CD Player or Computer?

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2003-12-01 08:23pm

This question is sort of two fold.

One, do you use your computer to play your music CD's or do you still put it into your shelf unit or stereo? I noticed this yesterday when I checked out some CD's I purchased and listened to them on my computer. I looked over and there was my small AIWA shelf unit sitting there, basically unused for well over a year, the cassette deck for over 2 years.

Two, when on the move do you use a portable CD player or a casette walkman vs. a MP3 Jukebox or MP3 player? I started experimenting with an 128Meg MP3 player about a year ago, and also used a portable CD Player that also played MP3's. Used this for a little over a year, ditching my walkman for it. Now I have a Jukebox I've been using since Feb and have not looked back since. Now in the market for a bigger jukebox.

How have our listening habits changed over time?

One Winged Angel · Post by **One Winged Angel** » 2003-12-01 08:25pm

I use my computer for stationary music, and use a CD player that can read MP3 songs when I'm moving.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-12-01 08:26pm

For me...stereo system...given it sounds a helluva a lot better then my Puter's pair o speakers.

For on the go...MP3...easy to hold and holds a helluva a lot.

Mostly I see our listening has changed towards a more customized way...I mean especially with the whole MP3 player bit(heck before then I was burning songs to CDs).

Captain Cyran · Post by **Captain Cyran** » 2003-12-01 08:27pm

I have to use my stereo system...because my computer hasn't had speakers in like...6 months...

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-12-01 08:33pm

Computer works fine, can't really afford a nice stereo system. I also use the PS2 once and a while to play music.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-12-01 08:36pm

No computer sound system sounds as good as a decent stereo system. Even the very best computer sound systems are junk compared to a half-decent pair of stereo speakers running off a real amp.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-12-01 08:44pm

I take it you people are aware of this?

Audiotron

I use this thing and I have it plugged through its optical connection to my pre-amp. Great interface for streaming music with low compelxity. Also the sound is great off of my 320kbps MP3's.

zombie84 · Post by **zombie84** » 2003-12-01 08:50pm

I never use my computer, unless they're MP3 files on the hard drive itself.

Always, always, always use a stereo system.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-01 09:28pm

I always use my stereo/headphone system to play CDs, the sound quality is just so much better it's not even funny. If I want to listen to music on my computer it's in MP3 format, both for space and convenience and because the crappy audio on my computer cancels out the better sound quality of a CD. On the move I use an audio cassette Walkman. It's a good size, it never skips, and I can listen to the radio if I want to. It's also an analogue format and as we all know analogue is better because it contains the word "anal".

I'm thinking about buying an MP3 player since it would make loading songs on it a lot easier. Instead of taping everything from CD to tape I could simply rip the songs onto my computer and compress & copy them over.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 09:43pm

Darth Wong wrote:No computer sound system sounds as good as a decent stereo system. Even the very best computer sound systems are junk compared to a half-decent pair of stereo speakers running off a real amp.

Which is why my computer speakers are real speakers running off a real amp

Music consists of CDs ripped into a lossless audio format (Monkey's Audio, in this case)

darthdavid · Post by **darthdavid** » 2003-12-01 09:46pm

Computer for stationary cds, mp3's, and streaming audio; craptastic 20$ cd player that only plays regular cd's for (semi)mobile (it has no anti skip) cd playing; old walkman radio only with a piece of tape serving as battery cover for most mobile music.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 09:47pm

The Kernel wrote:I use this thing and I have it plugged through its optical connection to my pre-amp. Great interface for streaming music with low compelxity. Also the sound is great off of my 320kbps MP3's.

Man, 320kbit MP3 is such a waste. Use LAME's "--alt-preset extreme" instead, or just go lossless (FLAC or Monkey's Audio)

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-12-01 10:22pm

phongn wrote:
The Kernel wrote:I use this thing and I have it plugged through its optical connection to my pre-amp. Great interface for streaming music with low compelxity. Also the sound is great off of my 320kbps MP3's.
Man, 320kbit MP3 is such a waste. Use LAME's "--alt-preset extreme" instead, or just go lossless (FLAC or Monkey's Audio)

Actually, they aren't strict 320's, they are VBR MP3's, but they average around 320 during peaks. I've been encoding this way for some time and although there may be better methods, I've never really had the will to re-rip my enitre collection.

Besides, storage isn't much of an issue with me as I have a home server with 4x 250GB drives to serve all my data.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-01 10:43pm

Oh yes, Thou Shalt Worship My Headphone System.

