Where do you get your music from?
 

I’m still quite old school in the sense that I buy my CD online and then rip them and never use them anymore.

I’m thinking that now there maybe be a better solution by buying the albums online. I’m confused about the offering especially when you start looking at hi-res and DSD.

So where do you get your music from? Are you still buying CDs or have you switched to the dematerialised world? If so, what are your go-to places for quality downloads?

Hi Georges,

1. Local Record stores
2. Acoustic Sounds
3. Music Direct
4. Amazon Prime

Pretty much in that order. No streaming for me!

- Buck

Where do you get your music from?
 

I buy mostly downloads and vinyl. Since my digital listening is all from a server and I don’t own a disc player anymore, I don’t like having to deal with the disposal of plastic jewel cases and storage of discs. I buy CDs as a last resort on Amazon or eBay when I can’t find a download for something I’m looking for.

For downloads, my most frequent sources are:

Qobuz - with a Sublime subscription, I get 20-30% discounts on hi res downloads, and streaming at 16/44 (Qobuz.com). This is my most frequent source, for the prices. They have an excellent classical and jazz catalog, and a good, if not quite great, selection of rock and other genres.

Presto Classical (prestomusic.com) - a great source for classical, but for hi res I check Qobuz first for availability and price.

Onkyo Music (onkyomusic.com) - a good selection and prices

Specific record labels:
Hyperion Records (hyperion-records.co.uk/)

Channel Classics (channelclassics.com)

Linn Records (linnrecords.com)

For vinyl, similar to Buck: local shops, Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct, Amazon, and eBay.

Tony,

How'd you get Qobuz? Are you using a Canadian server? I've been waiting a long time for them to offer their service in the U.S.

- Bob

physical media for this old fart..........

Lp's - Elusive Disc, Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct

CD / SACD - 'brick and mortar' - Record Archive (Rochester, NY)

I had a French account for downloads before they launched streaming, so I was sort of grandfathered in when they started streaming.

The title of this thread is a bit confusing. It is not clear to me if GET means buying. So I will separate the two:
I "GET" music from ALL sources: cassettes, LPs, CDs, downloads, streaming and even FM radio.

But I "BUY" music from streaming services. Like the saying goes: if you can buy meat by the pound, you don't have to buy the whole cow.

Has anyone compared Qobuz to tidal for hi-res? How does it compare to dsd?

Georges, until last year, I mostly purchased from Amazon (UK, France, Germany mostly) and CDJapan.
Since I stream Tidal (more my wife) and Qobuz Sublime + (more me), I only buy (SA)CDs occasionally. Sometimes after a concert, to support the artists, or sometimes at the CD-shop, especially when they have special pressings (Japanese import) on offer.

If you try Qobuz or Tidal, be sure to log in and open an account when you are in France or the rest of continental Europe.
English prices are higher.

I am still 100% (SA)CD. I purchase mainly from Amazon at this moment in the timeline and from bandcamp with the obscure artists. If I by used, only from a physical shop in which I can inspect my purchase. With used media, it is easy to get burned. I purchased the below CD used several years ago intentionally as something was amiss... :scratch2:

https://i.postimg.cc/50kt6MyZ/71-A7-...07-BB5-A27.jpg

Regards