did typically had a 6 month delay. I remember going to record stores and discovering that a new release would be out on LP and cassette today, but the cd will be out in 3 or 4 months. I do agree with the artwork/poster limitations on cd. Something like Kiss Alive, I would stare at the cover and insert booklet for hours. Not the same on cd. But to this day, I still prefer cds. The sound, portability and durability. For me there's no contest. Brendon, as always, I enjoy your content. Thanks for starting the discussion.
I didn't know they had CD players in 1983?
@@immortalgram yes, Sony CDP-101 was the first comercially available player, released in 1982. By early 1983, they were more available, but were costly for that time.
@@jeffreykoger3978 I didn't realize they came out that far back. Interesting.
I love CDs there is so little distractions from other notifications and it lets you sink into the music without all the other noise. That is why i still choose the humble Disc. Yes sportify and UA-cam is great but there just too much distractions
Thank you so much stay safe and Music!
CDs fascinated me as a kid, and later I was gifted a discman which was so amazing for me. Now I’m amazed my childhood CDs still play faultlessly and I have a great hifi and a CD transport with separate DAC that upscales - music to my ears ❤️🎶
CDs all the way for me brendon that's just my opinion 📀💿
I was a teen in the 70's so it was mostly records and a few cassettes for the car. Eventually, CD's came out and took over and I switched to those. A couple of years ago I had a brief bout of nostalgia and started getting back into records but it didn't last long. I'm in good shape for a 57 year old guy but I quickly found it annoying to have to get up and flip the record every 20+ minutes. I can do that, but do I want to? No. I noticed that I didn't really spend time looking at the record covers of the new albums I bought the way I used to as a teenager and college student and I need my reading glasses to read any lyrics or liner notes on the records or CD's. Either way. And my old ears, veterans of well over 100 rock concerts can't really tell much difference sound-wise anymore. So I gave up on the record buying, again and get way more music for my dollar.For me, it's CD's all the way.
I have a lot of both. I prefer CD. After Vinyl, 8-Track and Cassette I was ready to hear music without things distracting me in the background.
cds were made for a tv to sound good
Biggest problem with CD's for the last 30 years after the 80's is the brickwalling, the loss of dynamics in sound mastering have made tons of albums unlistenable. That's unfortunate. Maybe engineers will make better dynamic CD's in the future.
Volume wars. Not a CD problem, you can find plenty of well mastered recent CDs with great dynamics.
yeah ☹ this is why I try to hunt for earlier pressings rather than later remastered ones.
That is correct. By 1997 it started to get really bad…I mean really bad. Lol.
@@sacriste that is true, but not in metal. Very rare I find non hyper compressed material.
@@Nephilim-81 metal producers are stupid, they need to check RATM, Tool, Korn to learn how to make it hard and dynamic.
I have to say your discussion is the best most balanced view I have heard to date - I was fed up up of being dictated too about meter readings and frequencies which quite frankly may register and be recorded through sensitive electronic equipment but I am a human with good old fashioned ears and other senses. You I think are one of the few to really understand the importance of the tactile elements and visual impact. I really like CDs but I love vinyl - why ? well I do not really know - I just know I have four times the number of LPs to CDs.
Really good to hear an unbiased discussion that looks at the broader view and not just techy read outs. Thank you.
I love both. With records I feel like I’m holding something more of a treasured art and reading lyrics on a sleeve is a beautiful part of the listen. I’m really loving cd soft pak/digipaks these days. I also love cd box sets. It’s like you said there are pros and cons with the various formats.
Yes I love box sets too.The bands add usually so much extra bonus material with these sets that they are just super cool.T.Tuomo from Finlandia.
@@tuomopukkila505 I’m really digging the Marillion deluxe editions as an example. It’s like openings a Christmas stocking with added treats.
Hey Brandon. (* edit!!!: Brendon!!) It’s so real, what’s happening with CDs. I can feel it in myself and I see it everywhere. I wanted to point out a really interesting aspect about CDs when it comes to the pros and cons of the record sleeve vs the jewel case. It’s that while you can replace most jewel cases, there are some that you absolutely can not replace. And they’re always my favorite kinds to collect. The ones I’m talking about are when it’s an original 1st pressing of the album, where the original first pressing came with specific hype stickers and or a stickered parental advisory label that signal to the collector which pressing it is, IE an easy to spot OG because of the hype stickers. Those can not be replaced because the case’s cover is part of the collectibility, and an example of some would be Slipknot Iowa 2001 with a clear parental advisory sticker, every rage against the machine album, every Korn album, sublime, foo fighters, etc. my favorite thing ever is to collect sealed copies of these so that the hypes and the jewel case are pristine, and then get a player copy which I don’t mind how the jewel case becomes or what pressing it is. You know! It seems like a con, but it’s a pro for me, that certain jewel cases can not be replaced exactly like record sleeves can not be replaced. Massive pro because it creates a strict set of rules and limitations that must be met and can not be compromised (when it comes to grading and collectibility).
I never got into the whole “vinyl revival”. New vinyl is too expensive and you have to have a good sound system in order for them to sound good.
