For nearly 20 years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with the Compact Disc (CD). I admire it for outlasting every prediction about its demise—but that stubborn endurance also frustrates me. In a world where technology races ahead, the CD has somehow refused to be left behind, a theme I explored in a Real Hi-Fi video just over two years ago.
Before I explain my frustration further, here’s the short version of CD’s origin story, one you might’ve heard a thousand times. The CD was born from a collaboration between Philips and Sony, each already experimenting with digital-audio discs before joining forces in 1979. The result was the Red Book Compact Disc Digital Audio (CD-DA) standard, published in 1980. Using 16-bit, 44.1kHz PCM (pulse code modulation) encoding, the CD could hold roughly 74 minutes of music at introduction, which increased to about 80 minutes over time.
The CD debuted in Japan in October 1982 and arrived in North America and Europe the following year. It brought digital music playback into homes, and by the late 1980s it had overtaken vinyl. For a digital format introduced more than 40 years ago, its continued presence is remarkable—almost miraculous. Hats off to its original architects.
And yet, that’s the problem I have with it. When the CD appeared, personal computers were just entering homes and offices. Technology was evolving at breakneck speed, and it seemed inevitable that something better would quickly replace the CD. Just compare a modern personal computer with one from 1982. The eventual obsolescence of CDs should’ve been guaranteed, which suited me fine, because I was hoping that a far better physical digital format would come along. But this wasn’t guaranteed—and that’s why my fondness for the CD is forever tinged with irritation.
The format war that flopped
Newer high-fidelity physical formats eventually appeared in attempts to supplant the CD. Around the year 2000, two hi-rez audio formats entered the market: Super Audio CD (SACD), also from Sony and Philips, and DVD-Audio, which was backed by companies such as Panasonic and Warner. SACDs used Direct Stream Digital (DSD) single-bit encoding for hi-rez audio. SACDs could also contain a second layer with standard Red Book (16/44.1 PCM) audio, making them compatible with existing hardware but also ready for the new generation of players. Like CD, DVD-Audio was PCM-based and basically used the extra storage capacity of DVDs to offer higher sampling rates and bit depths—up to 24/192. Both formats were also capable of holding more than two channels, up to 5.1-channel surround sound.
On paper and in marketing materials, these formats boasted superior sound compared to the CD, but neither won over the public. One could point to a number of reasons why they never did, but what’s most important is that in the end, the format war ended with the CD as the victor. DVD-Audio was completely discontinued, while the SACD managed to hold on and still appeals to a niche market. But it was the CD that continued to sell to the masses—right up to today.
That outcome frustrated me. After these failures, it seemed obvious that no physical format would ever replace the CD. Not even Blu-ray Audio—which came after SACD and DVD-Audio and offers higher resolution than CD and surround sound—could make a dent, though it, too, survives as a niche format. Instead, streaming became the next logical step for music delivery; and it has gained mass acceptance—but at the expense of physicality.
Montreal in July
My view of the CD began to change this past July while I was scouting locations in Montreal for our Why Vinyl video series. I visited three notable music stores: Cheap Thrills, Aux 33 Tours, and Freeson Rock.
Located downtown and dating back to 1971, Cheap Thrills is Montreal’s oldest used-record store. It is best known for vinyl—now new and used—yet the shop also carries a healthy stock of CDs, and even cassettes (the latter possibly being the topic for a future editorial, provided the format doesn’t just disappear again, as it should).
Owner Gary Worsley told me he has observed a notable resurgence in CD sales. This trend has been widely reported in the news over the last year or so, prompting some to declare that CD will enjoy a revival similar to vinyl. But Worsley’s reasoning caught me off guard. I had assumed that this resurgence was purely about the desire for physical media—the same nostalgia that has driven vinyl’s comeback and will ensure that vinyl remains a relevant music format. But there’s another factor. As Worsley explained, the rising cost of new and used vinyl is pushing some buyers away from vinyl and toward CDs.
When I thought about what Worsley had said, I realized the truth behind it. In Canada, a new mass-market album release can cost $50 or more on vinyl, while the CD sells for around $20. Used CDs can be bought for a couple of dollars—some people will even give them away for free, as they used to do with vinyl. Used vinyl, however, can now command hefty prices. I believe it’s the same pretty much everywhere in the world.
Next, I visited Aux 33 Tours, a very large shop just outside of downtown that focuses on new and used vinyl. I don’t recall seeing CDs there, though I didn’t make a point of looking too closely. But I relayed Worsley’s point about CD-versus-vinyl pricing, and the staff agreed it made sense because vinyl has become so much more expensive.
My final stop was Freeson Rock, located just down the street from Aux 33 Tours. From what I could tell from a quick glance, the vinyl/CD split in this store appeared closer to 50/50. A staff member confirmed that some customers specifically prefer CDs for certain musical genres, but price remains a key factor for many who want to buy physical albums, which puts CDs at a clear advantage.
My shift in perspective
Those conversations stayed with me and, in turn, have softened my stance on the now-venerable CD format. I still wish the CD had been replaced by something that combined the convenience of digital with an even better physical experience. Wishing is one thing, but reality is another—this replacement didn’t happen, and nothing indicates it will. I now see that the CD continues to serve a real purpose: it fills a meaningful gap between high-priced vinyl and intangible streaming for those who enjoy physicality in music playback.
That desire for physicality isn’t a bad thing. Physical media have always offered more than just sound. LPs and CDs include artwork and liner notes, and they add a tactile ritual to music playback—whether it’s placing a vinyl record on a platter or setting a CD in a tray.
Mind you, I can’t see myself falling in love with the CD again the way I did in the 1980s—I was one of those who got rid of many of my LPs the moment I got into CDs. I will probably keep wishing for a new, better digital format to take the CD’s place, even though that’s extremely unlikely. But that one day in Montreal cured me of the wish I’d held for 20 years—that the CD would just disappear. The cassette is a different story—perhaps for another time.
. . . Doug Schneider
das@soundstage.com
