Playing Nimbus CDs

[Alan Howe]

The latest reply from Wyastone reads as follows with regard to the Marantz CD6006 player:

I sent your email onto our technical department and they assure me that you should have no issues playing our CDR's on this model.

[Mark Thomas]

I suppose what strikes me is that they wouldn't have to jump through all these hoops if they just produced regular CDs.

[Alan Howe]

Absolutely.

When I spoke to MDT (who had supplied me with the Nimbus CD) the other day, they told me that short-run productions on CD-R were likely to be the way the industry will go in the future - at least as far as the smaller labels are concerned.

[Mark Thomas]

I'm sure they're right. It certainly made economic sense for one small classical label I know quite well. There is evidence that CD-Rs don't last as long as regular CDs, so I always make a FLAC backup of any which I buy (very few now as I get most of my music digitally).

[arpeggio]

This would appear to indicate limited print runs. If you are reproducing less than 500 (and in many cases, less than 1000) the replication route, resulting in conventional commercial CDs, won't be available to you; it will have to be duplication, and that is done with CD-Rs.

[Alan Howe]

After consulting a local(ish) hi-fi retailer, I was recommended the Onkyo C7030 player on the basis that if it won't play the CDRs in question, I can return it. The delivery date is Monday 9th, so I await the results with some trepidation...

[Alan Howe]

...and I'm glad to say that the Onkyo machine plays the Wyastone-produced CDs absolutely fine. Phew...

[Mark Thomas]

Oh good. I'd still make a FLAC backup, just to be on the safe side.

[TerraEpon]

I have a FLAC version of every CD I own....in fact, I only even listen to the actual CD once nowadays.

[Alan Howe]

How do you listen to your music - on a laptop, iPod, phone, PC? Using headphones or loudspeakers?

[TerraEpon]

PC using Sennheiser 598 headphones.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks for the info.

[Sandflyer]

I duly read the 120 day warning, but since I've only joined yesterday, I have some catching up to do...
I only wish to correct (?) some information posted above:

Yes, most, if not all CD players have the ability of playing mp3 and WMA files (from a CDR or through a USB slot), however I'm fairly certain that most cannot play lossless files (FLAC, WAV) And even if they do, it's almost certainly not gapless playback.

However, most Bluray players do offer playback of most audio files, but again as far as I know, not gapless.

In recent years I've become a huge fan of streamers (i.e. devices that play all kinds of audio files and internet streams). Streamers are designed to play audio files and all offer gapless playback. Where in the past I burned my broadcast recordings to CDR, I now convert original recordings directly to FLAC to play through my streamer.
All CDRs will fail eventually. The playing surface is sensitive to light and even if your shelves are not exposed to direct sunlight, CDRs can still fail.

Apologies if the above is obvious.

[dhibbard]

I had an interesting experience... I recently bought a "new" CD from Amazon and didn't realize that when I opened it, it was actually a CD-R.
Then I read this in fine print on the product description:

When sold by Amazon.com, this product will be manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply

and of course, the booklet was reproduced on a color copier and there was nothing in the booklet.    Just be warned!!

[Alan Howe]

What was this CD? More details, please!