I prefer CDs and I still buys CDs from time time but due to space limitations where I live now my CD purchasing has declined greatly as well though. I’ll buy an individual CD if it’s a band I really like, I see it used or for a good price new. If I do buy CDs now it’s generally some form of box set.
I grew up buying Vinyl, but I moved to cassette then to CD, I love CD’s. I just put the CD on and it plays the whole album no flipping the disk. Now I love the size of vinyl I find myself buying some vinyl but not playing it much more of a collectors item. A lot of my newer vinyl I also buy the cd as well, I still love CD’s best. Great discussion
@@Stephen1164 Even 0
I grew up in the 1970s with vinyl and loved the big album covers, inner sleeves with lyrics and/or posters, but as far as the sound, I bought my first high end stereo system in the 1980s and what always bothered me about vinyl was the clicks/pops/static when listening to them. I remember buying brand new albums and then putting it on the turntable and hearing the surface noise and getting annoyed by it. When CDs came along, I bought one of the first CD players (it was expensive; about $700) and bought my first CD: Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow. I was blown away by the quality of sound. Although, I still have a turntable in my component setup, I listen to CDs 99% of the time. And with today's advances with remastering, etc. I now can hear albums I grew up with with greater clarity and notice things I never noticed before. It comes down to personal preference, but ask any sound engineer or people who work in recording studios and they will tell you that there is no way vinyl can sound equal to what you get on a CD. CDs come the closest to what the musicians heard in the studio on the master tapes. Of course, most artists record digitally today, and those modern vinyl pressings are coming from digital sources. So that is not a true analog experience. Anyways, these are my opinions and I know others will disagree, but as I said, it is to each his/her own how they prefer to listen to music. I, for one, am glad for the vinyl resurgence, because at least people are buying a physical format, instead of streaming.
Well Said! 100% Correct!
I collected vinyl for 10 years. I had excellent turntables, including a Technics and a Thorens. I HATED the nonsense I had to put up with --varying degrees of static, ticks, pops, warps, and wow due to off center pressings. I also hated the rituals I had to go through to deal with these things: cleaning the stylus, cleaning the record on every play, using a Zerostat, ad nauseum. Quiet passages were NEVER truly quiet (I listened to a lot of classical). Having to flip the record and repeat the cleaning process was also a bother. When CDs came along, I found them to be a GODSEND. Here was CLARITY and LACK OF NOISE that had been undreamed of. Quiet passages could be VERY quiet WITHOUT being swallowed by noise. Loud passages could be VERY loud with no hint of strain or compression of treble or bass. Sound was WARM if the recording was warm. In short, there was NOTHING getting between me and the music, unlike vinyl. All concerns about wearing a disc out VANISHED, not to mention increasing noise. An entire symphony could be listened to UNINTERRUPTED, against resulting in LESS obtrusion into the music.
And the CONVENIENCE!! put in the disc (NO goddam cleaning rituals needed!), sit in the chair, press play on the REMOTE (which vinyl doesn't have), and away you go. Listen to the entire thing if you want, or skip tracks forward or backward. Again, all from your CHAIR. No worries about rumble, floor vibrations, etc. Just MUSIC.
Vinyl is VASTLY inferior in EVERY way.
When I started buying music right at the beginning, I didn’t buy either. I bought cassettes. I started buying CDs at the start of the early 1990s as they were the dominant form of acquiring physical music- and my comparison was with cassettes. CDs seemed far superior- to cassettes. As kid, the vinyl my parents owned seemed to be a total faff, the sound was crackly and records needed to be cleaned etc. CDs were so much more efficient and easy.
My music listening/collecting began with CDs in the Nineties and so it has continued to this day. I have never owned a record player. I am not ideologically opposed to vinyl. I have just never had the income to become an audiophile of any sort- CDs do the job for me and they are now a cheaper way of owning physical format. I don’t buy in multiple formats. I haven’t bought a cassette since 1994 either. I just had a CD collection...and kept adding to it.
For my purposes, the format is fine and I don’t see the need or have the money to switch format or start doubling up with cd/vinyl. That’s my choice for CD format from my perspective.
I'm the same as yourself. Maybe it slightly depends on the individuals age/generation. I started on cassettes in the late 80's as they were cheap and moved to CD's in the early 90's, when the price of CDs came down in the UK. Have not got into the recent vinyl revival buzz.
With a CD, you can listen to an “album” all the way through without switching sides. Can’t do that with an LP, 8-track or cassette. You can also skip through songs unlike the other formats. Those were the revelations back then.
You can do it with a cassette that has a reverse head that plays the other side of the cassette without switching
@@faze_cosm1c_284 In slow motion
@@faze_cosm1c_284 of course, but not like a CD, not stop. Plus can not skip songs.
