# How do you listen to classical music?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

We certainly have a lot of choices these days. Please indicate the _primary _way you listen to classical music. Choose one only! This poll is anonymous.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

CD's - When you have thousands of these little guys, you have to make use of them.


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## ClassicalListener (Oct 17, 2014)

CDs only. On a Marantz CD player proudly devoid of a USB input, headphone amplifier, Sennheisers, and a room without a PC.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

I rarely listen to complete works anymore -been there, done that- so I transfer favorite movements, arias, etc. from CD, WAV, Flac or MP3 over to AAC via iTunes and listen on iPhone and good headphones. Used to listen on a big traditional stereo setup, but haven't done so for years.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

CD and LP mainly, adding DVD , live concerts and The Metropolitan opera in the Cinema.
( very rarely the radio. )


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

CDs, of course, mostly. But I still regularly tap into the vinyl, as I have quite a bit of classical vinyl, well preserved, and fine equipment on which to play it. And of course the radio supplies me with traveling music, generally, when I'm crossing the plains or wherever in the ol' Jeep. Sometimes I even drive it to live symphony concerts! And there is certainly live music making with friends, my bro ... or just me sitting on the porch strumming. Or going to a local entertainment venue (Did I hear someone say "bar"?) to hear a player or two.

(As I type this, I'm listening to a classical CD (Joseph Curiale: _Awakening_, Orchard Road Music, no catalog number) via headphones. Earlier this evening, though, I spun my old vinyl _Abbey Road _disc by the Beatles, a disc 48 years young today, the anniversary of the album's release. So I consider _that_ classical, too.)


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## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

Compact Discs where I can.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

CDs exclusively. Even downloads, I burn to CDs.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

So far…it seems that most of us, whether collecting CDs or downloaded files, like to have the source music in our immediate possession and control. We stroke it, we croon, "My precious, my precious…" Or so it seems.

The streamers, who have left such attachments behind in their search for musical enlightenment, are in the minority.


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## ClassicalListener (Oct 17, 2014)

With physical formats, your music is yours. With anything digital, you're at the mercy of amoral business executives that decide what, when and how you may listen to music.

You should never ever give companies so much power over something you love so much as music. They'll come up with ever more creative ways to restrict and screw you over. Already, when browsing for CDs at Presto Classical, I very often see the ominous message: "this download is not available in your country". A release gets deleted from the catalogue? You're thoroughly screwed because there is no secondary market for used and out-of-print items.

*Reject digital. Buy only physical.* If you absolutely must use digital files, purchase the CD and rip it.


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## Huilunsoittaja (Apr 6, 2010)

I'm a Streamer/Radio person. But actually if I add up all the hours of music I listen to in a day, over half of that is... playing flute! I play on average 3 hours a day, not including rehearsals and studio which can be 1-2 hours more each day. I make the music.


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## Guest (Sep 27, 2017)

Only CD's but if it is not available I have to purchase a LP,also for sentimental reasons,nice covers etc.
I always try to find a nice edition but the edition that sounds the best is the one I go for.


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## isorhythm (Jan 2, 2015)

CDs, but streaming is a close second.

I recently got a new stereo receiver that will stream directly from Spotify, not because I particularly wanted this feature but because they all have it now. It turns out I use it all the time, though probably more for non-classical music than classical.

If I could afford it I would go to a lot more live music, too.


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## CDs (May 2, 2016)

I don't even need to answer this just look at my user name.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

CDs mostly, followed pretty closely by vinyl. 

But hi res downloads are quickly making their presence known. Especially DSD.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Mp3s on a mobile device. That's how I listen, but mostly I have ripped to mp3 from the CD I purchase. The question was how do we primarily listen, not how we purchase and archive.


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## SarahTG (Sep 26, 2017)

I only stream. Too broke to actually buy the music I want!


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## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

For private listening I use digital files a lot now. No doubt I've followed the same trajectory as many others: vinyl and cassettes, then a very reluctant move to CDs and a less reluctant shift to purely digital files. Having said that I still use CDs and vinyl; in fact just last night I was in bed listening to Grieg's piano concerto on a portable turntable (after listening to Switched on Bach, which I still love).

I attend quite a lot concerts of different kinds, but can't honestly call it my primary means of listening.


