To the OP I would keep the original disks, several suggestions have been made on how to save space which look worthwhile. (I should do something similar.)
I have flac files in my library that date all the way back to 2005 and have always kept copies of the library on several drives. I also still have most of the original disks as well.
I use Roon to manage my library which has about 1600 CDs and a few hundred purchased recordings as well as for streaming from Tidal. I don't miss playing physical media, I never play CDs, and my analog sources are languishing.
I have flac files in my library that date all the way back to 2005 and have always kept copies of the library on several drives. I also still have most of the original disks as well.
I use Roon to manage my library which has about 1600 CDs and a few hundred purchased recordings as well as for streaming from Tidal. I don't miss playing physical media, I never play CDs, and my analog sources are languishing.
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I'm almost 83 - do not have a ripping device but have many shelves of 'ripping yarns'
+ some 1200 - 1500 CDs.
...just guess whose wife has been told to keep her opinions to herself!
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+ some 1200 - 1500 CDs.
...just guess whose wife has been told to keep her opinions to herself!
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I ripped all my CDs due to downsizing. I do slightly miss having/holding the physical thing (case, cover etc). But in other ways I don't regret it - I didn't have any rare or valuable CDs; I would have kept (or possibly sold) those if I had. My music is now all PC-based as a source, and I find that to be no lower in quality and so much more convenient. Though of course one needs to sort out adequate hardware (PC, DACs etc) and software that suits you.
Another viewpoint might be that streaming services are the future; they, or download, probably are where things are going (whether we like it or not); if so, then one might not need to even rip and keep a local library. It is true that I'm listening far more through (quality) streaming than from my local library these days, but that can go both ways; considerably more music is available to me than I could have bought by the disc at the same price but if I only listened to a limited favourite selection then building a local library would be cheaper and free from internet glitches etc. Also, not everything is available on one's chosen streaming service, or albums can be removed from their catalogue at any point, and/or could only be available as a remaster (which could be either good or bad). So at least for music and original versions that mean something special to me, I personally still want to download or rip and keep my own copy. So i both stream and keep a selected local library.
If you do rip the CDs, make sure it is done losslessly; they can still be compressed (somewhat) to take up less storage space than CDs yet with losing nothing (personally I like the Flac format). You can easily make a lossy (e.g. mp3) extra copy if you have portable devices with limited storage. Some people rip CDs directly/only to lossy formats; these usually sound decent, but are (of course) degraded over the original. The problem there is that one can not go back if you have discarded the original CDs - say if you later wanted original quality, or to re-encode to a different or improved lossy compression format. Re-ripping is a tedious business even if you still have the original CDs.
With a local ripped library, you do take on the responsibility of backing it up; IMO one should do so, since multiple albums on a writable/changeing SSD/HDD is far more eggs in a basket than individual read-only CDs. Though in other ways this necessity could be considered an advantage, since CDs degrade over time and/or can become scratched or stolen/damaged/lost and then that is it; whilst a software copy can easily have multiple backups kept in multiple locations.
Another viewpoint might be that streaming services are the future; they, or download, probably are where things are going (whether we like it or not); if so, then one might not need to even rip and keep a local library. It is true that I'm listening far more through (quality) streaming than from my local library these days, but that can go both ways; considerably more music is available to me than I could have bought by the disc at the same price but if I only listened to a limited favourite selection then building a local library would be cheaper and free from internet glitches etc. Also, not everything is available on one's chosen streaming service, or albums can be removed from their catalogue at any point, and/or could only be available as a remaster (which could be either good or bad). So at least for music and original versions that mean something special to me, I personally still want to download or rip and keep my own copy. So i both stream and keep a selected local library.
If you do rip the CDs, make sure it is done losslessly; they can still be compressed (somewhat) to take up less storage space than CDs yet with losing nothing (personally I like the Flac format). You can easily make a lossy (e.g. mp3) extra copy if you have portable devices with limited storage. Some people rip CDs directly/only to lossy formats; these usually sound decent, but are (of course) degraded over the original. The problem there is that one can not go back if you have discarded the original CDs - say if you later wanted original quality, or to re-encode to a different or improved lossy compression format. Re-ripping is a tedious business even if you still have the original CDs.
With a local ripped library, you do take on the responsibility of backing it up; IMO one should do so, since multiple albums on a writable/changeing SSD/HDD is far more eggs in a basket than individual read-only CDs. Though in other ways this necessity could be considered an advantage, since CDs degrade over time and/or can become scratched or stolen/damaged/lost and then that is it; whilst a software copy can easily have multiple backups kept in multiple locations.
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I ripped all my CDs as well, stored on a NAS with 3 x 10 TB harddisk (2 disks mirrored + 1 hot spare). Safety first!
I only saved a few "specials" and sold the rest. Nothing was thrown away...
I only saved a few "specials" and sold the rest. Nothing was thrown away...
I'm glad you're holding on to your CD collection!