@Nicholas um.. ok
I'm a die-hard vinyl guy and loved going to record stores in the 80s, where they would have all kinds of collectible imports etc. From Iron Maiden to Duran Duran, there were tons of rare singles etc. It was nuts the amount of stuff you could collect. In 1988, they were developing these new CD-only concept stores. I remember walking out of there so depressed, knowing this was likely the future of " record" stores. I was an early adopter of CDs in 86, but dropped them just as quick about 93. The sound was not the problem, that was a wash for me. There was less noise on CD, but the overall sound spectrum wasn't as good in some cases. CDs just seemed so generic to me, with all the replaceable jewel cases. I collected the 12" longbox CDs until 1993, when longboxes went away. The longboxes were the only thing saving the CD for me. After 93, vinyl was pretty much gone and with no more longboxes, I started buying less music. I was a manager of a CD store at the time, so I was getting promo CD freebies and a ton of 12inch single promos free. Basically from 93 till vinyls full comeback a few years back, I bought CDs only when I had no vinyl choice and didn't get CD promo. During that time, I lived at Hot Topic, Virgin Megastore and the few places that carried new sealed vinyl. I grabbed whatever sealed vinyl I saw, which in the 90s, was impossible to find. I was still manager of the same CD store in 2007, and we started getting in vinyl. I was also ordering it like crazy. I knew vinyl was on the upswing, especially compared to its almost complete extinction 1995- 2001, but I never thought a full blown revival would happen. Needless to say, these are good times for us vinyl nuts. I kept all my Japanese CDs like Nirvana Hormoaning, Rage Live Rare, Alanis Morisette Spacecakes, but I've since replaced most with vinyl
I am over all a cd person. I do still buy vinyl from a band that the cd might not be available.I still own all my vinyl from the past. With the fast life style which we live cds just fit in better. I am not a streaming person I use just to sample music and podcasts. The price of vinyl is crazy and what I have experienced with morden vinyl I have been disappointed in the quality. I will stick with cds for my main format.
As a long time collector of both I can easily say that CD wins out this argument hands down. They're smaller, cheaper, more durable and can sound just as good as vinyl if not better. I know sound is subjective but this whole Mofi situation really brings it all into question. The one thing Vinyl is better at than CD is the giant glorious cover art... which takes up more space.
Well Said.
CDs from a purely technical standpoint outperform vinyl. The problem is because of the 50db higher dynamic range than vinyl (60db) many upon many have abused the medium and quite frankly have given the poor cd 💿 a bad rap. CDs are great. They just have to get in the hands of the right people (engineers/record companies )
Analog sounds better. It’s more real, more alive. Vinyl and Cassettes sound better to me, I like CDs too, more convenient for the car. As long as I can buy a physical format I’m happy. All are better than streaming/downloading
For most people, the CD was a big improvement in sound. Cheap to middle priced systems sounded better on CD. I remember back in the 80s I invited a girl to listen my brand new CD, she wasn't that impressed because her dad had an expensive vinyl system. But you can go the other way, CDs does sound amazing in very good, maybe expensive players. They can sound as warm, spacious and detailed as you want in the right system. And CDs don't rely on special pressings or editions to sound good, you can get a Diana Krall CD in a street bookstore in Guatemala for two bucks and sounds perfect. But to be honest, having lived through all these formats, I prefer streaming, nothing beats the ability to have almost everything available and again the quality depends on your possibilities. By instance, when you did your 20 favorite albums of this year so far, I could go an listen all of them a little, make a playlist in minutes and take it with me everywhere at any time. Come on. And for me, former golden ears audiophile, the sound quality is about 90 percent of ideal in my present system. ABX test yourself and get out of that matrix, even musicians, engineers and producers can't pass the test. The music is what matters most, I rather listen a shitty sounding Stones song in any form than some boring artist of an audiophile label in the most exquisite system.
I don’t understand why streaming services almost never include the liner notes/booklet insert. I find that to be incredibly annoying.
@@David-lw4vl I know you're joking but actually they include not just the cover art but mini-videos, lyrics and sometimes even the story of the song. Additionally you get links to the whole discography of the artist and all kind of related music. It's not just a simple booklet or liner, it's a whole new world.
@@sacriste Yes I realize streaming services include all that. But I still want a PDF of the exact booklet you’d get with the CD.
@@David-lw4vl that would be great but is an entirely different business, and most people don't consume albums anymore. Not even Apple did that when they were selling song for a buck.
CDs are technically superior to Vinyl and much more portable, I’ve never bought the fact that vinyl sounds “ warmer”, it’s because of the flaws it sounds warmer. That said I still prefer to listen to vinyl at home because of the total experience. There is just something about spinning a record front to back having the accompanying large album art and extras like lyrics in the sleeve that makes it… more of a journey than playing a CD. I still buy both but CDs right now can be had for really cheap and I’ve been picking up used CDs quite a bit over the past few years for dirt cheap.
Thanks for introducing me to Hammer. I love that album now.
Great video. I've been partial to compact discs since 1987. I grew up with vinyl. Only used cassettes for copying the vinyl onto.
CDs are the way to go for ordinary music purchases. I buy 24bit HD downloads of only my favorite albums. 24bit 96khz is my preference. Crystal clear sound.
Vinyl has a warmth to it that doesn't thrill me . Artwork aside, I still buy CDs after 35 years
Hello Brendon.I think it is up To your stereo system.If you have invested 10 To 15.000 $ To your stereo like me both formats sounds amazing.Cds have that advantage that you can store them much more than LPS at your apartment.