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## Selby (Nov 17, 2012)

I buy CDs and rip them to lossless music files then (mostly) listen on portable devices.


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## JJF (Aug 25, 2017)

Portable audiophile player, digital server on hi-fi rig and LP's. In that order.


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Simon Moon said:


> CDs mostly, followed pretty closely by vinyl.


That's me!!!!!!!


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

CDs, then streaming. I use streaming mostly in my car; it's easier than lugging CDs around and having them bake in the car while I'm at work.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2017)

Firstly, I think live concerts are preferable to all else but failing that my CD library with excellent hi-fi. I've also got Bluetooth devices through the house and tap into the huge computer resources for music.


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## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

I picked streaming on mobile devices, because that's how I listen to most music. Closely followed by streaming on computer.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

My primary source of music is CDs. I listen through my 22 year old stereo. My secondary source is my iPod, where I've ripped my CDs. I take my iPod to work. My third source is Spotify, streaming music. I have a paid subscription and it's debatable if I get my money's worth as I don't listen to it very often.


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## Tristan (Jan 5, 2013)

The primary way I listen to classical music is lossless files ripped from CDs. I listen through iTunes mainly, via a DAC, headphone amp, and my Sennheiser headphones. In second place would be vinyl, with a preamp, the same headphone amp and the same headphones


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

This really should be a multiple choice(s) allowed question. I ended up picking streaming services since this is now my main mechanism. But I do go to concerts fairly often, still keep a very large CD collection, have some digitized into FLAC on my computer, stream using a "high-res" service, which I play at home using a DAC/stereo system and at work using a mobile device with headphones. I rarely play any of my LPs but do occasionally using my grammophone.


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## Steve1087 (Sep 17, 2017)

Main listening done with CD's, but an awful lot of my collection has now been put on my IPod classic which I use when I'm away from home.
I feel that once digital storage becomes super reliable then CD's will slowly become redundant. Still don't trust storage mediums to keep my music collection safe.


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

Primarily CDs, the best balance between sound quality, inclusion of information & art and value for money. Practical and fairly resilient too.

In second place would be digital files ripped from the aforementioned CDs. I rarely download music but I will happily rip my CDs using ALAC (alas, Apple doesn't like FLAC).

I have recently started streaming for two reasons:
1. A chance to road test potential purchases
2. Due to space limitations, I now stream recordings I want to hear and don't necessarily want to buy or cannot justify purchasing. That said, if I like a recording enough I will buy it. 

Streaming has really cut down my blind purchases and has saved me some money. Using Apple Music covers both Classical and Rock but I do prefer to buy the music I really love. I 

I much prefer tangible mediums and always will but I do accept the practicalities of digital music - whilst streaming leaves me a little uncomfortable it is starting to win me over to an extent. For downloads, it helps that lossless purchasing is available for some of the music I enjoy too.

I like vinyl, but th price is very high - more practical when listening to rock music in my experience.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2017)

senza sordino said:


> My primary source of music is CDs. I listen through my 22 year old stereo. My secondary source is my iPod, where I've ripped my CDs. I take my iPod to work. My third source is Spotify, streaming music. I have a paid subscription and it's debatable if I get my money's worth as I don't listen to it very often.


Still not replaced the old stereo?:tiphat:


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## Polyphemus (Nov 2, 2011)

C D's and mp3.
mp3's ripped from my C D collection. A quality mp3 player is to my mind de rigeur. Top quality headphones essential.


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## Heck148 (Oct 27, 2016)

I listen to CDs the most, but *live concert* is my ultimate source...that is the standard to which I apply my listening..
"live" is the real thing....everything else is a copy.


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## mathisdermaler (Mar 29, 2017)

CD's, YouTube, Spotify


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## rspader (May 14, 2014)

CDs but streaming is catching up. My Spotify subscription makes it too easy.


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## DaveM (Jun 29, 2015)

Regarding music file players: I used MP3 players from 3 or 4 different manufacturers from the time they came out. And then, along came the Apple IPod Nano in 2005. I noticed a difference right away in sound quality. It's interesting that a comparison of Apple players was done recently and that in the opinion of the writer the 5.5 Gen Classic Enhanced IPod had the best sound quality. It uses a Wolfson chip as opposed to the Cirrhus chip used in later players. 

