Compact Disc quality variances?

[CleanLX]

Many years ago I acquired a very tall stack of generic blank CD's, and just recently ran out. I've burned music to them for years and the CD's sounded good when played. I am now looking to buy more CD's and am wondering if anyone has had better luck with a particular brand CD-R over another one in regard to sound quality, burnability, durability, life, etc.

I have done some internet research on this already and have come to the conclusion that blank-recordable CD quality varies little(if any) per manufacturer. That being the case, there is no true-noticable difference in blank CD quality to justify buying a more expensive brand name CD over a generic one...?

Discuss.

[MrsRigs]

I look for colorful ones.

[Outrun]

I always buy the generic CD's on a spool. Whatever is cheapest. I think it comes down to if you have .WAV or MP3 files and where you got them from. I always go for the highest quality, usually 320 kbps and I believe that sounds the best, even better than CD's.

I was listening to Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire and Alice in Chains - Dirt, in my car and both sounded like complete shit. Both were the originals. Perhaps over the years the CD's have degraded? I suppose that's possible as I've had both since I was 17.

Actually now that I think about it, I still buy new CD's and the quality of the tracks you get online is better IMO than the actual physical media. Strange I know, but I can tell. I have to listen to audio for a living so I have gotten very picky and am able to identify good Vs. bad audio now that I wouldn't have before starting here.

[mnstang]

I just buy whatever.

[RyanM]

Its 2013 .IPOD

[Drunko McMoppo]

Its 2013 .IPOD

It's not 2013.

[Stormwalker]

I'm more or less CD-less at this point. None of my cars even have a CD player, just USB/aux/SD card input for media. I even use USB drives for OS installations (both Windows and Linux).

Compact discs are a horrible storage media, limited in storage capacity, prone to scratching or breaking, bulky large size. I can't believe you can still buy car audio decks that accept CD media. Computers shouldn't even come with optical drives anymore. If you are still using CDs, you need to double click the AOL icon on your desktop, connect to the internet through your modem, and educate yourself on some modern storage media solutions.

[mnstang]

I keep song clips on my floppy drives

[Drunko McMoppo]

AOL isn't compatible with my Commodore 64.

[Fernanernie]

I keep song clips on my floppy drives

MIDI

[Fernanernie]

I'm more or less CD-less at this point. None of my cars even have a CD player, just USB/aux/SD card input for media. I even use USB drives for OS installations (both Windows and Linux).

Compact discs are a horrible storage media, limited in storage capacity, prone to scratching or breaking, bulky large size. I can't believe you can still buy car audio decks that accept CD media. Computers shouldn't even come with optical drives anymore. If you are still using CDs, you need to double click the AOL icon on your desktop, connect to the internet through your modem, and educate yourself on some modern storage media solutions.

I beg to differ TaxWalker. CDs are a great storage medium, for what they're designed for. Granted, dual layer DVDs and BluRay discs, as well as physical HDDs have the benefit of mass storage. But those too also have similar issues as the lowly CD. Since all optical discs do have durability issues if stored incorrectly, treating them with care is paramount. Data recorded on the disc is a 1 or 0, and unless you're exposing a RW disc to intense heat or light, it will not change what has been etched onto it. Whereas records and tapes of all kinds do deteriorate during use. Record grooves become rounded off, magnetic tapes bleed. CDs are the perfect format for what they were designed to replace, cassette tapes. Portable, fairly durable, and CHEAP to produce. Putting and albums worth of music on it works great, as long as you don't scratch it up. Hard drive also are great for storing data, but I wouldn't want to drop one and expect to recover data. Flash/USB drives need to be embraced as the future for AV content. But the likelihood of music and movie producers agreeing on one universal format shot that idea dead. Too bad, those RAM (or ROM) modules are more durable and just as cheap to distribute your content

[Stormwalker]

You beg to differ with me. Then start going on about even older storage media that's pretty much the complete fucking opposite of "modern storage media solutions". Then write a last sentence suddenly agreeing with me.

Did you pay cash tonight for that post?

[Fernanernie]

Yeah, that way it is off the books. Fuck yo taxes *****

[sport the war]

Fuck CD's. SD storage of 32 gigs > Seee Deee

[NOTNSS]

I use these and have never made a coaster yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Ritek-Ridata-80min-700MB-Finish/dp/B002ROCSC0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1377116527&sr=8-2&keywords=ridata+cd