Vinyl has a dynamic range of 58db, vs 90db for CDs. Use of a DBX range expander restores most of that range lost with vinyl. Vinyl has a smoother sound vs CD, which can be harsh or brittle, requiring a DAC to smooth it’s sound back to being analog. CDs are compact & convenient to play vs vinyl. Remastered CDs are a mixed bag, some great or no better than the original. Heavyweight vinyl offers no superior fidelity vs a std LP, it’s only less prone to warpage. Both formats are enjoyable. In a home HiFi setup, it’s best to pursue acquiring better speakers & line equipment. Nevertheless, take pride in owning a music library, those who pay to stream, are left with nothing!
No Cds are better
I like LPS for albums originally a record such as Beatles, early Elton John and John Denver. The gatefold, artwork and booklet are amazing. I started with records born in 1970. I started buying CDs in the 80s. I do have CDs that are 40 years old. I cared for them well and many have no scratches. I do think records are more durable if cared for properly. Cds can scratch much easier and portable CD players can cause wear.
In the 80s there were bonus tracks on CDs that weren't on the record. Example: Police Sychonicity, Peter Gabriel's So. I actually have both formats of these albums for this reason
Records are not portable. I can listen to my CDs at the gym.
Cost is an issue. New records are expensive. Sometimes Cds are less expensive unless it is a rare CD and sometimes the record is a better deal. In summary, I like both. Great topic Brendan! Buy what works for you and make you happy 😊
P.S. Record Store Day releases are amazing. I think the music industry is pushing vinyl because they can make more money. There is definitely an increase in vinyl enthusiasm, and it is amazing records have come back. In the late 80s I thought records were coming to an end. I really treasure my records from childhood. Sentimental.
Both. I prefer the sound and the convenience of the cd, but I like the Lp for the big covers and artwork. the Lp is a better looking object although some cd's have a cool packaging too. Generally I go for the cd when it's a new album, and go for second hand Lp's. Although sometimes, when it's one of my fav bands, I get both for the collection. Cheers.
I grew up at the tail end of vinyl and the full cassette era. Then of course when I heard CD’s I converted all my cassette collection into CD. After hearing them all the CD sounds better than any of them and it really isn’t close. I do understand why people buy vinyl though, the packaging is nice and you get to drop that needle, it’s more of a nice little ritual than playing a CD, I have a few records of albums that are favorites and I wanted all the formats or if it’s something reissued only on vinyl but I’m 95% a CD guy.
I am a vinyl collector now, I love vinyl, for me its the experience of placing the vinyl on the turntable, the feel of the material. Also the sound is open and contains ALL the original information it's not compressed. I buy pressings that are made from the original tapes. I like this quote " ... listening to vinyl as opposed to digital is like viewing the Mona Lisa with your own eyes rather than looking at a picture of it on a smartphone!" But I have a small collection because of space restriction so I am quite picky what I put into my collection.
I love both, but since i almost exclusively shop for music when i travel, cds are much more practical to carry back home. You can squeeze over 90 cds in a backpack. Great video as always 👍.
CDs for me i love em easy to store and they sound great
Thanks Brendon
very informative, passionate, very fair, i'd also be interested in ur thoughts about other more niche formats like MiniDisc, 8-track, cassette, reel-to-reel, shellac records, cylinders, and ur thoughts about physical vs nonphysical (downloads, streaming)
Hi Brendon, i still have a good collection of lp's, and i still really enjoy listening to them, but, it's been about 20 years since I've preferred to buy cd's, because the sound , i think, is better, it doens't have those noise so common in vinyls.
With a cd what I like about cds is that you can buy a cd at the store play it on your car stereo then when you get home play it on your home stereo. You can't do that with vinyl. After you buy the record you have to bring it home to play it.
I prefer CDs Brendon they are smaller and easier to carry around and I can listen to them in my car and some bands even include a bluray or dvd with their cd release
Great topic!
A comment about CD packaging: I think ALL CD's should come with a jewel case. The tray in the case allows the CD to effectively float. Consequently that prevents scratches, scuffs, and helps extend the life of a CD.
I HATE these cardboard (or worse, paper) slip cases that so many new releases use. My latest pet peeve is the standard release of TFF's The Tipping Point. No matter how carefully you extract the disc from the case, it will frequently get scratched. Removing and then reinserting the disc over and over makes for a really scuffed and potentially damaged CD over time. I bought a 5-Disc album series box from Level 42 and because of the flimsy cardboard slip cases, the discs were scratched even if the box was essentially brand new. I was so frustrated.
This is why I always have a box of brand new replacement jewel cases. I transfer CD's that originally come in paper or cardboard slip cases into the standard jewel cases.
Because I have been doing this since the 1990's, I have CD's that are 30+ years old that are in pristine condition. I could easily sell them as MINT if I wanted to.
Excellent idea for discussion; a whole book can be published on this topic. I definitely love my CD's because they are easier to take care of and less likely to be damaged by scuffs and scratches than with vinyl. On the flipside, like many commenting here, I too have many vinyl releases that have not made it to CD. As far as sound quality of reissues (which would likely be a separate but related topic), it depends on the source, whether it be a straightforward repress from master tapes or digitally remastered.
Let's be honest vinyl looks cool but cds sounds better.
