[Icedog62]

Good points Ritchie however here is the thing. First off, my point is that mp3's are inferior in sound quality to hard medias so if you care about the sound and quality you are going to want to avoid mp3's. Secondly, as far as being nowhere near a record store, Amazon has very competitive prices and shipping charges are nominal, especially if you buy at certain quantities. I implore music lovers everywhere to support cd and vinyl sales as much as possible before your options become limited and you wake up to realize what you have lost. Thx,

Icedog62
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Always like to hear from music fans

[RFNAPLES]

I support CDs but was happy to replace my vinyl collection. While mp3s have a theoretical quality loss due to compression, I wonder can it be heard and does it matter. It reminds me of the arguments in favor of tube amps vs. transistors. Personally, I like the jewel cases and booklets that come with CDs but understand that some services provide the booklets digitally with some downloads. Also the price point of mp3 downloads isn't low enough to justify doing the labels’ work.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES
Bubbling Under The Top 100 Greatest Mus...y RFNAPLES

[JohnnyRocketFingers]

I just got a record player and a bunch of LPs for my birthday and I love to just set up a record and listen to it play. Although CDs are more practical, its really nice to have both. And when it comes to mp3 or a hard copy, I much prefer the hard copy.
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"The future is unwritten."
~Joe Strummer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F10tP5HIpaA

[telefunker]

very few humans can distinguish the difference in quality between an mp3 at 256kbps or more from a cd. at 320, you'd have to be a dolphin..

it's digital or bust for the music industry, some of you guys may enjoy cd's or even vinyl, but they're being very quickly superseded

certainly, it IS the end of the CD and vinyl formats.. the beginning of the end at least
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no fat chicks

[Richie Hunt]

yea its the end... kinda like where the US$ is heading

[RFNAPLES]

2008 Manufacturers' Unit Shipments and Retail Dollar Value (In Millions, net after returns) via RIAA:

Physical 401.8 (Units Shipped -26.1% Δ) 5,758.5 (Dollar Value -27.9% Δ)
Digital 1,112.3 (Units Shipped 28.1% Δ) 1,635.4 (Dollar Value 30.1% Δ)

However let's look at the types of units shipped:

CDs 384.7 (Units Shipped -24.7% Δ) 5,471.3 (Dollar Value -26.6% Δ)
Downloaded Albums 56.9 (Units Shipped 33.9% Δ) 568.9 (Dollar Value 33.9% Δ)
Downloaded Singles 1,033.0 (Units Shipped 27.5% Δ) 1,022.7 (Dollar Value 27.6% Δ)

While CD sales have declined for 8 years and Downloaded Singles and Albums have increased for 4 years, the almighty Dollar Value of CDs is still greater than all Digital types combined!
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES
Bubbling Under The Top 100 Greatest Mus...y RFNAPLES

[Richie Hunt]

As the saying goes "the trend is your friend", time will take care of that.

[telefunker]

yeah, there's less $ in digital music that's for sure.. but even as musician myself, i think that's a good thing

for instance, it annoyed me to hear lily allen complaining that she'd only made £50,000 off her debut album and that the stones et al in the 70s made a killing.. the crash in the industry will hopefully force would be gravy-train hoppers into considering ruining some other art form for the sake of their bank balances

also, the live music industry is booming, so it may force a greater emphasis on actual musical talent rather than sheer production value
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no fat chicks

[RFNAPLES]

Perhaps some musicians have received more financial rewards than they deserved. But I'd hate to see the day when we only have amateur musicians. Professional musicians have the ability to develop their craft all day long, without the worry of spending time on another job to make ends meet. We must continue to support our musicians.
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Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by RFNAPLES
Bubbling Under The Top 100 Greatest Mus...y RFNAPLES

[Richie Hunt]

"When the times get tough, the tough get going." - Lord Harvos