# Compact Discs - keep them or ditch them **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480 "2022-12-13T19:58:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2023, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/121 "2023-01-13T13:34:46Z")
I only use windows media player for ripping (both mp3 and wav) Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2023, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/122 "2023-01-13T15:08:14Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I used to think mp3s (at 320KBs) were a satisfactory choice . . . A 320kps MP3 _should_ be decent for car listening and decent enough for most general purpose listening. But alas, sometimes things are not what they seem. Because a track claims to be 320kps doesn’t necessarily mean it is. If you find a track, or a folder full of tunes to be of questionable quality, there’s software to check. One example is ‘Fakin’ The Funk’. It will examine a single track or a folder full of tracks and let you know if quality is what it claims to be. You can also check a tracks spectrogram using a software such as Spec. But an MP3 converted to wav or flac won’t change anything, any more than a 72ppi image changed to 300ppi in Photoshop will change anything. You can’t add what isn’t there in the first place. Actually, Photoshop will try to interpolate, but that’s another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Keith1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Keith1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keith1)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2023, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/123 "2023-01-13T15:13:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > different encoders and decoders can produce quite different results. > [@BwanaBob](#): > > I only use windows media player for ripping (both mp3 and wav) Try converting the same track with different software, then check the resulting spectrogram of each. Some do a better job than others. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/124 "2023-01-20T04:36:40Z")
There are several sites on the internet that buy used CDs and DVDs. Load their app on your phone and scan the barcodes. The app then tells you if they’ll buy it and for how much. If any of them come up significantly higher than the average, set them aside and check Amazon and eBay to see the real value and decide if you want to go that route for them. Then box up the ones they do want and print their free shipping label(s). We got about a hundred dollars for media we spent a few thousand on. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/125 "2023-01-20T14:15:50Z")
Good to know. Thanks! What are the names of the sites or the app? ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/126 "2023-01-20T17:38:02Z")
I had hundreds and got rid of most of them (sold to used music store). I kept the ones near to my heart. That was probably over 10 years ago. I haven’t once listened to any of the ones I kept. Not all formats will come back due to nostalgia. 8tracks, cassettes? Not a chance, I predict CDs are the same. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/127 "2023-01-20T19:05:03Z")
Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/128 "2023-01-20T19:49:00Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Not all formats will come back due to nostalgia. 8tracks, cassettes? Not a chance, I predict CDs are the same. The difference is that 8-tracks and cassettes massively degrade over time, by playing them and also just by storing them. If you store your CDs and vinyl well (protected from dust and light exposure, in other words: keep them in their case/sleeve), this is not the case. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/129 "2023-01-20T20:10:00Z")
> [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > Not all formats will come back due to nostalgia. 8tracks, cassettes? Not a chance, I predict CDs are the same. ⁢ Cassettes already have, though not necessarily to the extent of vinyl. The main disadvantage CDs have is that they’re digital, and thus sound the same as other (lossless digital copies). But there are audiophiles buying CD players. Heck, it’s easier since the quality of the mechanism has no impact on playback, unlike with cassettes and vinyl. (You have to buy retro to get a good quality cassette player.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/130 "2023-01-20T20:33:09Z")
Yeah, with cassettes it’s extremely niche. I remember them coming back to some extent 10-15 years ago, but I wouldn’t even know where to buy a cassette other than maybe the Goodwill, whereas vinyl is sold at Target (for $20-$40+ a record.) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/131 "2023-01-20T20:38:59Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > the quality of the mechanism has no impact on playback I am sure it is still possible to botch Digital-to-Analogue conversion, clock jitter, the power supply, or whatever and come up with a shitty CD player. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/132 "2023-01-20T20:43:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, with cassettes it’s extremely niche. I remember them coming back to some extent 10-15 years ago, but I wouldn’t even know where to buy a cassette other than maybe the Goodwill, whereas vinyl is sold at Target (for $20-$40+ a record.) And I think the very minor cassette comeback is/was mostly restricted to punk/indy music because cassettes have always played well with the DIY ethos of that scene, and best possible sound reproduction was never a concern there. And it’s probably cooler now in a retro sense for a band to sell their current album on cassette than on CD or thumb drive after concerts. ETA: one question: do major labels still sell cassettes of new albums anyway? Can I buy the latest Taylor Swift or Beyoncé albums on cassette? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/133 "2023-01-20T21:08:42Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > ETA: one question: do major labels still sell cassettes of new albums anyway? Can I buy the latest Taylor Swift or Beyoncé albums on cassette? I expect that will depend on the genre (and “major labels” seems to narrow things down). I don’t feel like running to the store to glean first-hand information, but [beyonce.com](http://beyonce.com) has vinyl (including 36-page booklet and poster), CD, and .WAV. ChannelTapes [according to discogs, but their domain seems to be down] apparently offers “unofficial cassette releases” of popular music, including of course Beyoncé, if you really want. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/134 "2023-01-20T21:12:28Z")
The nice thing about vinyl is you have big, beautiful artwork. As a visual person, it’s so satisfying for me to appreciate an album cover vs a CD booklet and definitely over a cassette fold-out. And with CD, you at least get sound quality. There’s absolutely nothing better in any way about a cassette. It’s very weird to me that anybody would want one. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/135 "2023-01-20T21:19:30Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > ChannelTapes [according to discogs, but their domain seems to be down] apparently offers “unofficial cassette releases” of popular music, including of course Beyoncé, if you really want. That can’t be legal, though. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/136 "2023-01-20T21:21:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s absolutely nothing better in any way about a cassette. I think you’re right, assuming that by “better” you mean “better than any other medium that’s readily available today.” During their heyday, they had their advantages. And so I can kind of understand how some people might look fondly on them for reasons of pure nostalgia. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/137 "2023-01-20T21:27:53Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > During their heyday, they had their advantages. The biggest, but IMHO only advantage was that you could record your own music. As a medium for pre-recorded music, it was worse in any aspect than vinyl or later CDs. ETA: just saw @pulykamell’s post below: yes, I forgot about portability, of course that was another crucial feature. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/138 "2023-01-20T21:27:59Z")
Oh sure. Portability. Play in the car. Walkman. Recordability. They were great in the day. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/139 "2023-01-20T22:54:21Z")
We used to buy vinyl albums circa 1970 for $4. Online inflation calculator shows that at $31 in today’s money. Just sayin’ … not that I’m rushing out to buy records at Target these days. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2023, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480/140 "2023-01-20T22:55:07Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > And so I can kind of understand how some people might look fondly on them for reasons of pure nostalgia. Yeah, my mind was blown when I saw those prices, but then I thought … wait … with inflation … that’s probably about right. Holy shit these things were expensive! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compact-discs-keep-them-or-ditch-them/976480.md?page=8)