But I'm sorry you don't have a USA address, as then you could swap CDs in the mail through swapacd.com. But one can still check relative supply/demand of CD titles by checking on swapacd. There are 10 available copies of this Diana Ross title, so probably not in demand...
https://www.swapacd.com/Diana-Ross-Making-Spirits-Bright/cd/13248891/
But I'm sorry you don't have a USA address, as then you could swap CDs in the mail through swapacd.com. But one can still check relative supply/demand of CD titles by checking on swapacd. There are 10 available copies of this Diana Ross title, so probably not in demand...
https://www.swapacd.com/Diana-Ross-Making-Spirits-Bright/cd/13248891/
Next hip physical media thing will be CDs eventually and they are going to worth some $ again
Yep. That's my approach too. Mine sit in the garage. With the outdoor temperatures we're having these days, I guess that makes them cryo treated. Should I sell them for more? 🙂
1000 CDs won't take up much room on the top shelf in the garage once boxed properly.
Quite a few CDs I have aren't available on streaming services. But they are available on my harddrive (and NAS) for me to play.
Tom
My concerns with streaming are:
- quality: you really don't need a multi thousand (monetary unit of choice) system to hear that.
- choice: I know, you can find anything (they say). But really, once you listen you are always fed the same thing. It's like going to a restaurant. Sure, it is well made, it is easy when served, you don't need to do the dishes and worse, all the rest of the stuff. But the menu is just that. Nothing else available.
I ripped all my CDs to FLAC and donated them. The FLACs don't get played often, I mostly use Tidal.
CDs are worth less than the value of the space they occupy.
CDs are worth less than the value of the space they occupy.
Type of media isn’t critical. Redundancy is critical, including physical location of the storage. I use a combination of traditional HDs, SSDs, and private cloud.
I ripped my collection to FLAC years ago and donated the CDs. I never stay anywhere long enough to make physical collections practical. The FLACs are my primary music source, despite our Spotify family plan (which my wife and daughters are addicted to).
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I ripped all my CDs as wav.
Used wav files and created flac files.
After careful listening, I think I prefer wav files more, so I listen to them exclusively.
The best, by far, is when I play CDs and feed S/PDIF to my external DAC. But the CD player's been modified. The voltage rails are very low-noise, add-on clock oscillator board with its own dedicated supply, S/PDIF out uses a special pulse transformer, and of course... there's no additional processing of wav/FLAC files in the PC.
Used wav files and created flac files.
After careful listening, I think I prefer wav files more, so I listen to them exclusively.
The best, by far, is when I play CDs and feed S/PDIF to my external DAC. But the CD player's been modified. The voltage rails are very low-noise, add-on clock oscillator board with its own dedicated supply, S/PDIF out uses a special pulse transformer, and of course... there's no additional processing of wav/FLAC files in the PC.
This seems a matter of the size of one's home. I live in a house with plenty of built-in space to store my CDs, roughly five hundred of them, most of which I've burned to HDDs. The space they occupy is negligible. I'll likely downsize to a smaller home in the future and will reconsider the matter then. Meanwhile. I don't really even think about or see them since I'm happy with the sound streamed to a NAS wirelessly connected to a RPi running Volumio into my DAC.
Do yourself a favour and add some geographic redundancy. Stick it all on an external HD and store it off-site (friend or family’s house, safe deposit, storage unit, whatever). I hope you never have a house fire, but if you do you will be glad to have an offsite copy. This goes for all your digital photos, documents, etc. Private cloud is another option.
You might want to check out Tidal, I am nowhere close to having exhausted the opportunity to listen to new and undiscovered artists or recordings, even those of artists/groups I am reasonably familiar with. Sound quality at minimum is CD equivalent. Use Roon and it becomes really easy to find new artists in your genres of interest. From a musical discovery standpoint I couldn't do better. (Unlike most antique humans I am still interested in new music.)
Discoveries over the past few years include Oystein Sevag, Rudiger Oppermann, Tyla, Koan, Oona Dahl, Hooverphonic, Dominic Miller, Brandt, Brauer, Frick Ensemble and countless others. This is in addition to surfacing newer material from the likes of Yello, Dellerium, Ana Caram, Badi Assad, Bella Fleck, These artists get ZERO radio play here in the U.S. and my old fogey friends comfortably stuck in their 1960s and 1970s music are certainly not going to introduce me to this stuff. This is the power of a good streaming service I guess.
It's already here to some extent in the U.S. new CD sales are up significantly, there is some hipster trend to collect CDs, and this path is often recommended by reviewers to those who don't really have the space or economic resources required to acquire, store and play vinyl records.
I am surprised that physical media has hung on as long as it has, but I am finally loosing interest in it, and at the first hint of downsize it will be vinyl first and then tape that go. (They constitute something like 5% of my annual listening at this point. When I was using hour meters for maintenance purposes I was logging about 1200 hrs per year listening - since I have eliminated all but 8 tubes in day to day use I no longer use hour meters)
I willingly accept CDs and will pay for shipping, assuming I do not have them in my 3,000+ collection with many no longer available CDs. I will be laughing when streaming companies go bankrupt or lose their streaming license, or the streaming costs skyrocket. Personally, I also support musicians with CD purchases: they get way more than streaming okays. Look it up. Saving money isn’t the only important thing, esp at my age and income. If I can afford audiophile equipment and hobbies like DIY audio construction, I think I can afford to support the people who make all the joy possible. And please do not attempt to justify streaming by saying Rolling Stones, etc do not need more money.