CDs, tapes, vinyl, streaming, files...

[Yorick]

Still got vinyl and CDs, and the equipment to play them. Got rid of tapes when my last tape player started eating tapes.

Mostly play CDs, but vinyl gets an occasional outing.

Tapes are makking a come back, i really don't know why but they are.

Lot's of artists are making mixtapes again and releasing on cassettes, personally i fucking hate tapes, they sound shit and skipping tracks is a challenge, but i'm 43 so what do i know about what is cool and what is not!

Back in 1984 my pal had a Marantz system that could skip tracks.
It was mega expensive but he skipped paying for it by emigrating to Oz

[MrLongbeard]

Working for work, streaming radio though PC
Working for me, streaming radio through phone
Parties / gatherings / BBQ's, mix of streaming radio and CD's
Driving, ripped CD's (I still buy all my music is a physical format)
Driving, audio books

Don't buy a car made in the last 5 years, hardly any have CD players anymore

I rip 'em to MP3 and chuck 'em on my phone, 1 big folder no playlists, hit random and burn rubber

[Count Steer]

I culled my vinyl a good few years ago but kept the rarities. In the end I gave those to a local charity that had an appeal. They had an e-Bay whizz but I handed them over with a list of prices they should aim for.

I occasionally regret it...like when certain things just can't be found to stream.

I still have my CDs and, although I may slim down the collection, the rest are staying until the CD player is defunct/beyond repair. I have a couple of decent streamers (one plumbed into the hi-fi, one free-standing and can play the same thing on both at the same time etc) and use Spotify a fair bit at home and in-car to trawl for new stuff and have even bought CDs of some things I've found...because the sound is so much better. (I know there are higher fidelity platforms than Spotify).

[Greenman]

Still got vinyl and CDs, and the equipment to play them. Got rid of tapes when my last tape player started eating tapes.

Mostly play CDs, but vinyl gets an occasional outing.

Tapes are makking a come back, i really don't know why but they are.

Lot's of artists are making mixtapes again and releasing on cassettes, personally i fucking hate tapes, they sound shit and skipping tracks is a challenge, but i'm 43 so what do i know about what is cool and what is not!

Back in 1984 my pal had a Marantz system that could skip tracks.
It was mega expensive but he skipped paying for it by emigrating to Oz

What is this trickery you talk about?

Never know that was possible. I take it you still had to wait for it to rewind or fast forward the tape?

[Yorick]

Tapes are makking a come back, i really don't know why but they are.

Lot's of artists are making mixtapes again and releasing on cassettes, personally i fucking hate tapes, they sound shit and skipping tracks is a challenge, but i'm 43 so what do i know about what is cool and what is not!

Back in 1984 my pal had a Marantz system that could skip tracks.
It was mega expensive but he skipped paying for it by emigrating to Oz

What is this trickery you talk about?

Never know that was possible. I take it you still had to wait for it to rewind or fast forward the tape?

I went to see him in Oz and he just pushed a button and skipped to next track. I assumed it was reading the tape and stopped when there was an empty bit.

[MrLongbeard]

Back in 1984 my pal had a Marantz system that could skip tracks.
It was mega expensive but he skipped paying for it by emigrating to Oz

What is this trickery you talk about?

Never know that was possible. I take it you still had to wait for it to rewind or fast forward the tape?

I went to see him in Oz and he just pushed a button and skipped to next track. I assumed it was reading the tape and stopped when there was an empty bit.

Yep that's how it worked, nowt fancy, I remember having it on a walkman (no not a real walkman, probably a Sanyo or Saisho) in the 80's

[Slenver]

Yeah, the tape skip thing was pretty standard by the mid-late 80s I think. It just detected a gap... you tapped the FF button twice usually I think.

Obviously needed a proper gap between tracks to work, was never much use on Pink Floyd and stuff

[Greenman]

Yeah, the tape skip thing was pretty standard by the mid-late 80s I think. It just detected a gap... you tapped the FF button twice usually I think.

Obviously needed a proper gap between tracks to work, was never much use on Pink Floyd and stuff

You still had to wait for the rewind or FWD though right? It wasn't as instant as skipping on a CD?

[Slenver]

Yeah, the tape skip thing was pretty standard by the mid-late 80s I think. It just detected a gap... you tapped the FF button twice usually I think.

Obviously needed a proper gap between tracks to work, was never much use on Pink Floyd and stuff

You still had to wait for the rewind or FWD though right? It wasn't as instant as skipping on a CD?

Oh yeah, same as usual, it just knew when to stop at a silent bit.

[Count Steer]

This got me thinking. Some time ago I mentioned one of the bits of kit I've got and got a 'they're 'ow much!' comment. (I only said what make/model it was...and haven't named any of the kit since.

But, I've had most of it for 20 years (adding and upgrading bits) and if you tot up the hours of use/enjoyment I've had from it...it should last another 20 years too...it's probably been a better purchase than any of the bikes I've had!

To be fair though you can't commute or go on holidays sur le continent on a hi-fi system.

[gremlin]

This got me thinking. Some time ago I mentioned one of the bits of kit I've got and got a 'they're 'ow much!' comment. (I only said what make/model it was...and haven't named any of the kit since.

