Continuing with CDs?

Gerald Mc-B-B and others with the sleeves: what did you do with all the jewel cases?

― eatandoph (Neue Jesse Schule), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 11:06 AM (three hours ago)

It certainly sucks that jewel cases are that hard plastic which isn't recyclable. But that shouldn't stop one getting rid of them (it should just stop artists & labels from using them anymore, come on!)

For new CDs and decent quality ones, I haul them down to my local second-hand record store and donate them to the cause - they can spend a bit less on replacement cases.
For the cracked and scuffed and sticker-smirched ones, I throw them in the rubbish, sadly.

The spacesavingsleeves are great and I've had a lot of them now for many years and they remain in good condition, not sticking to each other or the CDs or anything.
They are a bit inconsistent in their design though, in terms of the gap between the sides and suchlike, so some can be a challenge to fold the back under-tray art into.
That's the only complaint though. I have a huge collection, and other than jewel cases with printing on them, or the occasional coloured jewel case, everything else is now shrunk down into those sleeves.
It's the only way I can remotely fit onto my shelves!

https://uc9aa0d3a241ae7f7d4b87f09f44.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ABUab0pgc8Q-UD0C4ROW7mAsqh2kXK4DDFybtgL5t8C99fuNB0c4KKAYu5H3CdtVFK66U1TwMeZpM6qqYcrZFT6vwlqBlGxShAiz6E8todNSxB3Ln4Sfq8utDK3Tw8B0ardRaj55fhmXEd150aD9XLJDPIKxmg77b_N6rO0l5617aoNDj4k5A9UbG-sdZgs1jm_ulwP-aD4h--KJIf3UFq5fwg884G105FubDUdkl4oTG4mbIGM-RwdJYvCz5_04w9qMLO2j4jV-nBzhKhYxqUNBH3jeBnt9t5c_d4vnIzLVlHieR1XnF_0gG-eeKyBaeg1GYWtFslzPPMW2eAjCA876pJujL_QMXlrLMJDxh4zt8nt0e72Cp8953Vw0FkDvIFbyQomO6JREmgsSGQcNICBj8hrl9AkmO_smKvBSDM5NSBCT9uP2NCI5COhEGgz1kt1tgb4_ysPTl70eC7uf4qe6/p.jpeg?size=2048x1536&size_mode=3
https://uc95cbc861219dfac99ff209ca91.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ABW1f_c2KCZMQhsMpUq8zxISXnIw2_-DkfdaadQUxe4rmN19JfLg4M8lsMu3FU7xAqc2vN99I5GWButqvSsi1CM4JyjN43JSEFOiStn9hKnQrd-K96dohgDhZrTiQdbDDKbuYpRpynpr8VKqs_mfDaZKKeTBUMh3oP3552Mc_4kWNDBPcXpLp9BRQJdqVc1RGO9nplzQ06VCBclWhKKeVPu0o9mT5pzO-4tzuLyVQSqWHwArHtDNVnYcQH9GOIUAVlinrMIPevV1vmNK2QI-9HJQ6XoOt-RU4uQwAwWbp0ThBUzGgaRRA6Y6qxgQhCxb5HQfrFqFnn6mzupE5bKOq02CcZIoHbS_H28nvNR_b-ivePXnlTBw5-RkXvD1n2viwq6YN5xQJmBIA7tqVXuKu6q4/p.jpeg?size=2048x1536&size_mode=3
https://uc224f70a6e269930e405bda84f3.previews.dropboxusercontent.com/p/thumb/ABUxovmMdDtIy_SrPngGf-d1BXZjBQP8e_W1KmcW67kxH61z--YDldcF3uW2OQmKKhFVdiDtu1eP9jQze8od4t8DEIOvMeKp2avztdsiP_4vz6OttXZBCEPnjphxNjJabGuUVhf2Xpz3LlSd_V6bRII77V2eMxkkHmOMBrSNFTGXth2ZL8377UADdOVuNkirTM39ZD-dR5WQiMxthuYloZ7QUpCCXHRzfm5AcmHZU_UkAMfP4qHjjBp_1sM9ATVVWXFucYCuq_Cu5zRLSS0r7sxSVePveR-KOSdgzEmT7qwAZammvv0CYgyqWUtYPWkasRGr8P21MZlLLWM22YVepWd7uq_SIWNEAp9P0xnVUHtKLFvlTS5VlxgCE44Aw3XK6PhqVSH8lE1XebPi60D4Uc_vMGNX-ljx9AskBuT484_JKQptMuCLiXGE55TI8VvkgHQwnBS2Fysjejf8RqHRHlwY/p.jpeg?size=2048x1536&size_mode=3

Wow, that's a sight to behold!

I'm going to put some bags of jewel cases on the curb and see if they're adopted. If not, I'll call some of my local stores to see if they want them. I've already asked a couple of libraries who weren't interested. I didn't know they weren't recyclable!

some fine fine Aussie classics and obscurities I spy there Raven

Oh now that's the stuff we want to catch the eye, matttkkkk!