The original IPod Nano came 4th. My two Nanos have been collecting dust for several years. Maybe it's time to dust them off.

Fwiw, the iPhones have mainly used the Cirrhus chip which the author considers inferior to the the Wolfson. Personally, I find the sound from more recent iPhones and iTouches pretty darn good.


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## chill782002 (Jan 12, 2017)

CDs although I have recently been acquiring lossless digital downloads (which I then burn to CDR), primarily for stuff that isn't available on CD like transfers from old 78s. On Sennheiser headphones through my trusty old Sony Discman, on my 15 year old Sony stereo with a pair of vintage (early 1980s) Mission speakers hooked up to it or in the car. Mainly in the car, although my preference would be otherwise. Not something I often have a choice over though, regrettably.


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## AClockworkOrange (May 24, 2012)

chill782002 said:


> CDs although I have recently been acquiring lossless digital downloads (which I then burn to CDR), primarily for stuff that isn't available on CD like transfers from old 78s. On Sennheiser headphones through my trusty old Sony Discman, on my 15 year old Sony stereo with a pair of vintage (early 1980s) Mission speakers hooked up to it or in the car. Mainly in the car, although my preference would be otherwise. Not something I often have a choice over though, regrettably.


I haven't heard the Sony Discman mentioned in ages. I never had a HiFi version- just the portable one. In the absence of the iPod Classic, I miss it all the more.


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

Bulldog said:


> CD's - When you have thousands of these little guys, you have to make use of them.


I suppose so.:lol:


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## classixfan (Aug 22, 2017)

I buy cds from the Oxfam shop as they have great bargains and also buy some cycles from Amazon. Then I rip them and put them on my phone to listen during my commute to and from work. 
At work it's YouTube when I need to focus, Spotify when cycling and radio apps at home. 
I treat myself a few times a year going to the Proms and Wigmore Hall.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

Absolutely youtube.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Music files (Ipad and Audeze i-20 on-ear cans) and radio app 'France Musique'


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Gaspard de la Nuit said:


> Absolutely youtube.


Gaspard,

do you get quality sound out of listening from youtube? any particular channel to suggest?


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Gaspard de la Nuit said:


> Absolutely youtube.


I use youtube a lot for research, but not for serious listening.

Too many compromises in sound quality. But it sure is a great tool to discover new composers and pieces.


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## Dumbo (Sep 3, 2017)

I hear it in my head. Seriously. Sometimes it keeps me awake.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Dumbo said:


> I hear it in my head. Seriously. Sometimes it keeps me awake.


This is fantastic, Dumbo! You have the quality of a composer.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

CDs - though I have often decided to buy them after hearing samples on YouTube.


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## Triplets (Sep 4, 2014)

CDs, as I have a ew thousand of them. I do play many of them from a music server (Bluesound) but have kept the original CDs.
I have bought a few downloads recently.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

At home alone: CDs (on my Onkyo CD player, often through my AKG open-backed headphones)
At home with company: iTunes (lossless, can set up playlists and stream wirelessly to speakers in several rooms)
On the road: iPod (best quality rips I can manage given the space limitation, with Koss in-ear headphones to shut out external noise)

When previewing and comparing before purchase: Spotify (though they don't have everything, and the metadata is inconsistent so you have to search creatively)

The source for my iTunes and iPod rips is always CD. I don't listen to anything I don't have the physical media for.


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## A B Mendillo (Jun 6, 2017)

Agreed about liking to have the source music in our immediate possession and control. It's comforting to walk past my CD shelves late at night and realize that they are all still there.


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## Pesaro (Oct 4, 2017)

I love the Naxos Music Library. I use a Pioneer Elite integrated amplifier and JBL floor standing speakers. The sound is very good.


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## Jazzbert (May 4, 2017)

Streaming of radio stations and Spotify. I have a Logitech Media server (formerly Squeezebox) setup with 5 clients. It makes streaming sooooooo easy.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I voted other.

Although I use CD's and You Tube most of my exposure to classical music come from rehearsing and playing with the various groups I perform with.

