I recently lost the use of my CD player. It has been a staple in my system for years and I took great time in picking it out almost 7 years ago. This brought me to a choice, should I get my beloved Rega fixed or do I go digital and get a Sooloos system?
Well, I went through the regular thought process on this. How do I use the CD player? And should I spend the money on getting something fixed that is already a digital format, when I can go completely digital and put all my music (some 6000 CD’s) on to a digital server and access them on a touchscreen or an even more accessible iPad?
That brought me to a place where I thought about how I listen to music or, should I say, how we all listen to music.
I think about how I got into music, listening to vinyl records my older brothers and sister would have playing on their turntables. How my parents would always have music playing on the old console system in the living room. The sound of the record dropping down on the album, the pops and clicks that I knew by heart, because I had heard them hundreds of times before. That gave me a warm feeling inside. And then I got it; that’s what we love about listening to vinyl records so much, at least people of my generation and earlier. It transports us to a place that is not so clinical like a CD or a digital recording. It’s those pops and clicks that we enjoy almost as much as the recordings themselves.I did say almost! A freshly opened record played on a great turntable is quite remarkable, and you can listen for hours. You don’t mind that you have to get up and turn the record over, who cares, plus you get a bit of exercise in the process. I know vinyl has taken on quite a resurgence as of late, which is really fantastic in my opinion. I meet people daily who have decided to explore those old records in the attic or basement, and maybe even upgrade their turntable. The price of vinyl has exploded too. Gone are the days of rummaging the dollar bin at your local record store or Kmart. Records are now $20, $30 and much higher for collectables. But, records take us to a place that CD’s and Digital downloads can’t.
I equate that to my decision on fixing my beloved CD player. I like looking through my CD collection, taking the time to pick just the right CD that fits the mood, walking over to the player, opening the top mounted drive, popping it in and listening to all those great sounds coming out of my system. It has also become a weekly event that I share with my daughter. We pick out music together and listen, me with my glass of wine and her with a glass of chocolate milk (organic of course). It’s not quite the same audio experience as vinyl… no pops or clicks, just pure ones and zeros (thats a bit of digital humor), but we enjoy the experience together.
So now I come back to my quandary. I will get my CD player fixed because I am not ready to give up the enjoyment I get out of picking out and putting a CD into the player and also sharing that with my daughter. Those will be things I hope she can share with her child when she is older. I know I think back fondly on those great memories with my family.
I will also get a Sooloos system. But It will be incorporated into our living room and family area, so everyone can enjoy a pure digital copy of the many CD’s in our collection. I too still have a turntable, that as of late has gotten more use than it has in years, because of my CD player out being fixed. It’s been great fun playing those old records again.
Hope you enjoyed this installment of our blog and thanks for reading! Erich
