CDs vs mp3s, Whaich do you prefer? Options

[unitself]

What format do you like your music in? Do you prefer to buy CD's from your favorite music store or do you prefer to download mp3? Tell us why?
Me? Thanks for asking.
I still prefer to buy my CDs. I like to have something I can hold on to, open up and see some artwork or read liner notes / lyrics / photos / whatever. I do, however, mp3 the disc when I get to work though so I can listen via my computer. I bothers me that I don't actually own anything when I download an mp3. I've had a few hard drives crash on my and lost all of my collection before. So, I am bit weary of only having an mp3 version of a song.
Maybe it's the same reason I like to read magazines instead of simply reading off of a website. I just like having the physical object to hold.

No, I don't own an iPod. Yes, I do have a crappy portable CD player.

[Crushinator]

CDs.... C DEEZ NUTZ!!!!! hahahah


Seriously though, I really enjoy the quality of CD's to MP3s, so for an album or artist I want to get the most of I prefer a CD. But the convenience of MP3s plus an iPod has me listening to MP3s more often, because I have my entire CD library, PLUS anything that I downloaded a few clicks away, ready to listen to whenever and wherever I want.

A lot of my MP3s are albums I wouldn't buy normally, couldn't buy, or are just single tracks and one-hit-wonder that I like where it would be a waste to buy the whole album.

I agree with you on the artwork and "owning" aspects too, it just feels good to have something tangible. Same way with games, even though its so easy nowadays to get everything for free, it just has a different feeling when you actually own it, and you appreciate it more.

[Guest_Zio_*]

CDs > mp3s I'll tell you why.

I had an mp3 player a long time ago and I didn't like having to go back to the computer all the time to switch the songs out. I like having CDs so I can just open up my case, take my cd out of my CD player and put back in the case, then get another cd out of the case and put it back into my CD player. Plus it depends on the mood I am in I may just switch out a bunch of CDs to listen to different songs. Most of the time I like to buy CDs from the store just to have the real thing and like unit said, to have the lyrics and pictures and whatever. Although if a friend of mine has a CD I want I will just burn it.

[Retehi]

I like having all my music on my comp in MP3 form, easier then constantly changing CD's.

I'm happy with my raggity old CD player for when I want my music on the go though. . don't feel like investing in an mp3 player.

So in short, I like MP3's for the convenience, and CD's for the value of just having it, much like everyone else said.

[Icaras]

LP

[DarkEpyon]

8-tracks, baby!
(though I wasn't even alive at the time)

Seriously though. Like Retehi, I like my MP3's and CD's are good for on the go.

[Mute]

While I have quite a few mp3s and sometimes make "custom compilations", I'm a big fan of classic rock so I generally own all the albums I really like on CD anyway. It's just a weird collecting hobby of mine. Also, I'm on the go often, so CDs are the obvious choice there.

[Riel]

CD's are great...i had to rebuy a lot of CD's when they first came out to replace my LP's...i still have a bunch of LP's...i like MP3's also,you can convert them to wav if you want a better sound as well.

Here's one of my LP's :

[Crushinator]

Converting an MP3 back into a WAV won't restore the sound quality lost when it was first encoded though

[unitself]

Excellent album Riel!!!!!
and Crushinator is right. Once the bits are gone from mp3'ing they can't be brought back.

In a few months, I am going to start the "MP3'ing all of my albums" project. I am scared. I have hundreds.

I am surprised at the number of people who still prefer CD's to mp3's. For my own personal reasons, this makes me happy.

Side story - Years ago (mid - late 80's) I had this Toyota truck that had an 8-track player as it's car stereo. A friend of mne had an 8-track machine that could record. So, I went to the pawn shop and bought 10 or so 8-tracks for like a dollar. Then I recorded all the stuff I listened to onto the 8-tracks. So, I would drive around town with Nitzer Ebb and Ministry and crap like that on 8-track. It was funny as hell. The song would be playing thru then CLICK, it would switch tracks, and the song would continue on again. :D

[Dive]