Clockwise from bottom right, Sennheiser HD-495 headphones, Sennheiser HD-580 headphones, DIY vacuum tube headphone amplifier, modified Technics receiver. Not in the above picture but which I also own: Panasonic CD/DVD player, and

a Kevin Gilmore Class A dynamic headphone amplifier

Don't forget the silver conductor interconnect cables with gold plated jacks. The system has me spoiled silly. I could lie in my bed, close my eyes, and believe that Jimi Hendrix is playing guitar for me.

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-12-01 10:51pm

Stereo unless it's MP3s on my comp. Although currently my stereo is out of order due to my moving it around and not getting back around to hooking it up to the amp. I have a tape deck, CD changer, DVD player, VHS player, and turntable hooked into it. Talk about a system.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 10:54pm

The Kernel wrote:Actually, they aren't strict 320's, they are VBR MP3's, but they average around 320 during peaks. I've been encoding this way for some time and although there may be better methods, I've never really had the will to re-rip my enitre collection.

Bah, just rip new things under the far-superior LAME --alt-presets.

Besides, storage isn't much of an issue with me as I have a home server with 4x 250GB drives to serve all my data.

If you have that much storage, go lossless then

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 10:55pm

aerius wrote:Don't forget the silver conductor interconnect cables with gold plated jacks. The system has me spoiled silly. I could lie in my bed, close my eyes, and believe that Jimi Hendrix is playing guitar for me.

NOOOO! Aerius has fallen to the evil clutches of the EXPENSIVE AUDIO CABLE!

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-01 11:00pm

phongn wrote:NOOOO! Aerius has fallen to the evil clutches of the EXPENSIVE AUDIO CABLE!

Relax, I made it myself. It cost me around $20 Cdn in parts and took me half an hour to build it.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 11:06pm

aerius wrote:
phongn wrote:NOOOO! Aerius has fallen to the evil clutches of the EXPENSIVE AUDIO CABLE!
Relax, I made it myself. It cost me around $20 Cdn in parts and took me half an hour to build it.

Ah, good then. I saw the "silver conductor" and thought you spent tons of money on cable. What are the connectors? Canare?

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2003-12-01 11:15pm

phongn wrote:Ah, good then. I saw the "silver conductor" and thought you spent tons of money on cable. What are the connectors? Canare?

I have no clue what the connectors are actually. I got them at a local electronics supply store along with the wire to make the cables. All I know is that they're gold plated and use Teflon as the insulator between signal and ground.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-12-01 11:21pm

Canare is not actually any better than other gold-plated (on the inside) connectors, from what I hear, but they apparently work well - not too much or little gripping pressure. But they're pricier than most.

Laird · Post by **Laird** » 2003-12-02 01:20am

One Winged Angel wrote:I use my computer for stationary music, and use a CD player that can read MP3 songs when I'm moving.

What he said,With an exception I route my sound through my stero.

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2003-12-02 01:21am

Darth Wong wrote:No computer sound system sounds as good as a decent stereo system. Even the very best computer sound systems are junk compared to a half-decent pair of stereo speakers running off a real amp.

This is exactly why I have my computer's audio output run to my stereo.

Anyways, I've got all my audio ripped to my computer so I don't have to keep popping in and out CDs. On the road, I have my trusty Sony MP3 CD walkman D-NE518CK. EXCELLENT battery life (rated at 80 hours). I got it to last 82 hours on lithium batteries vs. 75 on rechargables. All for $79.95 USD at Best Buy.

WELL worth the money IMO. I've dropped this thing several times from 3ft up and it never skipped! (I forgot how many minutes anti-skip protection it has....) Comes with the standard car-kit + a remote control and software to rip your CDs to Sony's proprietary Atrac format.[/sales pitch] Coupled with my Koss UR-15C headphones (that look like they came from the 80's!

).....lets just say I be jammin' to my tunes.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2003-12-02 05:24am

MP3's copied onto the hard drive from PC mainly, because:

A) At home i don't have a CD player in the room and i can't be arsed lugging one up to the loft (converted) where we have the PC.

B) Here at uni i didn't bring a CD player with me and the one my parents brought up is a cheap portable piece of crap.

C) My PC has 5.1 Surround sound system, probably not as good as a good Stereo, but it's way better than PC average and probably better than stereo average.

D) I don't like channging CD's all the time, so i just stick 100 or so MP3's on the play list and hit shuffle each time i start up.

salm · Post by **salm** » 2003-12-02 09:04am

i listen to cd´s and records on a seperate stereo because playing mp3s eats up too many necessary recources and it´s simply annoying when your computer hangs because the stupid media player is draining speed.