I remember when people used to say that CDs were much better than vinyl and would last forever. Well I've found that to be a lie. You have to hold a CD by the edges and be sure not to touch the side that the music is on. Vinyl, on the other hand, you can touch anywhere.

Also, I've noticed that CDs are much more easy to scratch than vinyl. For instance, last night I was listening to my CD copy of "How Will I Know" and it was scratched. However, I've had my vinyl copy for over 20 years with no scratches whatsoever.

Anyway, what do you think?

hard to say.

my initial answer is that CDs are far more rugged than vinyl, because my memories of vinyl is that of pops and scratches and skips and cracks, and meanwhile i have several CDs that i purchased over 20 years ago that i still listen to and which sound and (jewel cases notwithstanding) look as good as new.

then again:

i owned mostly vinyl as a kid. i wasn't exactly a pro at taking care of a music collection from age 7 - 13.

i own mostly CDs as an adult, and i do take very good care of my collection.

in other words, i never put CDs to the brat test.

vainandy said:

"How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston?!

I think having CD's in a plastic case helps for a start - man those cardboard vinyl sleeves just seem so flimsy in retrospect.

One thing I do remember from being a kid, and I don't know if this was anything to do with a cheap stereo or my own mishandling (though I don't think it is either, if I am honest) is how many times you'd get a record home and it'd be scratched already - maybe just a small jump in one place but.. I guess mispressings were more common with vinyl or maybe the shops just didn't handle them well, or maybe it was the lack of protection offered by the cardboard sleeves...Singles in particular used to come in very cheap paper sleeves, often with a great big hole in either side so you could read the song details straight off the label on the vinyl rather than on the jacket itself.

I'm sticking on the side of CD's in this debate!

HOWEVER - CD-Rs are so damn temperamental, aren't they? How EASY it is to scratch them!

CDs are pretty durable.

What you have to remember is what the scratches actually do to the music.

On CDs, most scratches are on the surface and are purely cosmetic. They don't affect the sound at all. Some serious scratches can, but those are usually from mishandling/dropping.

On LPs, since we're talking about one continuous groove that a needle follows, a scratch could interrupt that and cause a skip.

So unless you are one to LOOK at the shiny side of your CDs all the time, who cares?

cds...you can misplace those little suckas anywhere..and lord knows you can break the cd covers and or forget to put the cds back in them...but you would have to be a FOOL to have a bigass vinyl record coverless sitting around your house somewhere..

SoulAlive said:

YUP I KNEW IT VAINANDY!!! MMMM MM MMMMM

I see someone finally caught that part. It's a serious thread that asks a serious question but I threw the "How Will I Know" part in for April Fool's to see if anyone was on their toes.

Cds are more portable and get more handling that way.

Once vinyl is scratched, it's done, but you can bring a CD back to life in certain instances.

Thanks Andy.

Vinyl is better in all ways, except it cost the labels more money.

When the industry realized that their profit margin would quadruple (at least) from pressing CDs instead of vinyl, they lied in 2 ways.

They said CDs would sound better, which they certainly didn't at the beginning, and still don't now. They said this because of the potential clicks and pops one can hear from unclean, or uncared 4 vinyl records. Clicks and pops will happen on most vinyl records however, but I just don't mind them. It's worth it 2 me, 4 the sound vinyl delivers. CDs are only sampled at 44.1kHz, which hasn't changed, nor will it ever. They would get closer 2 the range of vinyl if they were sampled at 88.2kHz, 96kHz, or 192kHz.

They said they would "last forever". HA! I have a bunch of skipping CDs that were well cared 4.

They did all of this for the greed of a dramatically increased profit.
[Edited 4/2/08 8:42am]

CDs are definately more fragile to me.

Giovanni777 said:

I don't know if I'd go that far.. I mean, yeah, money was always an issue but vinyl records had seen out their best years of service and it WAS time for a higher sound reproduction and a more durable format (OK we can debate both of those points too, come to think of it, but at least we can agree that the AIM of CD's was to introduce better sound and longer lifespan of the media!)

