COMPACT DISC'S STAR HAS FADED, BUT WE LOVE IT ANYWAY

What Hi-Fi? explains why the original silver music disc still appeals

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Compact Disc’s star has well and truly faded. At its peak, at the turn of the century, just short of a billion silver discs were sold in the USA in a year. Fast forward to 2022 and that number had dropped to just 33 million, with the format suffering the ignominy of being overtaken by vinyl (41 million sales). Given that the CD was originally developed to replace records, that is some fall from grace.

Of course, the success of streaming has played a large part in the downfall of the CD. How could it not? The major music streaming services – Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon and Deezer – carry many millions of songs and most can deliver higher resolution than 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-spec quality. So, given the convenience, choice and source quality we enjoy from streaming services, why am I writing this in praise of a format that teeters at the edge of mass market extinction?

Nostalgia has something to do with it, of course. I clearly remember when the CD was launched and all the excitement that went with it. Those early machines from the likes of Sony (CDP-101) and Philips (CD100) represented cutting-edge technology for the time, and though there was plenty of room for sonic improvement, the format was a clear step ahead of vinyl for the mass market.

Wonderful players

Over the years I have been lucky enough to hear some great players, from Ken Ishawata-flavoured Marantz products to ultra high-end beasts from the likes of Wadia and dCS; and they have all thrilled. But that nostalgia isn’t the driving force behind writing this piece. My rekindled appreciation is down to the stream of tasty CD players that have passed through What Hi-Fi?’s test rooms in recent months.