CD or Vinyl?

**J T** · 26th March 2007, 21:20

^^^^
Good point, handling records (carefully of course) also has a much more wonderfully tactile 'feel' and you really have to prepare to listen to the music. Sometimes with MP3s on PC it's too easy to just click and change tracks and the music is 'experienced' much less.

**Harrison** · 26th March 2007, 21:34

Originally Posted by Demon Cleaner

The only thing I preferred on vinyl were the covers. When you bought f.ex. an Iron Maiden album back then in the early 80s, the covers looked quite amazing, with those bright colors and mean Eddy. It doesn't have the same impact on the CDs booklets.

The Iron Maiden covers were also one of the best things I loved about buying vinyl too, especially the double albums and the inner two sides would always contain some really cool artwork. In fact I still have all of my Maiden albums mainly just for the artwork.

**AlexJ** · 26th March 2007, 22:32

Originally Posted by J T

^^^^
Good point, handling records (carefully of course) also has a much more wonderfully tactile 'feel' and you really have to prepare to listen to the music. Sometimes with MP3s on PC it's too easy to just click and change tracks and the music is 'experienced' much less.

True, it's the same as emulation. It's all too easy to dismiss a game in minutes, that you would have spent hours playing if you'd bought it when it was new, simply because there's 1000's of other games available.

**J T** · 26th March 2007, 22:33

So true, so true - I do that very often.

**rayzorblue** · 27th March 2007, 13:55

Well being an ex-DJ and the owner of over 500 records i have to say vinyl all the way there is nothing like the feel of it under your fingers as you cue up a mix and when you have 3 decks on the go and are trashing through your records to find that one tune you know is in their but you where too damn lazy to line them all up in the mix order its just so much more fun and more challenging than having all the tunes for your mix burned onto a couple of cd's in the order you need them.
For me vinyl feels so much more personal and it lasts longer than a cd which will erode in the end.
Vinyl is timeless much like my memories of all the records i own.

**Harrison** · 27th March 2007, 14:13

I've often wondered about the lifespan of a CD/DVD. Commercially pressed CDs that are looked after should easily last as long as vinyl in my view, plus they won't suffer from warping, dust, scratches (as easily) etc... I doubt the metal layer and plastic a pressed CD is made from would erode much over time.

But CD-R and DVD-R are another matter. I'm not sure I actually trust writeable optical formats with any longevity. I do have CD-Rs I burnt in around 1997/8 and they still work fine, but that isn't exactly that long ago. I've also come across some from 2000/1 that wouldn't read any more, and although I've not encountered it myself I've heard of DVD-Rs that couldn't be read even a year or two after they were burnt. I'm betting they were cheap media though as I've never had a problem with known brand discs that are a few years old. It is still quite an unknown factor though and I would not fully put my faith into have a copy of any valuable data on a single DVD. I always make two copies and each is on a different make of media. Am I paranoid? or just safe?

**Demon Cleaner** · 27th March 2007, 14:20

I always make two copies and each is on a different make of media. Am I paranoid? or just safe?

I admire you, but to answer your question, it's paranoid

**rayzorblue** · 27th March 2007, 14:37

I have a cd from 1989 i think called principles office by young mc and this unfortunately now is unplayable due to erosion of the Super Purity Aluminium layer at least i assume that is why.