In preparing with the upcoming Christmas concerts I have been introduced to some interesting and some not so interesting music that I am not familiar with. One of the interesting is a _Christmas Overture_ by the English composer Nigel Hess. What is less interesting are some arrangements of the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It could be the bad arrangements but for me that music really stinks. But I bet the infallible taste of our typical Christmas audience will love it.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

I've mentioned this before, but my musical life changed forever when my girlfriend (now my wife) got me an iPod Classic about 8 years ago. Suddenly I was freed from the tyranny of the CD player and the LP turntable, and with a portable amp (Fiio E11K) I could listen to all my music without being in a specific spot or positioned just so. With an array of excellent headphones(*), I'm now in constant musical bliss wherever I go, and my classical music collecting has likewise exploded and I'm listening to far more music than I ever did before. Like most people, I can't tell the difference between 320kpbs mp3 and FLAC so I'm more than happy with that setup. 

(*) Beyerdynamic DT660 and DT880(600 ohm); HiFiMan HE400S; Sennheiser HD600 and HD6XX; AKG 7XX and 550; Oppo PM-3; and Focal Elear. They all have their different flavors and I enjoy trying them out against each other, though I have to say I love the Oppo and the Elear an awful lot.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I have ca. 2000 CD's but still listen most of the time on spotify...


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

gardibolt said:


> I've mentioned this before, but my musical life changed forever when my girlfriend (now my wife) got me an iPod Classic about 8 years ago. Suddenly I was freed from the tyranny of the CD player and the LP turntable, and with a portable amp (Fiio E11K) I could listen to all my music without being in a specific spot or positioned just so. With an array of excellent headphones(*), I'm now in constant musical bliss wherever I go, and my classical music collecting has likewise exploded and I'm listening to far more music than I ever did before. Like most people, I can't tell the difference between 320kpbs mp3 and FLAC so I'm more than happy with that setup.
> 
> (*) Beyerdynamic DT660 and DT880(600 ohm); HiFiMan HE400S; Sennheiser HD600 and HD6XX; AKG 7XX and 550; Oppo PM-3; and Focal Elear. They all have their different flavors and I enjoy trying them out against each other, though I have to say I love the Oppo and the Elear an awful lot.


I too have been listening through headphones more and more. My current three favorites at home are the Elear, the HD 650 and the AKG 701. Each serves a different function: the AKG is for close analytical listening, the HD 650 offers the broadest soundstage and the Elear captures the timbre of instruments and voices brilliantly,

When traveling, I have a pair of PSB M4U-2s, which sound good and have noise canceling (although I wish it were more effective) and IEMs from Etymotic and HiFiMan (as the Etymotics block out so much noise, I generally won't use them on the streets of New York.)


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## LezLee (Feb 21, 2014)

I listen to BBC Radio 3 (entirely classical) every morning for at least 3 hours. I spend the rest of my time between the TV and CDs - not always classical.


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## gardibolt (May 22, 2015)

jegreenwood said:


> I too have been listening through headphones more and more. My current three favorites at home are the Elear, the HD 650 and the AKG 701. Each serves a different function: the AKG is for close analytical listening, the HD 650 offers the broadest soundstage and the Elear captures the timbre of instruments and voices brilliantly,
> 
> When traveling, I have a pair of PSB M4U-2s, which sound good and have noise canceling (although I wish it were more effective) and IEMs from Etymotic and HiFiMan (as the Etymotics block out so much noise, I generally won't use them on the streets of New York.)


What kind of IEMs do you have from HiFiMan? How do you like them for classical? I see they have some good Black Friday specials on their IEMs.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

I have the RE-400s. They sound very good even for the $79 I paid. (Mine included a mike on the line for phone calls.) To be honest, I don't listen to classical that often with them. I use them mostly while walking around NYC, and that is not the best environment for Schubert. They're fairly flat - no smiley equalization. (One could argue that a modest treble and bass boost would help in the outdoors.) They are good at blocking external noise, but no match for the Etys. I turn them up a little louder than the Etys to add some color to the sound. But this is relative. I have tinnitus and don't generally play my music terribly loud, so I'm talking just over halfway on my iPhone.

My major concern is that they seem quite flimsy. Lots of reports about cable breakage. I'm very gentle with mine.