😂👍
I actually love the sound of vinyl for hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, and so on, sampling.
I love both. With vinyl, I grew up on them because my parents owned them. With CD, I hated them at first because I was afraid of them and I took cassettes because I knew as and liked them. In 2005 on my birthday I got a DVD player which forced me to buy CDs and guess what? I fell in love with them! I even record music on CD and I love that too.
In my opinion, both CDs and Vinyl are nice to have, but CD's are easier to store than Vinyl on a shelf as you said, however, but CDs in some cases are cheaper in the long run than what Vinyl is as well, but the odd occasion, sometimes you get CDs in with Vinyl Records of the same album at times, which is great for if you don't have the CD originally, but a little annoying if you already have it, though, and sometimes you can either just give the CD to someone else, or in my case, take it to my Dad's or something and leave it there for example, however, but I don't intend to play my Vinyl all the time, unlike my CD's, but I have a few Vinyl records that I don't have on CD, and I have digitally instead, but I don't play them as often either, unlike my digital albums on my iPod, etc, and I like to have CDs as well as Digital Albums on my iPod, as well as my computer, too, but unlike Vinyl, you can't put on a computer, obviously. I also find that some Vinyl records that aren't as well produced unlike the CD/Digital Version, like one album I have on Vinyl is one of my favourites on CD, however, the Vinyl of it wasn't well produced and I have issues with the sound on it, because the vocals on it sound louder than the instrumentation and there is a different remix of a track that isn't on the CD either, and it's annoying for when Vinyls do that, but luckily it doesn't happen often.
Sometimes you can get CDs in box sets which save money more than buying them individually, (not talking about special edition box sets or anything like that) but Vinyl, you don't always, and they cost more than the CD, but the issue is that they are in little magazine type sleeves and not in Jewel Case or Digipak style packaging, however, but they are worthy to save a bit of money in the long run.
However, I like having both CD and Vinyl, but I have Vinyl more for display purposes and I keep my Vinyl in a dark space under some stairs, with only LED lights and in a box that will possibly hold about 40+ records in there, and I won't be buying anymore once it's full, and I have CDs in different places and many on shelves and CD racks and others in plastic drawers and others at my Dad's house too, and I have a mix of different music, so I am very mixed with this and I have a few positives and negatives of both formats, but I am happy to have them individually, but they are nice to have in many ways.
I've got to admit, you've got me back into cds ... I'm primarily a vinyl collector for sure. I appreciate the work put into the art aspect of gatefold, and added features. Cds are nice for the boxes they've been putting together. As they have created some really nice packaging. As for sound value... I feel it's a matter of your actual system that will contribute to the overall appreciation of each medium, given the way they were both recorded and mastered. Thanks again for your perspective. I'm now buying both.
I agree. It’s more about how you listen to the album and what type of system that will make a difference than if it’s vinyl or CD. I mostly just prefer CDs for the ease of it all but also it’s what I grew up on so I’ve got good memories about the format.
Brandon... when are you getting shelves to file your cds away... rather than boxes currently... are you gonna use the same shelves that you currently have setup in videos behind you?
I’ve been collecting for roughly 50 years. Of course I can’t completely turn my back on vinyl, as there’s simply too much music that never made it to CD. I started out in the late 80s hating CDs, but of course now realize the once unavailable vaults of music were blasted wide open to serve on the new silver discs. Lastly, there’s the price. It has to be the last hard rule for many of us that we can’t keep dumping wheelbarrows of twenties, fifties and hundreds to own the music we love. So I took advantage of the great vinyl purge of the 1990s, and then the great CD purge of 2010’s by scores of people. If they want or need to do that, all the power to them. I’m taking advantage of the opportunity. I scoop good cassettes as well, including gently used good brands to take advantage of internet music. No regrets on any paths. Good video.
CD fan myself, when it comes to replacing broken jewel cases my local charity shop sells CD’s at 10 for £1, so I pick up anything I’m interested in then the rest anything that has a mint case which I can swap any broken ones I have with then donate the discs I don’t want back to the shop.
I honestly still prefer CDs even though I will say that vinyls definitely have better sound quality.
Vinyl sound quality is crystal clear. Probably better than 💿 cds. I have more cds because they play well, a record is easier to scratch. The artwork with records is good. I like the booklets that come with cds having lots of information. The CD cases can break and Crack. I like both, they both have advantages.
@@SmellyArse620 Yes that is my opinion. And people's opinions do differ.. Wouldn't life be boring if we were all the same.
"Vinyl sound quality is crystal clear" wtf? You sure you really listen to vinyl? lol
I also love the modern media book style cd releases. There is so much to cater for preferences. It’s like a musical sweet shop with choices.
Grew up before CD's so all I had was vinyl. But when CD's started I went all CD. When the vinyl craze started again a while back I got back into vinyl but since I have gone back to all CD's. Love both but CD's are a lot less a hassle cause flipping a album after every 4 or 5 songs is a pain
I love cds more.
I grew up on lp's and always say, I'm glad I am a Black Sabbath fan and not a Leonard Cohen fan. The difference being that I only get that campfire feeling in between songs ;-). So I have no regrets changing to cd's.
