Poll: What sources do you use for music in your system

[bodhi]

Speaking of Spotify, I just read in the new Sept issue of Stereophile that Spotify is talking about releasing their lossless or high-rez tier again. Outside the US, sometime "later" this year. (yea right, we heard that nearly 3 years ago). No word at all on a US market timeframe ??? Also mentioned was that in Oct the US market Premium subs will recieve expanded access to audiobooks, whatever that means? I don't understand that the hell goes on over there?
I really loved Spotify, was a sub for a number of years and thought they had the best user interface of the bunch. But they wanked me around for so long with the lossless BS and then Apple came on board opening a ever growing library of multich and Atmos files for the same $10 and I was all in. Can't see any way Spotify will ever earn back multich customers like me.

Fortunately I cannot tell high quality Spotify from lossless. But the real reason to continue using Spotify has been that the Connect just works like a charm.

Though I guess this wouldn't be a problem with any modern streamer device.

 

[Sal1950]

Fortunately I cannot tell high quality Spotify from lossless. But the real reason to continue using Spotify has been that the Connect just works like a charm.

I felt the same and Connect was great.
Apple only won me over with their awesome multich/Atmos offerings that grows bigger every day.

 

[AdrianusG]

Hi ,

40 times out of 50 I play (ripped) files from my Hard disk, the rest a mix of CD, Vinyl and even occasionally something from Mini Disk, long time ago i just lent Cd's from library and made copy's to MD, even after 25+ years (or so) these copies still sound amazingly good, but yeah most of the time i play digital and am quite happy with it, although i can enjoy vinyl as well, it doesn't sound better, but gives a different kind of satisfaction at certain moments.

i really sometimes don't understand why the whole "Vinyl vs Digital" has to end in a battlefield as it sometimes does, just enjoy one or the other or both

 

[AdrianusG]

As an aside,

Sometimes I buy new vinyl (when the price is right!), and then make an analogue copy of it with Mini Disk deck, and even such a recording sounds
pretty damn good, i know it's subjective as hell but almost indistinguishable from when i play the record direct.

 

[Jimbob54]

Very high % of my listening is streaming only either via phone and iem at my desk, in the car or walking (tidal) or in my lounge, amazon music and various headphones.

Old CD Library ripped to FLAC but rarely feel the need to switch on the pc to play any as so very few arent available on streaming.

 

[Sal1950]

As an aside,

Sometimes I buy new vinyl (when the price is right!), and then make an analogue copy of it with Mini Disk deck, and even such a recording sounds
pretty damn good, i know it's subjective as hell but almost indistinguishable from when i play the record direct.

Wow, that's the first time I can remember anyone talk about using MD for audio in that manner?
Where are you located, did you have access to low cost MD's somehow?
What player do you have that still functions?
Just curious.

 

[Ruhled]

Wait! Some of you nuts listen to TAPE?

Ok, we need a thread to argue about this!

Cassettes are like vinyl just with a different set of compromises. I'll take a tape I recorded on a good, properly functioning late 80s deck (from a digital source - I'm a real heretic) over anything but the most pristine vinyl any day. The biggest problem is finding good cassettes. The new stuff (i.e. current Maxwell ur) sheds oxide like mad but quality tape from 20 years ago seems to have held up just fine in my experience.

 

[AdrianusG]

Wow, that's the first time I can remember anyone talk about using MD for audio in that manner?
Where are you located, did you have access to low cost MD's somehow?
What player do you have that still functions?
Just curious.

I'm living in the Netherlands, I still have some 25-30 empty/unused MD's and sometimes use them.
My recorder is a Sony, type/model?... have to look that up at home, but it records and plays just fine, bought it around '97 '98 ish I think

 

[mglobe]

As an aside,

Sometimes I buy new vinyl (when the price is right!), and then make an analogue copy of it with Mini Disk deck, and even such a recording sounds
pretty damn good, i know it's subjective as hell but almost indistinguishable from when i play the record direct.

By the late 70’s I had become concerned about how my records were degrading from being played. From my recollection the most people did back then was to use a GrooveWasher type device to clean records. I did this with every playing.

When Dolby C came out, I bought a Nakamichi cassette deck and would copy my new albums to tape on the first playing. The sound quality as I recollect was really good. I’d play those tapes on my stereo, and also in my car. When CD’s hit the market I turfed almost all of my records and eventually the tapes as they wore out/failed.

Ironically the few records I have that escaped the purge are in amazingly good shape, particularly after a trip through my Humminguru washer, or a friend’s Degritter. I have an original copy of Fleetwood Mac’s Then Play On that still sounds really good on my TT 50+ years later.

I’m compelled to note that I hate the Stevie Nicks iteration on FM at least as much as anything recorded by Journey.

 

[Sal1950]

I'm living in the Netherlands, I still have some 25-30 empty/unused MD's and sometimes use them.
My recorder is a Sony, type/model?... have to look that up at home, but it records and plays just fine, bought it around '97 '98 ish I think

Thanks for the reply AdrianusG, like I said I was just curious.
I believe your location may have much to do with things. In the US, I don't remember MD having very much marketing or popularity. In fact when I first read your post I had to google "mini-disc" because I couldn't remember what it even was.
Could also be my age LOL Very glad to hear your near 30 year old recorder is still functioning well, Sony made some really tuff gear back then.
cent' anni, Sal

 

[Doodski]

Thanks for the reply AdrianusG, like I said I was just curious.
I believe your location may have much to do with things. In the US, I don't remember MD having very much marketing or popularity. In fact when I first read your post I had to google "mini-disc" because I couldn't remember what it even was.
Could also be my age LOL Very glad to hear your near 30 year old recorder is still functioning well, Sony made some really tuff gear back then.
cent' anni, Sal

I'm Sony service certified for mini-disc service. I've seen a ton of them for service in the past when they where current models in warranty. Mostly lasers and spindle motors or a recalibration of the servos. Great little machines that work very well when they are working. I had a ton of them from Japan for service when I was in Vancouver with all the Japanese tourists and ESL students.

 

[Mean & Green]

I use my network player to play my own ripped and partly downloaded library. I also play CDs and vinyl.

I don’t use streaming services and don’t intend to. I’ve spent 30 years building my music library and don’t intend to stop adding to it. Though I will use YouTube occasionally to decide if something is good enough to purchase.

 

[Joe Smith]

I am, I admit, surprised by CDs only pulling 40% currently. I actively bought CDs from 1987 until about 2015. That's a lot of purchasing...

Just as with vinyl, until a home downsize in our 70s makes me shed physical media, I do enjoy using them. Handy to grab for car use too, when I don't want to use a streamer. Given how generally gear-focused we all are here, I thought the majority of us would keep CDs to some degree of use...

I totally understand people opting out of vinyl or tape. For many of us who grew up in the 50s or 60s, a stereo system seems incomplete without vinyl or tape capability in some form. The current degree of focus on vinyl is really interesting from a psychological perspective - as the long thread about that here bears witness to.

But the whole construct about "owning" a "library" of music is changing, for sure.