The one thing Apple understands is photography

[RustyTheGeek]

I'll have to check out MediaMonkey.

I've got some catching up to do - I've only got about 800 CDs. Currently the files are on a NAS which I access via Volumio on a Raspberry Pi (with a nice little DAC attached). Or Foobar if I'm in a PC mood. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile as I'm too much into DIY speakers, amp, preamp etc. Although it sounds good to me.

I've built speakers since I was 16. Still have the 3-Way 6 1/2 towers I built in my main living area. All my friends from that time got a pair of speakers at some point. Some still have theirs as well. Having it all sound good to you is the key and why many folks build their own speakers. Just because a speaker costs a fortune and was built in China doesn't mean it sounds good or is a good investment. And buying speakers is a lot less fun!

 

[Ian_of_glos]

I'll have to check out MediaMonkey.

I've got some catching up to do - I've only got about 800 CDs. Currently the files are on a NAS which I access via Volumio on a Raspberry Pi (with a nice little DAC attached). Or Foobar if I'm in a PC mood. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile as I'm too much into DIY speakers, amp, preamp etc. Although it sounds good to me.

This is interesting, and I wonder if you would be able to answer my question.
Is there any real advantage to converting your CD collection to FLAC files and storing them on a NAS - other than the obvious space savings of course? Converting CDs has always seemed like a very time consuming process and I can't see why it would be better than simply playing the CDs.

 

[Hillsilly]

It's mostly convenience. You can play any song that you want, whenever you want. You can also create playlists, view lyrics etc. Its also easy to convert to other formats, such as MP3s for mp3 players, car stereos etc. There is also the benefit of having a backup, so you don't get too upset if you scratch a CD, lose one or if they get stolen.

But it does take a few minutes per CD to do.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I'll have to check out MediaMonkey.

I've got some catching up to do - I've only got about 800 CDs. Currently the files are on a NAS which I access via Volumio on a Raspberry Pi (with a nice little DAC attached). Or Foobar if I'm in a PC mood. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile as I'm too much into DIY speakers, amp, preamp etc. Although it sounds good to me.

This is interesting, and I wonder if you would be able to answer my question.
Is there any real advantage to converting your CD collection to FLAC files and storing them on a NAS - other than the obvious space savings of course? Converting CDs has always seemed like a very time consuming process and I can't see why it would be better than simply playing the CDs.

1st - FLAC doesn't save space, it is a lossless format. It's like RAW image files with all the advantages they offer - avoiding the loss of data that contributes to more full and rich sound.

Ripping CDs can be some work and time consuming depending on how it is done. I set up a system where it was mostly automated so I could just feed discs as they ejected and let everything happen automagically. That took a bit of trial and error and work up front but was well worth it over the long haul.

The big advantage to ripping the CDs is having instant access to them, being able to put a huge selection of music on portable devices, being able to share them easily and having a full backup if the CDs are damaged, lost, stolen or sold. And as time moves forward and we all get older, I think we tend to downsize and the chore of moving, tending and storing all those CDs (and DVD/Blu-Rays) will eventually require getting rid of all that physical stuff.

I'm a bit of a pack rat and I am trying to slowly de-clutter. It's a slow and difficult process sometimes. So much stuff is still useful but I don't really NEED it so I'm trying to move it on to somewhere/someone that can use it.

 

[cayenne]

1st - FLAC doesn't save space, it is a lossless format. It's like RAW image files with all the advantages they offer - avoiding the loss of data that contributes to more full and rich sound.

Well, a FLAC file, while being lossless....IS about half the size of the original WAV file you rip it from (or from CD).

cayenne

 

[RustyTheGeek]

1st - FLAC doesn't save space, it is a lossless format. It's like RAW image files with all the advantages they offer - avoiding the loss of data that contributes to more full and rich sound.

Well, a FLAC file, while being lossless....IS about half the size of the original WAV file you rip it from (or from CD).

cayenne

You might be right, it's been a while. Thanks.

 

[martti]

Re: The one thing Apple understands is sales

Rusty the Geek: Instead, Apple understands how to make seductive proprietary player devices that only consume music content easily that they sell. Don't you know that they HATE online competition like Spotify, Pandora, Songza, NetFlix, et al? And I wonder what part of the motivation was for them? Hmm?