I grew up with cassettes & lps. I'd always record my lp to cassette so I could take my music with me. Then CDs came & you got a better version of the music with the same portability of cassettes & lps were on the way out. Now lps are back & it blows my mind. Personally - I'll always get CDs. It's just easier to take on the go.
I like both, but I prefer CD's by a large margin, that being said, the original vinyl releases of Ozzy Osbourne's albums and Megadeth sound better on vinyl, of course that could be more in my mind, since I have read how much they have messed about with the original mixes etc. What I do not like about CD's or at least the trend is the move away from the jewel case to the digpack or card board packaging, I hate paying 15 bucks for a packaging that the label does not seem to care that much about the item
For me growing up a 80's kid. I went to listening to vinyl to listening to cds in 1986. Just more better for me. Vinyl is a lot of work to keep clean and sounding good. Where a cd as long that it stays in it's case don't have to worry about skipping or getting damage. As far as sound goes I think that vinyl in some records sounds good. But lot of times can't tell too much of a difference
I've been through it all. My mom had a console stereo with 8 track and record player. Me, personally, started out with cassettes and then on to vinyl. When I bought my first cd, I didn't even own a cd player yet. In the 90s, I dabbled with minidisc which to be honest would've been a great successor to cassettes.
Even when I predominantly bought vinyl, the first thing that I'd do is transfer them to cassettes - Maxell UDS-II (gold and red cr02 was my preference). I did this knowing that the more you play vinyl, the more staticy it can get.
That said, I think a lot comes down to mastering. When cds were first introduced, they could sound a bit thin. Of course having an eq could alleviate those issues. Now, some cds can be overly compressed, be too bassy, too shrill - again depends on the mastering.
Just to illustrate, I've got a Fastway 12" of "The World Waits For You" / "Doin'Just Fine". I transferred it to my pc, tweaked the eq a bit, and boosted the rms to about -14db. Compared to the 2006 BGO release on cd, I prefer my vinyl rip. The guitars seem to be buried a little too much under the bass frequencies on the cd.
Overall, though, I pretty much stick with cds. I don't have the room for all vinyl, cds are easier to transport, and cds sound just fine as long as they're mastered well. I do miss the larger artwork of vinyl, though.
Brendon, i forgot, i also have this "Physical Grafitti" by Led Zep., don't you think it's too low-pitched ? I have this entire collection, however, i think the volume is much lower than the older cd's released in the 90's. Please, give your opinion about this Led Zep. collection. Thank you !
Morning B. I like both for the reasons you covered. I started with 8 tracks. Lol!😎
Hi Brandon
Great video I love my cds but I like too stream too.
I prefer CD's but like you I also have a small Vinyl Collection. I grew up with CD's and worked In a Sam Goody where there was no vinyl. I also don't condone the ridiculous prices brand-new vinyl cost these days. Also uses are much more affordable price to get them as well. Lastly I think with a good CD player the sound quality is much better on see you then vinyl I think that's subjective to an individual's taste.
I absolutely agree that vinyl prices have totally gone sky high up the roof.....
I know vinyl albums are thinner but I look at them as being 4x the size of a cd (looking at height and depth on a shelf). I collect both (plus cassettes).
I first started buying cassettes... I know. Then later on, I started replacing those same cassettes with CDs and now just stick to CDs. I now know people who are doing the same with CDs to vinyl. I don't get it, cause vinyl is so mega expensive, and as soon as you have played it once it starts to sound worse, the more often you play a record, it degrades more. Not the same with CD. I can get a 10 year old album out that I have played 30 times and it will sound the same as when I first bought it. But, hipsters be hipsters I guess.
I like both but i just want to give a shout for 8 tracks they did sound loud but the annoying click click was what did them in lol
I enjoy the nostalgic experience of flipping through records and the hunt for a good one, then bringing one home and reading the liner notes while the record plays. Is there a reason why some new LPs are double albums when all the songs would fit on one record? I have some with only 2-3 songs per side. Not a fan of flipping a record every 2-3 songs. I wish every vinyl record came with a free digital download like some artists do. As far as sound, many people over 50, especially musicians, probably can't hear a difference now anyway due to hearing loss.😀
Great vid Brendan
As usual, you covered all the bases in the Cd vs vinyl debate
I tend to ignore packaging +/- 's because I collect music and am after sound quality. Interesting packaging is a nice bonus to me assuming no significant premium has to be paid. I'd much rather spend 50 cents on vinyl or Cd at thrift with a beat up cover or case but the media clean and unscratched than an OCD copy that will lose value unless you store and handle it meticulously.
In my experience with audiophile setups among local clubs, vinyl can be as quiet and detailed as CD, but it takes effort and money in good gear and setup to get there. Once there, in a-b blind listening in the same system with the vinyl and CD masters, I either could not tell them apart, or chose the Cd. So I don't think going all in on a vinyl setup is a cost effective goal for most music collectors.
Re technical sound quality capabilities of vinyl vs CD, I think a lot of the early issues with Cd sound and ongoing complaints of some vinyl purists may have been alleviated if the Cd standard had been set at 20 bit and 48Khz vs 16/44.1. Without compression, 20/48 would fit ~44min on a CD, about the capacity of vinyl it was replacing at the time.