Looking back, the idea of a scratchy needle on a huge disc of plastic bouncing up and down in a groove just seems so antiquated and laughable now!

rocknrolldave said:

You wouldn't believe how great comedy a peek inside a CD player would provide on the other hand.

novabrkr said:

Well, I realise that in actual fact the technology of the two formats isn't ALL that different, but still, vinyl seems very dated now, don't you think?

Mind you, in these days of iPods, mp3s, downloading, USB albums etc etc, even CD's seem dated now.

Wait til they get the telepathic-holography right and they can beam videos straight into your mind's eye. Now THAT is the future of media!

Really...?

rocknrolldave said:

vainandy said:

You shouldn't touch the grooves, andy

FuNkeNsteiN said:

I hate you can't be here for the Bootsy show.

rocknrolldave said:

Ehm... no.

Stymie said:

Yea, that sucks... Would've loved to see Bootsy throw down

vainandy said:

Vinyl last longer...btw...if that is Whitney Houston's How Will I Know, be glad it is scratched!
[Edited 4/2/08 12:10pm]

vainandy said:

To answer your question I would have to say that vinyl is more durable considering how you have to slide them out of the sleeves over and over and there is an actual needle touching them.

Some CDs don't even have to slide out of their cases and a damn lazer is touching them and they still get fucked up.

I just wish that vinyl didn't have to slide out of the sleeves because I feel that's where most of the wear and tear coems from. What if the album covers all opened up like storybooks (ok, jewel cases) and you snapped the records to the middle?

Cinnie said:

That would be cool, be like in school again toting big 4-inch D-Ring binders.

SoulAlive said:

I like cd's better, they are lighter and all, but they do scratch fast. can't just be lying them around anywhere or manhandling them unfortuneately. lp's seem to be good, wow vainandy you made this judgment tooo hard! wow, you can handle your lp's like you say without any sound problems, you are good. But I agree. you have the advantage of taking an lp out of the packaging easier than cd's. cd's you have to pop the button in the middle and it seems to a certain degree that they scratch a little when being taken out and when they are put back in cases. especially slim line jewel ones. It is almost as if the bottom of the casing is a bit rough and if the cd is taken out often, pushing that button in the middle and all, the cd tends to rub the bottom of the casing.

Giovanni777 said:

Me, too. Including a wonderful Billy Eckstine CD that I absolutely loved and a CD recording of piano rolls that were Gershwin playing Gershwin.

How I'd love to get either of them on vinyl.

vainandy said:

In today's age of digital turntables, CDs are just as likely to get mess up as vinyl. That's why some DJs are currently using their laptops as back-up support.

My vinyl, most of which is irreplaceable.

CD's are perfect until they're unplayable.

Records are imperfect virtually forever.

So they did lie to us about cd's, but I like them okay.

rocknrolldave said:

Vinyl is always a great medium. I lovemy cd, but I love my vinyl too. And I don't want nothing beamed into my mind.

And by the way, it's not necesarily an age thing. I'm only 32- and I don't own an IPod or MP3 device and I don't like downloading music.

The only reason I have had to download the Prince internet songs is becuase I couldn't get them anywhere else- but best believe, if I can get a "real" pressed copy, I would get it.
[Edited 4/2/08 14:27pm]

Exactly. As for the clicks and pops in the vinyl, most of my albums have very few because I always kept them in their covers and inside sleeves. Some of my 45s have clicks and pops because I had thrown away their sleeves back in the day and placed them in several of those containers that had the wire slots to stand each 45 up in. Remember those? Anyway, the clicks and pops don't bother me either because they just add to the authentic feel of the era.

As for CDs though, they are very fragile. I never listen to an original CD in the car, only a copy of one because, if you hit a big enough bump, the CD will scratch and from then on, it will get stuck in that spot while playing. Also, I've never damaged a record from simply dropping it unless I dropped it on an actual floor. Hell, I've dropped a CD on the carpet and damaged it.