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## ToneDeaf&Senile (May 20, 2010)

I voted "streaming," since I do the vast preponderance of my listening at YouTube these days. Funny thing is, I have a relatively large physical classical disc library; some 800+ CD, 800 LPs, a decent amount of classical music DVD and Laserdiscs. I also have a 6.1 channel living room audio setup. Yet I tend to ignore those and listen to music over my computer's audio system; PC to 4-channel power-amp to four old bookshelf speakers properly placed for surround sound. I think maybe I prefer the PC becomes the speakers are heard nearfield, which seems to help my deteriorated hearing.


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## eric444 (Nov 16, 2017)

I mostly go for streaming. CDs weren't something I'm fond of.


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## SgtJohn74 (Nov 23, 2017)

I have to say streaming mostly now. I have a large CD collection gathered during the 00s but it can't rival with Spotify in terms of diversity.


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## leonsm (Jan 15, 2011)

Spotify. What an amazing tool for classical music.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

leonsm said:


> Spotify. What an amazing tool for classical music.


leonsm,

You should try Qobuz instead, for classical music. Bigger choice and better sound
http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/discover


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## steph01 (Dec 21, 2016)

I buy a lot of second-hand CDs for peanuts and then rip FLAC files which I use for day to day playing.

This is cheaper than buying digital music, and also gets me a hard copy of the booklet and a back-up disc should anything happen to than digital files. Also I can use the CDs in the car if I can't be bothered to copy digital files to some device and connect that up.

If it's a recent release from a smallish choir or ensemble where I think buying a new copy will be even a teeny bit meaningful to them in terms of income or sales figures, then I'll happily pay for a new CD (or digital download if the booklet looks boring and I don't want to wait for it to come in the post).

I wouldn't use streaming because the sound quality isn't good enough (I did an online test and could easily tell the difference between 128kps which Spotify use and 320kps). Although it's useful to reassure myself that something I am about to buy is worth buying.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

steph01 said:


> I buy a lot of second-hand CDs for peanuts and then rip FLAC files which I use for day to day playing.
> 
> This is cheaper than buying digital music, and also gets me a hard copy of the booklet and a back-up disc should anything happen to than digital files. Also I can use the CDs in the car if I can't be bothered to copy digital files to some device and connect that up.
> 
> ...


Free Spotify may use 128kps, but I believe Premium Spotify uses 320kps or 256kps depending on the streaming interface. I use Tidal Premium (or whatever it's called), which streams at CD quality. Better than CD quality if you give credence to MQA technology.


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## steph01 (Dec 21, 2016)

jegreenwood said:


> Free Spotify may use 128kps, but I believe Premium Spotify uses 320kps or 256kps depending on the streaming interface. I use Tidal Premium (or whatever it's called), which streams at CD quality. Better than CD quality if you give credence to MQA technology.


Sounds good but I don't like the idea of paying out every month and if you ever end your subscription you're left with nothing. I like knowing my most favourite music is mine to listen to as long as I look after it.


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## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

steph01 said:


> Sounds good but I don't like the idea of paying out every month and if you ever end your subscription you're left with nothing. I like knowing my most favourite music is mine to listen to as long as I look after it.


As I've said elsewhere, I don't see this as either/or. I have a substantial (or by standards other than this forum, more than substantial ) collection of CDs, which, like you, I have ripped. My collection includes my favourite (or favorite) music and then some. But I still like to explore. My most recent example is Keith Jarrett. He's a jazz artist whose work I enjoy, but I am not a rabid fan. I have 7 albums that feature him. But recently, his record company, ECM, made its music library available for streaming. Now all of a sudden I have access to dozens more Jarrett recordings, including his classical work, which will be new to me. I don't need to own more than 7 albums by Jarrett - at least no more jazz albums - but I'd like to listen to some of the others. Tidal gives me the ability to listen to the Sun Bear Concerts even though there's no way I would purchase it.

Tidal also has a number of OOP titles. One might find some of these in a used record bin, but others - like a number of albums on the Astree label that showed up recently - would not be easy to find.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

I signed up to Tidal for a number of months after it first launched, but was disappointed with the selection. Sounds as though it may have significantly improved since then.


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## leonsm (Jan 15, 2011)

Napodano said:


> leonsm,
> 
> You should try Qobuz instead, for classical music. Bigger choice and better sound
> http://www.qobuz.com/gb-en/discover


Never heard of it, I'll give it a try. Thanks.


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