With basic lossless compression, 20/48 could easily go to 60-75min on a CD, though such a format may have delayed the launch of the CD until the mid or late 80s
The best part about cds to me is the hunt for them. They are readily available at most flea markets, thrift stores and goodwill stores and people selling them at garage sales. Compare that to trying to fin vinyl records now it’s night and day, where I’m at in Florida you can’t find a record in the (wild) anymore. The only option to buy records around me is at the records stores and you’re going to pay full blown retail and not get a good deal. Wish I could of collected records but I missed the bus on it and it’s out of my price point now a days.
Hey Brendon, great video! It’s interesting that back when Surround music and other formats like Hi-Res were taking off Vinyl came back and almost annihilated them (I personally think it’s still mostly a fad) and now with this MoFi issue, I don’t know, it might make some people move back to digital, maybe not, we’ll see…
Could you make a video about CD Singles? What are your thoughts on those? I can imagine you’re not a big fan since you love box sets so much, lol… but it’d be interesting still. Thanks.
The main advantage of vynil is the artwork and all the addtional stuff along with the disc. CD on the other hand, occupy less room, price is lower, you can hear it while you are doing other things, and finally CD has a lot of space to store songs. For example, in the case of longer discs that lasts more than 60 minutes, CD is the best format, in comparison with vynil because you will have to get a Double vynil, which means a higher price.
…I’m realizing now I didn’t even hit on the issue of cost! I can’t believe that slipped my mind! Thanks for pointing that difference out here.
CD’s are great to put on when you’re gonna clean your house, give me records (not vinyls) any day
What was that Stooges picture disc? I don't remember ever seeing that. I am a big fan of vinyl but I also have a lot of cds as well. Something great about holding the physical copy of the vinyl. I have a Queens of the Stone Age LP that has a huge gorgeous book with it
I think the issue with cds is the loudness wars from late 90s till today
Vynl with its limited dynamic range actually compresses down the base and volume to be more dynamic.
I love 80s CDs they sound better then today's because they are nice and flat transfers of the original master tapes
I like both vinyl and cd, I think they both have their place. I've been buying cds since I was 10 or 11, approximately 20 years ago, vinyl I only started to collect about a year and a half ago....cds of course are easier to store and transport, they're a little more versatile, but as a music fan, I love the larger art of vinyl plus with vinyl, I just sink into the music more than I do on cd....I like both forms, I collect both forms, however I think vinyl is more for the fanatic. My friends are generally more casual fans and for them I think cd is perfect.... myself though, u enjoy both!
One note I also want to touch on, this is just my personal opinion, I prefer vinyl Era albums.... give me a 8-10 song album, 30- 40/45 minutes over an hour plus long album.... now of course there are exceptions to that rule but in general I'd rather listen to an album that keeps me wanting more as opposed to an album that has me checking the clock by track 8 lol
The great debate..lol. Its really just up to the individual. I personally love all 3 formats. CD/Cassette/Vinyl. I dont try to explain or debate which one is better, because to me they all have their good points and bad points. I love listening to all 3 formats and If its an album that I consider to be essential to my collection, I like having all 3 formats. Thats just they way I am..All 3 sound different and I have the best of both worlds when I have all 3 formats..
The price difference between cds and vinyl makes it a easy choice for me. Cds win.
8 TRACKS for The Win! (haha!) ...but seriously, i love the vinyl artwork, but cds just store better & travel better & last longer... & in my personal opinion, ill take cds over anything else, vinyl or otherwise, because cds just Sound BETTER! always enjoy ur vids man, thanx
I love CDs. They sound great. No pops, clicks. No having to turn the record over etc. Moreover, a DVD, Blu-ray offer a concert in 5.1 surround etc.
Not sure if it’s still holds but in 1988 Rykodisc release an 80 minute 8 second CD of the entire Mission of Burma (Boston post-punk/art rock band) discography had the record max a CD could contain.
But because it was so crammed you lost the ability to skip through tracks. To get to songs you had to hold down scan and go all the way through. This was a bit annoying since one of their best songs was “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate” was one of the last songs on the disc.
Both are great
When we use the term warmer it has a deeper sound.
Just got notorious double vinyl limited edition duran duran including booklet import really cool
Cool! Enjoy!
I grew up on records and 8-tracks. I get exactly why so many people love records, and I could definitely get into them. But record collecting takes you too far away from just buying music for the music. Cleaning them, flipping them, the lack of availability, the crazy prices, the investment in gear, etc. I just want to listen to music, and to have a tangible artifact of albums I enjoy. I don't need to treat listening to music like wine tasting.
The early Van Halen (LP) model of 35-40 minutes a disc was great...they always left you wanting more...
Great video, I love your enthusiasm and focus on detail.
I just ordered an original vinyl copy of Alice Cooper’s Muscle of Love on eBay (with all the packaging). Looks like a knife has gone through the packaging, the sleeve and the insert and severely dented the vinyl. BUT…I was so surprised and pleased…it still plays!!
BTW, I made some CD compilations 25 yers ago. And some of them will not play now!