The long answer is here: http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2015/10/27Apple-Reports-Record-Fourth-Quarter-Results.html

A resumé: October 27, 2015 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter ended September 26, 2015. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $51.5 billion and quarterly net profit of $11.1 billion, or $1.96 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $42.1 billion and net profit of $8.5 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 38 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

 

[Ian_of_glos]

It's mostly convenience. You can play any song that you want, whenever you want. You can also create playlists, view lyrics etc. Its also easy to convert to other formats, such as MP3s for mp3 players, car stereos etc. There is also the benefit of having a backup, so you don't get too upset if you scratch a CD, lose one or if they get stolen.

But it does take a few minutes per CD to do.

Thank you for your reply.
I still don't really understand why it is more convenient - how can it be easier than taking a CD off the shelf and loading it into the CD player? To me this is the biggest advantage of CDs - they are physical items that you can see and touch, not a file buried in some complicated computer file store.
The point about having a backup is interesting, but as second hand CDs are so inexpensive now I usually just replace any that are damaged or lost.

 

[LDS]

having a full backup if the CDs are damaged, lost, stolen or sold

Sorry, if you sell them you have to delete all the backups also... or it's a copyright violation. There could be copyright issues even in they are lost or stolen...

 

[RustyTheGeek]

having a full backup if the CDs are damaged, lost, stolen or sold

Sorry, if you sell them you have to delete all the backups also... or it's a copyright violation. There could be copyright issues even in they are lost or stolen...

Yeah, there is that. : Although in all honesty, I think you are mistaking computer software license agreements with music copyrights. Court cases from the 70's established that personal copies of copyrighted content are legal. I don't recall the rulings stating that the copies must be destroyed if the originals go away. But that is definitely true for most computer software agreements.

 

[cayenne]

Thank you for your reply.
I still don't really understand why it is more convenient - how can it be easier than taking a CD off the shelf and loading it into the CD player? To me this is the biggest advantage of CDs - they are physical items that you can see and touch, not a file buried in some complicated computer file store.
The point about having a backup is interesting, but as second hand CDs are so inexpensive now I usually just replace any that are damaged or lost.

I generally buy CDs...and rip them to flac immediately and put the CD on the shelf for storage.

I keep the higher fidelity FLAC files on my media computer in the living room, for the "good" stereo...tube amps, Klipsch K-Horn speakers...etc. I like to play from my media computer, makes making playlists easy, etc.

Also with the files coming from a computer, you can avoid some wow/flutter type problems you might have with a cheaper cd player...and with my computer set up, I can set up my own high end DAC before it hits the amps. (That's actually a project I'm working on)...

I also make lower quality mp3's for my portable players...for the gym or car which are some of the worst listening environments on the earth, even if using pretty high end headphones.

and as for selling and "having to erase" for copyright. I guess I'm old school. I don't buy anything that I'd ever sell again. I guess I'm more of an old school guy in that to me, music isn't disposable.....that might be the reason I don't find much modern music to be worth buying, but that's another thread entirely.



cayenne

 

[Loswr]

I still don't really understand why it is more convenient - how can it be easier than taking a CD off the shelf and loading it into the CD player? To me this is the biggest advantage of CDs - they are physical items that you can see and touch, not a file buried in some complicated computer file store.

What's so hard about finding files?

CDs on a shelf are, by definition, on that shelf. Music on my computer is on my phone and tablet and, if I choose, in the cloud. In other words, it's where I am, wherever I am. Hard to listen to that CD on a shelf in Boston when I'm on a train in Switzerland.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

Thank you for your reply.
I still don't really understand why it is more convenient - how can it be easier than taking a CD off the shelf and loading it into the CD player? To me this is the biggest advantage of CDs - they are physical items that you can see and touch, not a file buried in some complicated computer file store.
The point about having a backup is interesting, but as second hand CDs are so inexpensive now I usually just replace any that are damaged or lost.

I generally buy CDs...and rip them to flac immediately and put the CD on the shelf for storage.

I keep the higher fidelity FLAC files on my media computer in the living room, for the "good" stereo...tube amps, Klipsch K-Horn speakers...etc. I like to play from my media computer, makes making playlists easy, etc.

Also with the files coming from a computer, you can avoid some wow/flutter type problems you might have with a cheaper cd player...and with my computer set up, I can set up my own high end DAC before it hits the amps. (That's actually a project I'm working on)...

I also make lower quality mp3's for my portable players...for the gym or car which are some of the worst listening environments on the earth, even if using pretty high end headphones.

and as for selling and "having to erase" for copyright. I guess I'm old school. I don't buy anything that I'd ever sell again. I guess I'm more of an old school guy in that to me, music isn't disposable.....that might be the reason I don't find much modern music to be worth buying, but that's another thread entirely.



cayenne

cayenne, someday you and I are going to have to meet.... (very similar interests, etc... old school for sure!). Seriously.