Records or CDs: Which Physical Media Is Best for You?

If streaming music is just not cutting it for you, physical media is a great way to both enjoy music and create a hobby of it. Collecting records and CDs are both great to get into, but chances are you're going to want to lean into one more than the other.

If you aren't sure which one to get into, here are the main differentiating features between CDs and vinyl records.

Tracks on CDs and Records Can Sound Different

If you've ever wondered why records sound so unique compared to digital tracks, it comes down to two things.

The first is the analog nature of vinyl, which largely comes down to harmonic distortion. Put simply, harmonic distortion is any alteration or deviation from the intended sound of a source. Records have an audible level of harmonic distortion because of the vibration of the stylus against the record.

Because of this, vinyl records have a unique sound quality, being described as "warm" and "crackly."

But on top of this, there are physical limitations to the way vinyl is pressed. One example is bass, which requires deeper grooves, which can cause the stylus to skip. So some tracks have to be mastered with a bit less bass to accommodate the medium.

In addition, grooves closer to the center of the record have lower resolution, so the songs near the end of each side of the record won't sound as high fidelity as the outside grooves. Records therefore have to be ordered and mastered in ways that accommodate that.

CDs, being fully digital, have no physical limitations. A song can be mastered in whatever way the producer and artist want it to sound, because that sound will translate as intended from the audio source to the output. This doesn't mean one is better than the other. Many people prefer the sound of vinyl records, both for their mastering and their warm quality. CDs have the benefit of having a consistent sound that's closer to what the producer and artist intended it to sound like.

CDs Are Easier to Store

CDs are compact, it's in the name. Therefore, storing them is significantly easier than storing records. They take up less space, and can be stacked or stored easily. Whether you want to store them on your shelf, in a drawer, or in the glove box of your car, you won't have to worry much about them taking up too much space.

Records take up a lot of space, and a small collection can also end up weighing a lot. You need ample room to store records, and you'll need to make sure they're safe, too. Records are not only significantly larger than CDs, but they're also quite fragile. Improper storage of records, even in their original record jacket and sleeves, can lead to permanent damage.

Records Have an Aesthetic Edge Over CDs

You don't usually see people displaying CDs on their wall, and for good reason. They just don't look that great, especially compared to records. They can look cool stacked, but the plastic cases don't make for a great display in any other way.

Records, on the other hand, are quite beautiful. The perfect square form factor, as well as the size of record jacket, make them perfect for displaying. Even a vinyl record alone can look nice mounted on a wall, though it's not the best way to care for a record.

If you're looking for both a hobby and a community to go along with it, you'll find a lot more record enthusiasts out there to geek out with than CD enthusiasts. Vinyl records had a massive renaissance in the late 2000s, and the craze hasn't really stopped since. There are a ton of online communities dedicated to record collecting, and you could even strike up a conversation with a stranger in a record store and have a lovely interaction.

This also makes it a lot easier to find cool records to collect. With a large community comes a lot of potential sellers for rare, limited edition, or generally hard to find records. That's not to say you can't find the same with CDs. It's just that vinyl, being such an old and well-loved medium, will always have more enthusiasts.

CDs Are Usually Cheaper Than Vinyl

CDs cost significantly less to produce than vinyl records, and are therefore significantly less expensive. In the used market especially, CDs can go for very cheap prices. Vinyl records generally depreciate with time, but some can actually appreciate, depending on how rare or sought-after they are.

The average price range of a new vinyl record is anywhere from $20 to $30. A new CD, on the other hand, will only put you out about $10 to $15. So if you don't have a lot of money to spend on a physical media hobby, CDs are the more frugal option.

Since records require physical contact with a stylus to be played, over time they will wear out. Grooves will get deeper, you might get more record skips, and they're liable to scratch or break with lots of use. While this can make records have a nice "vintage" sounding quality to them, your record will simply have lower fidelity over time. It won't sound like it used to, even if it still sounds cool.

CDs are significantly more resistant to damage from regular use, and little scratches won't really do anything to your CDs. Deeper scratches are a concern to be sure, but that kind of damage requires a bit more effort to sustain. With proper care, CDs can last an indefinite amount of time.

As long as you keep them in their cases and keep them away from extreme temperatures or direct sunlight, you're probably going to be able to enjoy a CD for a long time with zero difference in audio quality or playability.

Regardless of which you choose, collecting physical media is a fun and fulfilling hobby. There's something out there for everyone. So, whether you go with records for their unique sound and aesthetic appeal, or CDs for their compact form factor and affordability, you'll likely have a great time collecting them.