The future of music and/or hi-fi enthusiasts

Yes, but surely this thread is about the future of music, not what we are doing now. I have a largeish CD collection and will soon start dabbling with a PC based music server as a second source, as I think a computer based source has some huge advantages.

In the future, I can only see it going one way i.e. computer based, most likely downloading music on demand through ultra high speed web connections.

 

How depressing!

 

Why is it depressing? I think that on-demand hi-rez music would be close to perfect.

Michael.

 

I guess so we copy the thousands of CDs that we all 'supposedly' own (now funds are a problem there) to some harddisc PC system and then give them all away to Oxfam like a lot of people did with their vinyl collections? Doh!

 

But digital music isn't tangible! What about cover art? I think people still want to be able to buy something they can hold in their hand and show off to their friends. Its human nature.

 

I've got to admit that long term that as others have said I'd much rather have a CD collection to rifle through rather than a folder on the PC. Definitely not the same thing. There will be CD junkies of the future much as there are vinyl junkies now I feel.

On a slightly different tack, I sometimes wonder if the general downturn in mass market recording quality re. compression etc, and the move to PC based music rather than tangible items like CDs and LPs, might not in the long run be good for the audiophile community. In that people tend to start looking at HiFi more seriously when they appreciate the increase in quality this can bring, so if the general standard lowers the gulf will become bigger and so more people will be tempted to the dark side, so to speak. Probably just me being optimistic...

 

I have had a CD player since 1990 and I have only amassed a collection of around 300 CDs, maybe very small by some standards, but whenever people come round for the first time, the first thing thay say when they walk in the living room is "bloody hell thats a lot of CDs!". They then cant resist having a look and remarking that they havent heard of a good proportion of them. Its great fun and all part of the pleasure of owning them. I'm the same, I love going through peoples collections. Its a real conversation piece and you feel quite proud. If someone asked me to have a look at their harddrive I'd tell them to piss off quite frankly.

 

Except under current copyright legislation any copying at all is illeagal even if it's only for home use of to make a copy for the car. The irony is that backing up software on your PC is also illeagal unless the licence specifically allows this. The law will have to change significantly if the new technology is to survive, either that or we all become criminals.

 

The only stuff I tend to buy on CD is older ablums that can be bought really cheap from shops like Music Zone or Fopp, it works out much cheaper than buying them on vinyl. My new stuff is usualy bought on vinyl because feels better value (you get a much bigger sleeve etc) and sounds better (to me).

I am not against compressed formats on quality terms I have myself produced some quite impressive compressed files where you can't tell the difference on portable players, its only when you play it via the HIFI you can tell but that may be because I have a cheap sound card.

I think compressed formats lossless or otherwise will dominate the portable market as its far more convinient but CD will be the nominate format. It is reliable 99% of househnolds probably own a player a and there is not much compatability issues involved.

With modern technology the consumer will probably confused, will an WMA file player on X portable music player? Will this SACD work in my new DVD player etc.

I think as longs as albums stay below £10 then most consumers will buy it on CD or maybe I am just trying to justify why I spent £150 which I haven't got on a CD player

 

I love that too, in my bed room two of the biggest features apart from my HIFI which always catches an eye is my CD collection (around 150 CDs currently) and my vinyl collection of 80 LPS. At the rate I am currently going through about 2-3 albums a week I will have 1000 albums by the time I am 30!

 

I can't really see the benifet though in social terms. If you have a few mates round with beers a major topic of conversation is your record collection people can look at the sleeves (often a major talking point when its music produced in your own city) but with a music server you can't really do that.

I also like physicaly putting a disc or LP in. I suppose with me its not just about the music its about the art of the music. Sorry I am talking crap

 

As a few people have mentioned in a round about way, buying music (or in fact pretty much anything) is a lot to do with the packaging. There is an emotional tie in with the case, sleeve etc. If MP3 (or AIFF etc) is to replace CD then the packaging will need to be replaced with something, because people like something in their hands, not only as a reference to the album, but for pride of ownership. You can't get as excited about downloading a set of MP3's as you can about getting a new release from HMV.

