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  #1  
Old 11-28-2019, 05:33 PM
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For The Love of Music For The Love of Music is offline
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So once you get past the cost of High Fidelity, now we face the reality of purchasing music, it ain’t cheap but does not need to be crazy expensive either.

Buying all variations of music playback to me is fun, especially being able to handle the physical media.

Streaming is obviously the most cost effective, and depending on the details on addressing your system can really be very, very good, like good enough where you can rest your hat and call it a day and save a bunch of cash, but to a lot us that choose this format, we don’t either seem to start or stop there.

Qobuz; Hi Res, plus Sublime $299.99 (prices may have recently dropped) which allows you to download albums to your hard drive at a discount.

Downloads, CDs and ripping seem to add up as well and I have seen some pricey renditions on SACD and Red Book - these add up just as quick and for downloads you do need some type of backup or your out if something goes south.

Pink Floyd, SACD pressing, Capital Records, Japanese release; $300

Then comes the record albums, and the maturity of previous sought after releases, the ones that are thought to be the best engineered and pressed copies on the planet; originally released as $XX.XX and now sell for upwards of $XXXXX.XX, well the best adds up very quickly!

Led Zeppelin, Classic Records box set: $8500 US
Elvis Presley, RCA Victor 10”: $15000 US

Of course I want all of the best versions, but reality sets in, so most of the ones I want seem to be from $50.00 up through $300.00, and that adds up very quick, and frankly can choke a chicken, hold aside all the different format and same versions we own of the same title, and one can probably trade this accumulation of masterpieces for a luxury car.

So one can stay the course and accumulate high dollar recordings, or achieve knowledge to target the value priced copies, I’m looking for a blend. The forums seem to be a decent resource, and outside this site I visit Analog Planet, Steve Hoffman, and DisCogs to hunt down and find the best versions then look for these versions in the local shops, usually a fruitless endeavor. I’m admit-tingly OCD, and gotta have it now - online makes it easy! Those that are disciplined can go on the hunt, I believe a lot of these treasures have to still be sitting in attics, basements and perhaps in storage around the world - if they are already in the shop then someone has graded their score and your at the decision point to pay if you want to play.

Then comes tape reels, and just when you jump out of the frying pan for wallet safety from vinyl, you are literally now in the fire, these seem to start at the upper price range of what I consider expensive on vinyl and go far, far north it seems on average.

I was talking to a friend, and I guess the best way to look at the cost of the physical media is to think of it as investments that hopefully appreciate in value, keeping in mind one must care and protect for longevity to support value.

I will not buy to sit, I’m only interested to buy and play, but that is today, and can’t speak for tomorrow.

If I die young, maybe my collection will be someone’s value target if my Wife doesn’t yard sale my system and collection.

So what is everyone’s take on the expense of media, especially the guys who have assembled multi 100/1000 album collections?

What are some of your best value scores, and what are some of your crazy dollar additions?

Do you play them?
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  #2  
Old 11-28-2019, 07:04 PM
ariess ariess is offline
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I feel like we spend so much on the hardware it would be self defeating to go cheap on the music collection.
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Old 11-28-2019, 08:15 PM
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Antonmb Antonmb is offline
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Good topic Ed.
I split my purchases pretty close to fifty/fifty between vinyl and downloads, with the very occasional cd of something I can’t find as a download. As a general rule, for newer recordings that were originally recorded and mastered in digital, I look for downloads; and for older recordings that were originally mastered in analog, I look for vinyl.

When I buy vinyl, I don’t buy “collectibles,” I buy to play. I look for music I like and want to hear, mostly for things I don’t have in my collection, but occasionally for reissues that I think may sound better than my original: I’m especially a sucker for new Analogue Productions and MFSL remasters of old favorites, the new Beatles 50th anniversary box sets, etc.

I get most new vinyl on line, but I love to shop locally for used records. Occasionally I’ll find something special like an original Columbia 6-eye Chet Baker album, but I’m happy to score good condition vinyl of old recordings even if the sound isn’t the best - it’s about the music first, then sound quality.

I never think of any music purchases as an investment: I don’t ever plan on selling vinyl to make money, and when I croak it’s not likely that my son is going to spend much time trying to figure out which albums may be worth something.
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Last edited by Antonmb; 12-27-2019 at 11:36 AM.
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Old 11-28-2019, 09:09 PM
nicoff nicoff is offline
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If you love music, getting a fantastic music “collection” (ie.,library) has never been easier or cheaper. Ever!!