Saisho, eh?

Flash git.

[Count Steer]

This got me thinking. Some time ago I mentioned one of the bits of kit I've got and got a 'they're 'ow much!' comment. (I only said what make/model it was...and haven't named any of the kit since.

Saisho, eh?

Flash git.

I dream of being in the salary bracket to 'go Saisho'.

(It just made me smile a bit that people will go about stuff, then spend £xx,000 on a bike that gets used on sunny days to go for a few hours jolly at weekends and SORN it for 4+ months a year. Similarly nobody goes at the cost of guitar collections or garages full of barely used bikes or the cost of holidays etc).

[MrLongbeard]

This got me thinking. Some time ago I mentioned one of the bits of kit I've got and got a 'they're 'ow much!' comment. (I only said what make/model it was...and haven't named any of the kit since.

Saisho, eh?

Flash git.

I dream of being in the salary bracket to 'go Saisho'.

(It just made me smile a bit that people will go about stuff, then spend £xx,000 on a bike that gets used on sunny days to go for a few hours jolly at weekends and SORN it for 4+ months a year. Similarly nobody goes at the cost of guitar collections or garages full of barely used bikes or the cost of holidays etc).

Here mate, got some 48k gold plated iridium slathered optical cables I can let you have cheap

[Mr. Dazzle]

What is this trickery you talk about?

Never know that was possible. I take it you still had to wait for it to rewind or fast forward the tape?

I went to see him in Oz and he just pushed a button and skipped to next track. I assumed it was reading the tape and stopped when there was an empty bit.

Yep that's how it worked, nowt fancy, I remember having it on a walkman (no not a real walkman, probably a Sanyo or Saisho) in the 80's

I had it on a walkman too, I think it needed 4s of silence to recognise a track. I even seem to recall my HiFi twin tape deck had a function to leave exactly 4s between tracks. I do remember it thought there was a track change right in the middle of Child in Time because of the extended silence in the song.

Regarding the OP though, I'm exclusively streaming these days (well - 90%, I also listen to Planet Rock in the car), mostly on headphones.

[Mr Moofo]

@Slenver
Like you I must have 500 plus CDs - some in the attic, some stacked in the shelves just in front of me. Most have been ripped to iTunes ( as it was). Added to that is about 150 vinyl albums.
But mostly, because I am too lazy, I use Spotify - or my music library steamed via an airport express to an expensive hi-fi. Or Sonos in the kitchen, or Sonos in the living room. Or straight through the office PC to the amp and speakers up there.
I can't remember the last time I opened a CD case - but I refuse to let the wife clear them out.
I have been listening to a lot of the Pogues recently on Spotify

[Slenver]

@Slenver
Like you I must have 500 plus CDs - some in the attic, some stacked in the shelves just in front of me. Most have been ripped to iTunes ( as it was). Added to that is about 150 vinyl albums.
But mostly, because I am too lazy, I use Spotify - or my music library steamed via an airport express to an expensive hi-fi. Or Sonos in the kitchen, or Sonos in the living room. Or straight through the office PC to the amp and speakers up there.
I can't remember the last time I opened a CD case - but I refuse to let the wife clear them out.
I have been listening to a lot of the Pogues recently on Spotify

I have to say, I'm impressed you're still using the AirPort Express! Didn't realise they'd still work

[Mr Moofo]

@Slenver
Like you I must have 500 plus CDs - some in the attic, some stacked in the shelves just in front of me. Most have been ripped to iTunes ( as it was). Added to that is about 150 vinyl albums.
But mostly, because I am too lazy, I use Spotify - or my music library steamed via an airport express to an expensive hi-fi. Or Sonos in the kitchen, or Sonos in the living room. Or straight through the office PC to the amp and speakers up there.
I can't remember the last time I opened a CD case - but I refuse to let the wife clear them out.
I have been listening to a lot of the Pogues recently on Spotify

I have to say, I'm impressed you're still using the AirPort Express! Didn't realise they'd still work

And jolly fine it is to!

[Count Steer]

Saisho, eh?

Flash git.

I dream of being in the salary bracket to 'go Saisho'.

(It just made me smile a bit that people will go about stuff, then spend £xx,000 on a bike that gets used on sunny days to go for a few hours jolly at weekends and SORN it for 4+ months a year. Similarly nobody goes at the cost of guitar collections or garages full of barely used bikes or the cost of holidays etc).

Here mate, got some 48k gold plated iridium slathered optical cables I can let you have cheap

I'm definitely NOT that sort of 'hi-fi buff'. It's all one make, 'out of the box' stuff...including the speaker cables, the only custom thing about them is I got to chose how long they are.

I do remember buying hi-fi magazines and reading one comparative test on cables and iirc they reckoned bell wire was

[Mr. Dazzle]

Having not bought HiFi gear for a few decades I'm not up to speed, but I wouldn't be surprised if fancy fat cables are way pricier now just because all the copper goes to wind turbines and EVs

[Count Steer]

Having not bought HiFi gear for a few decades I'm not up to speed, but I wouldn't be surprised if fancy fat cables are way pricier now just because all the copper goes to wind turbines and EVs

If the price of fancy fat cables is, in any way, related to material and manufacturing costs I'd be amazed.