So yeah that Machine Translations near the edge of one of the shelves has a very Happy red jewel case, so it gets to be special.
(My partner bought the recent vinyl reissue, which is quite pretty but I think she found the pressing disappointingly quiet? Vinyl, it's risky!)

lolol I was scrolling past those pics thinking "wow this person has an almost raven-level shelf situation"

raven I’m here for the HTRK too, but it was The Mark of Cain which raised an eyebrow!

Ohhh I thought it may have been Mark of Cain in the bottom corner there. I listen to them surprisingly often.

lolol I was scrolling past those pics thinking "wow this person has an almost raven-level shelf situation"

― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 6:05 PM (three hours ago)

Haha hello Kit! Come back to Oz and you can stay upstairs from the CDs!

Oh look, Dropbox has renamed those files or something? Shouldn't have entrused the image embeds to a faceless corporation.

This thread should've been called "CDs: C/D?"

i like the title in that obviously there's a lot C about them but at what point does the D-ness overwhelm it for you? this is a space for those questioning.

f. hazel I would literally pay you to make that, my ilxmail works fwiw

sleeve, I actually spent the last couple days looking into Raspberry Pi-based standalone CD players with dedicated controls and a little LCD display. There are nice yet inexpensive DACs available for Pis with a variety of audio outs...

a combo Pi CD player with optical and USB inputs for its DAC would be so sweet

i like the title in that obviously there's a lot C about them but at what point does the D-ness overwhelm it for you? this is a space for those questioning.

> Raspberry Pi-based standalone CD players with dedicated controls and a little LCD display

what does that get you above, say:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Denon-DCD50SP-Compact-CD-Player/157122758

(and i wonder if you could stick a pi in that somehow?)

i'd like some kind of retro case for mine, like a gutted deco radio or something.

Dunno anything about Raspberry Pi, but that Denon appears to have no display at all, LCD or otherwise, and it's $499 and out of stock at Walmart.

says it has an OLED display, I think that's showing the logo and model number in the pic. But that's absurd money for a CDP.

I stand corrected -- that display is impressively subtle in the pictures. No evidence of CD-text, though.

(i did look on the Denon website and they still make comparable players, just that model is out of stock on that one place)

i guess a display isn't as necessary for something that only plays single disks. you're pretty much going to know which disk you just inserted, but will be more useful for any Jukebox kind of thing.

also, i found what-hifi's list of recommended CD players that I'd mentioned i didn't spot when i flicked through the awards issue and that relatively cheap for a CD player is the list is to be believed

High end disc replay is alive and well, it's the entry-level stuff that's almost vanished. Richer Sounds has a couple of models under £200 from brands I've never heard of, and then you're into Denon/Cambridge Audio territory.

Had the pleasure of listening to a ridiculous system last weekend (Koogs: my old audiophile partner-in-crime from L'boro/Mcr days, who did not stop with this stuff when I did, in fact he accelerated :/ ): Cyrus transport / Chord DAC into Benchmark pre / Bryston monos / Wilson Benesch speakers+sub. I think Pan Sonic's "Mutaaattori" at 90dB will stay with me for a while. Wilson Benesch / Dynavector / Chord vinyl front-end too. All marvellous, and, ooh, at least 1% better than the system he had 15 years ago for 1/5th the cost :)

(Meaning that his early '00s system was 1/5th the cost of this latest, er, evolution. Still, better this than a fancy car I suppose).

It’s all about the mastering for me...And then there’s the value ratio. I’d like to have everything on vinyl, but if I can pay $1-5 for a CD for a record that costs $50 or more? Well…. No contest.

OTM. Even on the high-end (e.g. MFSL reissues), I can't imagine paying $100 for a cumbersome double vinyl set when a single SACD is a fifth of that.

decided to start collecting cds this week. i've completely had it with vinyl. i've moved house so many times in the past few year and i can't be bothered dragging round even around 100 records. admittedly, i hadn't bought new music in a very, very long time since aside a few albums from friends, since i couldn't afford a decent turntable or new records, and didn't think discs were worth it/lack of optical drives in computers now... but i think that we moved on from cd too quickly. nothing about new vinyl is worth it anymore to me... new pressings have such poor qc and when i was buying, it always seemed to be pot luck...

i used to argue that cd was futile, now that we have ample storage space and hi-res distribution online, but whacking a disc on and paying full attention to the music away from the screen makes it all feel a little more worthwhile for me. cd is also efficient and inexpensive for independent artists wishing to release their music physically. everyone i know is waiting months upon months for vinyl issues now and half the time have been disappointed with the results.

i spent the past few days moseying charity shops for used discs and it's been exciting to browse and find a touch of tactility again. a little nostalgia in there too. i'm ripping in my finds to itunes/alac for backup/ipod with a usb optical drive for now, but i would like to have a nice hi-fi set up with a player & amp. any recommendations for budget units/bookshelf speakers?

perfect sound forever.

maelin otm

perfect sound forever

forever

Anyone have experience of those £50 wall mounted vertical cd players that they have on Amazon? I have a 'proper' CD player in the room with the hifi but it would be nice to be able to play a cd in the room we do most of our living in.

