CDs are back because streaming made music feel disposable
Streaming’s TOS somehow makes “everything” feel like nothing.
CDs are somehow cool again, which means we have reached the part of the streaming era where everyone misses “owning” music.
This video sets up vinyl, CD, and lossless streaming systems side by side, then walks through the hardware and the arguments: turntables, cartridges, tonearms, CD players, DACs, and whether a modern streamer can compete with physical media in terms of sound quality. The never-ending audiophile argument.
Vinyl is the expensive ritual. Streaming is the frictionless buffet. CDs are the weird middle child that suddenly looks reasonable again: cheap, durable, good-sounding, and not dependent on a licensing deal expiring while you sleep.
Streaming’s TOS somehow makes “everything” feel like nothing.
You can easily find the instructions for converting an iPod to flash memory, adding anywhere from 120GB to 2TB of memory, and then just start ripping cds from the local public library at 320kbps (though the iPod operating system has certain limits depending on the generation.) Add a new battery while you're at it and get 16 hours or more of play time before it needs recharging.