The downturn in music sales has less to do with the advent of MP3 and more to do with there being more for the average teenager to do these days. In the past listening to music was a bigger part of a kids life, IMO, this is not so much the case these days.

 

You really ought to take a look at PC based systems like the squeezebox or Roku soundbridge. They offer amazing convenience and versatility and, coupled with a decent dac, very good sound quality to boot.

Dont get me wrong, I am still planning to use CD as my primary music source, but there are some pretty cool things happening with computer audio. I suspect that the majority of teenagers who have only ever downloaded from the net won't consider anything else.

 

Exactly they now have competition from - PS2/Xbox/Nintendo/DVD/Designer clothes and possibly the greatest competitor of all - The Pay as You Go Mobile Phone. You are a 14 year old, you have £10 to spend on topping up your mobile phone or buying a chart CD. No contest.

 

Whats more convinent than - Picking up a CD, putting it in the tray and pressing play?

My CD player doesnt crash, make any noise, need heavy software and hardware maintenance, no licensing issues, no one tries to spy on what I'm listening to. I dont have to worry about incompatible software or updating it all every 18 months or so.

What could be easier? Again I dont see the benefit in making it more complicated that a disc of polycarbonate and aluminium that costs 5p to make.

It would be a step backwards for me. Honestly it would.

 

I can understand all the "tactile" reasons and flicking through people's collections arguments but in the end I think people will get over it

No doubt there will also be computerized substitutes for the tactile aspect. Instead of a wall full of CD racks perhaps just a 17" flatscreen on the wall where you can "virtually" browse someone's collection. However, even that would be redundant if everyting was on demand which I think is the ultimate solution.

Instead of each person having terrabytes of storage space at home storing (in many cases) the same music you'd just get music on a "pay per listen" basis or people could buy a lifetime licence to listen to a particular album. Systems would be inplace to allow you to save limited local copies for portable use or use where high-bandwidth streaming wasn't available.

Whilst you woudln't have the concept of "my" music anymore you'd have a far greater choice and there are countless other benefits. For a start when you went round to your mates house you woudln't be limited to listening to his 20 disc Bon Jovi and Bryan Adams collection.

My only fear with all the above is that such systems will exist but with very poor quality, low bitrate MP3s instead of high quality uncompressed (or losslessly compressed) music.

Michael.

 

As a teenager myself I would have to agree! I take my music very seriously, but that's probably got a lot to do with the fact that I'm a musician myself. However, the general trend is one of young people listening to less and less music, particularly older stuff. I was talking to a couple of guys at school today who had never heard of John Lennon!

Meanwhile, my last few music purchases include Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Razorlight, Kelly Joe Phelps, Haven, The Stands, Richard Thompson, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Beth Orton....

You get the picture!

 

well, being able to instantly select any track from your entire music collection at the press of a button without leaving your chair and have a digital display telling you the track, artist, year etc. for a start. (The PC can be hidden away upstairs or whatever).

Obviously for fuddy duddies like yourself its not going to be very interesting , but for the majority of younger kids who are only used to PC based stuff and dont have the emotional baggage of buying albums/CDs, its the thing to have IMO.

 

I agree in some ways the convenience thing is overstated a bit. After all with a PC you have to put it in and rip it first if you want the added "convenience" later on. Even then, you have to turn the PC on and wait for it to boot up. Not that I see it as a problem personally. As Robbo says though, once its there, its infinitely more convenient. A lot of times I dont like some tracks on albums or only want to hear a quick track. Thats easy with the PC, but swapping CD's all the time to hear random tracks would get right on my nerves.

However, tweaking a computer is no worse than faffing around with cables, supports and all that bollocks IMHO. And you dont HAVE to do all that. As for noise, my PC is very quiet, although not silent, but it can be that way if you set out to make it that way in the first place. I have no licencing issues and it doesnt crash. Nobody gets the chance to spy on me either

 

how about having a visualiser on the screen or info on the band, artwork, pictures etc? The possibilities are endless.