Are Jazz CDs making a comeback?

[Stompin at the Savoy]

That last picture is a good example.  The picture is there, but degraded.  The picture doesn't cut off half way.  There are bits of missing data spotted throughout.  Q.E.D.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I have had many CDs & CD-Rs fail and ticks are the usual audible result. Static is the next one and it usually only happens with a very damaged disc. Dead discs won't play. That has only happened with a few discs in my experience and those CDs looked like somebody tap danced on them.

2 minutes ago, Stompin at the Savoy said:

That last picture is a good example.  The picture is there, but degraded.  The picture doesn't cut off half way.  There are bits of missing data spotted throughout.  Q.E.D.

But again - the audio equivalent of this is not simply a messed up sound stage. No way. An audio equivalent of this would be static or pops. Photo files are typically decoded by lines. That last picture clearly had lines of damaged data. This much damage can be shown as colored blocks in a photo but that is likely the photo display programs method of interpolation. Audio can't "patch up" that much blank space and will mute the audio or even stop playing.

[Dub Modal]

While on this subject, anyone have tips for cleaning CD players? Mine is having issues reading discs consistently, skipping frequently. At first I thought it was the discs themselves but figured out it was the player. 

[T.D.]

If you google cd lens cleaner, you can find:

Products (discs with brushes) that claim to clean the lens;

Videos on how to clean the lens manually.

I think the former work to some extent (on at least some players), have never tried the latter. I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

[mikeweil]

7 minutes ago, T.D. said:

I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

The laser unit of my Marantz SACD player started malfunctioning after 17 years. Replacements hard to find and you need a competent technician. A costly procedure. New players are one grand or more.

[Dub Modal]

1 hour ago, T.D. said:

If you google cd lens cleaner, you can find:

Products (discs with brushes) that claim to clean the lens;

Videos on how to clean the lens manually.

I think the former work to some extent (on at least some players), have never tried the latter. I also think that laser units sometimes just die, which in the price range of players I use means "get a new one". I'm not sure about high-end models...maybe those lasers get replaced.

'get a new one' sounds about right then. damn

[T.D.]

1 minute ago, Dub Modal said:

'get a new one' sounds about right then. damn

I'd buy one of those "CD laser lens cleaner" discs. They only cost $10-15. If that doesn't help, then it's probably time to get a new one. Unless you want to take the top off and try to clean the lens yourself...worst case is you mess it up and have to replace it anyway.

I saw some links estimating the effective life of a laser unit at 10,000 hours playing time. So if the player is more than 10 years old, there's a good chance the laser is dying.

[Dub Modal]

51 minutes ago, T.D. said:

I'd buy one of those "CD laser lens cleaner" discs. They only cost $10-15. If that doesn't help, then it's probably time to get a new one. Unless you want to take the top off and try to clean the lens yourself...worst case is you mess it up and have to replace it anyway.

I saw some links estimating the effective life of a laser unit at 10,000 hours playing time. So if the player is more than 10 years old, there's a good chance the laser is dying.

Yeah, it's older than that. Thanks for the advice 

[Holy Ghost]

Completely my opinion:

CDs versus vinyl: I posted I played an Oscar Peterson, Time After Time CD I "inhereted" in "what are you listening to NOW" thread and this CD is an absolute mess, like someone drove over it, or tied it on the back of their back bumper along with any other empty soup cans and used shoes after getting married (like what other annoying noise can we add to attach to the back bumper to already add to the rattling on the back bumper, to tell everybody we're hitched? You have any so-so Oscar Peterson Pablo CDs honey? In fact, I do!!! Time After Time! I'll tie it to the back bumper right now, along with the empty soup cans and nasty shoes!) Whatever the case, I washed it and played it, and it played perfectly fine; I couldn't believe it! Now tell me this would be the same case listening to a scratched up/looking like a shitty piece of vinyl after driving over it with your car. First, that record ain't worth shit; secondly, even if the sleeve is salvageable, maybe worth a ham at most. 

Moral of the story: it all depends on how you take of your stuff. CDs seem to have more give. You can drive over CDs with your car, yet they still play; one scratch on a slab of vinyl, it's ruined. 

Botton line: In my opinion, I think this vinyl-revival is a quick, market to dum dums, make a quick buck, stupid-ass fad, which young dum dums are titillated by, until their scatter brains run their ADD course very quickly, and on to whatever else. I'm in no rush converting any format to anything else. 

 

Edited 54 minutes ago by Holy Ghost