(i saw those when they were talking on the other thread about adding a cd player to a raspberry pi and wondered if you could fit one in the plastic casing)

the built in speakers (in the muji versions which are the only ones i've seen irl) strike me as a bit inadequate.

https://www.instructables.com/Adding-an-audio-jack-to-a-MUJI-wall-CD-player/?&cf=1

or search eBay for wall mounted cd player and you'll see some clones that have line out.

if there's ever one with digital out I'd be on it

ebay same as Amazon for this i guess..nvm

Thanks, didn't know Muji sold them. Yeah, not interested in the built in speakers as I would plug it into an amp. The main reservations people have in reviews seem to be that there's often no cover and they can be a bit noisy.

i wonder about voltages and stuff with that mod. would that be line-level out, headphone-level out, something else? also, you now have two cables hanging down.

true. maybe I'd lay it down next to my turntable so it's like a mini-me situation

Anyone have experience of those £50 wall mounted vertical cd players that they have on Amazon? I have a 'proper' CD player in the room with the hifi but it would be nice to be able to play a cd in the room we do most of our living in.

https://www.wired.com/story/you-should-listen-to-cds/

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I like that they're using more cardboard for albums but they're getting ridiculously tight, I accidentally ripped the card of a recent Van Der Graaf Generator sleeve and a Throbbing Gristle release was so determined to keep the CD inside that I said fuck it and cut it with scissors

That's kind of annoying how most new CD's just have cheap cardboard sleeves. Jewel cases may be better, but that creates even more plastic waste since almost no one recycles them. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's design for the gatefold sleeves used on their SACD's is kind of a great environmentally-friendly solution. The discs never get scratched either since they have their own soft, fabric-like sleeve.

a well manufactured matt or gloss digipak is ideal, but those little card eco-slipcases are a bit wimpy and sad. jewel cases are really cool, aesthetically, it's just a shame the plastic is so weak!

Finally getting some CDs delivered that I ordered in spring 2021. They're in heavy cardboard mini-LP sleeves, with textured matte paper on the outside (assuming they actually did what I asked) and an inner sleeve.

I like jewel cases. They look good imo, and they are so practical. But point taken about plastic waste.

xp that inner sleeve is key. I think having them is common in Japan but most U.S. releases just throw the disc in the sleeve with no protection. It's pretty sloppy, the discs get really scratched up quickly.

xxp the plastic on jewel cases used to be better, even though CD's have supposedly gotten better, per this guy at another forum:

As someone who supplied raw materials to the major CD production factories (as well as working for Philips Electronics) back in the day and up to the new millennium - I can attest to the fact that the pinnacle of CD manufacturing has only recently been achieved - the base materials used for the CD itself are now a much higher medical optical (lens grades) of poly-carbonate (with the Japanese SHM-CD materials going a grade higher still) and the aluminium substrate is now sourced from aircraft grade alloys that provide superior pit depth and form almost rivaling the gold coating of the DCC and Audio Fidelity eras.

The mastering process still uses digital glass master discs but the transfer of that data is made by FAR superior AD/DA converters and mastering suites....

However, I will concede that the jewel case has gone the other way and although it hasn't changed in thickness or dimension the material has moved from HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) for the outer case and Acrylic for the dark grey/black disc tray/insert - giving impressive impact and thermal sabilty....to low grade styrene for both, that threaten to crack if they're looked at for too long.....

*throw the disc in the cardboard album sleeve with no inner sleeve

I ended up recycling all my old jewel cases. Couldn't find any takers anywhere and my local recycling center specifically told me they take them.

I will miss the nice art collage that jewel cases provide but when you've maxed out your storage, something's got to give.

xxp that's super interesting, thank you

I thought one of the arguments for the superiority of earlier CD manufacturing was that the discs were thicker. Does that not necessarily mean sturdier?

Or is the idea that the material is better in terms of the legibility of the data rather than the endurance of the disk?

endurance durability

straighter 1s and rounder 0s

(a bit of both was my reading of that, just higher quality all round)

It's a combination of things. The discs are basically a polycarbonate layer with the data molded into it in a loooong spiraling row of pits, and the key is covering it with a reflective layer that preserves the shape of those pits as accurately as possible while reflecting as much of the laser's light as accurately as possible. So you need material that spreads evenly enough to do it but also consistently so as not to open up into gaps/pinholes (likely to happen anyway if any impurities like dust is found on the polycarbonate), and then just be good material with high reflectivity. Gold was exceptional for that because it spread so much more evenly - like I've never seen a gold CD with a single pinhole like an aluminum CD (and older aluminum CD's tend to have much more - most of the time those holes are introduced in the manufacturing, not from age.)

But doesn't the computron thingy interpret everything as 1 and 0's? I don't get how the material matters as long as the machine can read it.