I hate everything about CDs. The flimsy jewel cases that break all the time, the tiny artwork, how easily CDs scratch, how choosing a song requires clicking stupid buttons, the delay after inserting CDs, the high pitched whine of the motor, the sound of the stepper motor as it moves the laser...
When I listen to music, I want to slow down and relax, and taking a record out of the sleeve is just so much nicer than fidgeting with CDs. I like that everything about playing records is analog. I like the crackle between songs when playing an old record, it's so much nicer than the random skipping when playing a scratched CD. When something breaks in my analog audio system, I can usually fix it myself with a soldering iron.
As for the sound, I think it's mostly because of a different style of mixing than the media itself.
I mean it can’t possibly be about CD issues because that’s trivially solved by using a digital music player. I can see the argument about the giant album art making it more of a ritual, but all of the CD complaints sound like lame justifications IMO.
Sorry, for some reason I assumed that the question was about Vinyl vs. CD, maybe because my preference for physical media seems like something obvious that needs no explanation.
Another factor is that I have the same analog hifi system since 16 years. I've grown to like it.
I've also used (and still use) digital players (computers, iPods, smartphones, etc), but they either break, or the software changes every few years, making it kinda hard to get attached to.
Most classic albums released first on vinyl were released before the loudness wars, most CD (re)releases were during or after the loudness wars. That may explain much of the impression that vinyl sounds better.
Not an audiophile, so reading this through the lens of ux, what you describe is a form of pliancy: taking the record out etc. Something that isn’t reproduced properly in digital is feeling and operation (as in actual touch and manipulation) I presume there is something in our brains that responds to that (beyond simple nostalgia)
> ... how choosing a song requires clicking stupid buttons, the delay after inserting CDs, the high pitched whine of the motor, the sound of the stepper motor as it moves the laser...
Some of the earliest CD players are superbly constructed — and have some of the best sound. I have a couple of Sony decks from the mid-1980s that are quiet, quick, and have excellent controls, complete with 20-odd direct buttons for individual songs. Playing a CD on these machines feels just as mechanically satisfying as playing a vinyl record. You have to spend some time & money finding them, but it’s not hard to pick up a top of the line 1980s player for a few hundred dollars. For me, it’s absolutely worth it.
Because unless you're paying for an expensive service, it's uncompressed vs whatever bitrate your streaming service decides to use. It's usually cheaper just to buy the CD (and rip it if you want) if you're after quality.
When I listen to music, I want to slow down and relax, and taking a record out of the sleeve is just so much nicer than fidgeting with CDs. I like that everything about playing records is analog. I like the crackle between songs when playing an old record, it's so much nicer than the random skipping when playing a scratched CD. When something breaks in my analog audio system, I can usually fix it myself with a soldering iron.
As for the sound, I think it's mostly because of a different style of mixing than the media itself.