I'm a CD person and always will be! I still live at home with my parents, so CDs are much easier for me to collect and they're cheaper! Besides the cracked jewel cases, the only other problem I have with CDs is that some bands/artists make their albums longer because a CD can hold more music compared to an LP.
Another great topic Brendon I love both but I love the convenience of the cd especially cd box sets there a lot more to offer the consumer listeners and of course you can't play vinyl in you car and it's also difficult to take a cd box set in your car but I sometimes buy both cd and vinyl but only if it a favourite band ? But my pet hate is ? For example the new Blonde release coming up 4 different sets total confusion ? Witch do you buy ? I will probably just get the 3 cd box set the rarities & b Sides as I already have all others on different format haven said that I always love the art work of vinyl example Dark side of the Moon my dad gave to me in 1974 priceless paul ☘️Dublin
"Filler" is up to interpretation. There may be a song that you love, but I hate it. You may say it's an essential track on the album but i may say it's filler. That's why I don't mind a band filling up a 80 min. CD because i can pick what i like off of it. But like you said that's whole other topic for discussion later.
When I was young started to collect Vinyl and Cassette and for me is more nostalgic is part of the great era etc. But now the space and the prices but finally I like both. 👍
Price is why I prefer CDs, the difference is getting out of hand, I bought "Rumors" from Fleetwood Mac recently on CD for less than $10 brand new, on a new LP it is $25-$30.
I buy CD's for covenience but know that vinyl (if done properly) and on a good system will sound better. I own all my favourite records on vinyl - where they are availiable and listen to them whenever I have the time.
Both can sound amazing if you have a great system. I went to a very hi end audio show recently, and was surprised how many turntables were being used. Records are going nowhere, at least with audiophiles.
The only thing vinyl is superior to cd's is in the artwork. It's great to appreciate it on a larger format. I tried to get into vinyl a couple years ago after a friend gave me his 70's KISS lp's knowing I was a big fan. I was hooked and tried but the quality, pricing and process it has to go through has been a letdown. I will keep a collection of vinyl but most likely stick to buying cd's again.
The better the audio system the better vinyl sounds. CD's can sound good but the loudness wars kills the sound ( flat with poor dynamics ) .
Will say it's a great time to go into thrift shops and pick up CD's for 1 or 2$. Back in the 90's you could pick up mint used records at your local records store 1 to 5$.
Back in the 90's you could pick up new cassettes to throw into your car for $5 same recording on vinyl was $10 and CD $15.
For me it's CD < mass produce LP < audio file CD's like xrcd JVC < SACD < true analog vinyl LP
CD sample rate not even close to 94/24 rate or DSD digital.
Brandon, may I ask what make of CD player(s)/speakers you own? Thank you.
Denon RCD-M41
That’s great, thank you very much.
Thanks for another great video, Brendon. Forgive the long post. A great recording with a minimalist CD mastering is hard to beat. I’ve had to stop buying most modern rock/pop CDs because they’re so brickwalled to give that volume thump that they are tiring to my ears (no dynamic range, all the instruments smooshed together). I have thousands, which is a storage challenge. I listen in my car and I rip them as FLAC and copy to my high-res Sony Walkman media players for travel with wired headphones and in cars w/o aux jacks (Bluetooth only now 8-().
I bought a thrift store Onkyo turntable, replaced the gooey belt and bent needle, and have enjoyed the warm sound of vinyl. I’ve found clean LPs at thrift shops and record shops in the $0.59-3.00 range. Some unavailable on CD or I don’t have them in that format. Unless of sentimental value I’ll then donate the LP when I find the CD, usually in the $0.25-1.99 range!
I’ve picked up vintage Onkyo and Kenwood cassette decks at thrift stores and have enjoyed buying near mint chrome, HX-Pro, Digalog cassettes. The sound quality/frequency response is really quite good, despite the common view that they’re rubbish.
I also enjoy Spotify premium for discovery and download set to higher 320kbps bitrate.
What a great age we’re living in that we can each discover and enjoy quality music from all periods and genres.
It is pretty great that at 50 to 60 years on from rock we have so much to choose from. The selections are literally endless.
It is pretty great that at 50 to 60 years on from rock we have so much to choose from. The selections are literally endless.
Hey Brendon, got a ? for ya. I know you love cds, how do you feel about the new releases coming out in just cardboard cases instead of Jewel cases? My opinion is that i like jewel cases because it protects the artwork, but i like it the new way because it is slimmer packaging and cuts down on space in the collection, but not by much
You must be new to my channel which is cool and I hope you stick around. But yes I talk about it a lot and can’t stand cardboard cases & digipaks. I much prefer the jewel case because when it gets damaged you can change it out. But if a cardboard case or digipak gets damaged you’re stuck with it that way. I get a lot that come damaged just from shipping and then I have to go through a whole return process which is annoying. So yeah, I don’t like them…haha 😂😂😂
@@BrendonSnyder lol, actually i'm not new to your channel, i have been watching you for over and year or so, just must of missed that video about you hating the new cardboard releases. Love your channel, keep it up
I totally get peoples love of vinyl.......but from a perspective of just wanting to own and play music the CD is the format of choice for me.