You pay $15/$20 per month (cheaper or equivalent to the cost of a single LP or CD) and immediately you get acces to millions of albums including high definition. That's what Qobuz, Tidal and now Amazon gives you. Almost 100% of the physical stuff that I own (LP/CD) is available to me via Tidal with better or equal sound quality.

Now, if one is into collecting significant/historical releases (which I am not) then the physical stuff will cost you a bundle.

I enjoy music and like to listen to it in the best possible sound quality, But that does not keep me from playing the occasional LP just because I feel like it (but not because I expect it to sound better that a remastered high definition digital version of it).

Last edited by nicoff; 11-28-2019 at 09:30 PM.
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Old 11-28-2019, 09:19 PM
Parabellum Parabellum is offline
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I recently made a post where I purchased about 190 CD for 50$ CA. CD are so cheap now because of streaming and smart phones as everybody is getting rid of them for next to nothing. I am eyeing the purchase of a CD lot of about 5000 all original CD, yes, five thousands, for 550$ CA. I have estimated roughly 1 or 2 years to rip all this. I am on the fence right now before pulling the trigger.
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Old 11-28-2019, 09:28 PM
nicoff nicoff is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Parabellum View Post
I recently made a post where I purchased about 190 CD for 50$ CA. CD are so cheap now because of streaming and smart phones as everybody is getting rid of them for next to nothing. I am eyeing the purchase of a CD lot of about 5000 all original CD, yes, five thousands, for 550$ CA. I have estimated roughly 1 or 2 years to rip all this. I am on the fence right now before pulling the trigger.

If you are not a subscriber to a music service or if you prefer to touch/play the physical media, then thats a great buy.

But if you already subscribe to a music service, why bother with buying something that will be taking up space in your house and will demand that you spend time ripping it?
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Old 11-29-2019, 12:14 AM
Parabellum Parabellum is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nicoff View Post
If you are not a subscriber to a music service or if you prefer to touch/play the physical media, then thats a great buy.

But if you already subscribe to a music service, why bother with buying something that will be taking up space in your house and will demand that you spend time ripping it?
I hear you. My wife made that same comment about the space but I found a solution to this. I would store them in the attic of mama's home. The seller says there are 54 boxes in total ahah.

To your question, I am not using streaming services. I prefer to own my stuff. I am using a Bryston BDP-2 with the internal hard drive for music playback. The quality I get this way is pretty much the best I can get from that setup. I am also using the Rigelian app which is very convenient on phones or tablets for music selection. But strangely, I rather enjoy ripping the CDs.
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Old 11-29-2019, 02:36 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nicoff View Post
If you love music, getting a fantastic music “collection” (ie.,library) has never been easier or cheaper. Ever!!

You pay $15/$20 per month (cheaper or equivalent to the cost of a single LP or CD) and immediately you get acces to millions of albums including high definition. That's what Qobuz, Tidal and now Amazon gives you. Almost 100% of the physical stuff that I own (LP/CD) is available to me via Tidal with better or equal sound quality.

Now, if one is into collecting significant/historical releases (which I am not) then the physical stuff will cost you a bundle.

I enjoy music and like to listen to it in the best possible sound quality, But that does not keep me from playing the occasional LP just because I feel like it (but not because I expect it to sound better that a remastered high definition digital version of it).


Many have made this argument about streaming services vs physical media. I subscribe to both Tidal and Qobuz and listen to them regularly, but:
1) I still find some recordings streamed from my own library sound better, especially hi res files - not all, but enough.
2) good vinyl of many older recordings still sound better to me than the digital remasters of same.
3) recordings disappear occasionally from streaming services, whether for licensing issues or some other cause.
4) many great records simply can’t be found on streaming services.
5) if the music is great, I like owning it (or at least having it in my possession to do with as I please) rather than being at the whim of a corporation.

To each his own.
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  #9  
Old 11-29-2019, 07:29 AM
Budgie Budgie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Parabellum View Post
But strangely, I rather enjoy ripping the CDs.
I do not rip any CD's. I copy the digital file (AIFF-file) from a CD and use it that way. Ripping has always the risk of losing quality if not done right (bad app, wrong settings, etc.). And copying is much quicker than ripping... In your case...
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Old 11-29-2019, 09:15 AM
nicoff nicoff is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Budgie View Post
I do not rip any CD's. I copy the digital file (AIFF-file) from a CD and use it that way. Ripping has always the risk of losing quality if not done right (bad app, wrong settings, etc.). And copying is much quicker than ripping... In your case...


Copying the AIFF file from a CD? How do you do that?
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