Hello,

I thought it would be interesting to know what audio and video formats people collect other than Laser Disc (LD)?

I personally don't collect LD. I only collect HD DVD and Blu-ray.
I am thinking of starting to collect Philips CDI movies also.

I used to collect pre-recorded MiniDiscs but it was difficult to get them in Sweden so I gave up and sold my collection a few years ago.

Merry X-mas!

LD, DVD, BRD, VHS, 8mm/SONY VIDEO 8, JVC DVC, and a smidge of BETAMAX.

for Audio, i've CD, COMPACT CASSETTE, LP RECORD, and a smidge of 8-TRACK, DIGITAL AUDIO TAPE and MiniDisc...

Depends on why you want to collect. There are some older now defunct format which their technical merits still stand today. There are also formatS that makes zero sense when compared to what replaced them but has collectable value to some due to rarity and perhaps some higher fun factor.

If you can afford a really nice turntable, vinyls are worthwhile collecting. CDs are superior in every sense and can sound better even on a cheaper equipment but some recordings are better mastered on LPs and can put the CD version to shame on a really nice turntable and phono amp combo.

Compact audio cassettes are also worthwhile collecting if you have a nice tape deck. Some Nakamichi perhaps. There are a ton of these out there. Some of them are pre-loudness war era. You can compare LP,Tape and CDs since they are all cheap now and find the best mastered version for your favorite albums. Nearly all new masters are tuned for iPhones with beats headphones. They sound horrendous on any decent audio system with good dynamics and range.

DAT is technically equal to CDs. I think it is a very cool format. I never owned any. It was never mainstream. It is probably difficult to find any pre recorded tapes. I would put Hi-MD in the same category as DAT. These can sound really good so their technical merits still stand but makes very little practical sense unless you want to have them just to have them.

I only buy stuff to watch/listen. I don’t care about “completing” any list, the idea is repulsive to me and I consider it disrespectful of the art.

I buy LP, CD, iTunes, or high res downloads when available. Everything else is too hard to find or sounds like crap.

For video I do LD and BR mainly but of course I have tons of DVDs just bevause they are so cheap and it’s the only release for countless programs.

I don't really have any specific rule of thumb (and maybe I should so it would encourage me to buy less ) but I do focus mainly on LD, DVD, & Blu Ray for video and SACD & DVD-Audio for music.


For LD, I'm still looking to build my AC3 and DTS library for the obvious reason of having those 5.1 soundtracks but I'm also looking for specific special editions from Criterion as well as studio produced sets. Lastly, I also look for LD movies that have been altered in their current releases (e.g.: the ubiquitous Star Wars Trilogy is always a great example).

For DVD, I'm mainly looking for cheap special editions that haven't been in print for awhile and DTS-ES releases since they are not that common these days.

For Blu Ray, I was looking for mostly new releases but lately I haven't bought much since it's just easier to stream.

For SACD and DVD Audio, I'm focused on just about anything that has a 5.1 mix on it. These days there aren't many titles left I care to own so activity has been pretty much nil. However, I have found a great resource providing DVD Audio ISO's and it has been quite exciting discovering mixes I have never heard before that are amazing (or a dud).

I mostly try to collect vinyl and laserdiscs nowadays. I just find that vinyl sounds excellent, especially those 12 inch 45 RPM releases. They sound like coming straight out of the studio. I have most recently required such a copy of the soundtrack to Last of the Mohicans. It sounds so superior to the CD release in so many ways. I also have some of the Daft Punk stuff on vinyl and it puts the CD releases to shame.
Peter Gabriel said not a long time ago that the new 45 RPM rereleases of his entire discography sound like the master tapes. I doubt that a CD would be capable of that. Many CDs sound flat to me. Yes, a CD can sound nice too but the fun thing about vinyl is I can inherit those things to someone whileas with a CD that most likely won't be possible. I also collect cassette tapes. They sound really good on my Nakamichi. They may not have the clarity of a CD but they most definitely do not sound "loud" like many CDs something which I really appreciate.

I only collect what appeals to me so I don't have or want every movie on that particular format. I have multiple copies of the Dark Crystal on various formats because I want that. VHD, CED PSP UMD Video BD DVD LD VHS and beta for the Dark Crystal but other movies might not have a release like Labyrinth did not make it on CED.

Collect for the content, not for the format.

Same here.
Couldn't have said it better myself.

I enjoy movies, if those movies happen to be on VHS then I guess I would collect VHS.
But thank everything that the films I like are on optical media.

I tried to get CED for the few discs without other releases but it wasn't worth the risk for me.

Right now sticking to LD and DVD for films. CD for music as its cheaper and easier for me to deal without the crazy grading.
Enough spectrum stuff for me to deal with in everyday life, I don't need to magnify LP grooves to get a har-on.

I collect CD+G discs that are NOT Karaoke releases. More info here:
http://www.cdplusg.com/cdplusg/Main.html

It is partially why I sought out a LD player with CD+G capability!

That crosses over into LD because there is a promotional title that was released on both CD+G as well as CD-V:
https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/42316/CDV+G-PRO-2/The-Super-CD-System
That is my white whale. If you have it or have any info related to it please contact me.

This whole world was brought to my attention when I got my TG-16 CD system and it included a CD+G promotional disc from Warner New Media (similar to the one included with Sega CD systems).

Also, since I used to author DVD-Audio and DualDisc titles (in addition to TV shows and movies) I collect those as well as SACDs. Basically anything within my musical taste with a surround mix is a target for me.

LPs (vinyl) is also an interest but less so. I have a bunch of what I want and now don't find the need to keep buying. Used records have more issues, more pressings to keep track of, and are more fragile and expensive to get the most out of them. New records are too expensive for my taste.

I used to bootleg concerts on DAT and MD so I do have those systems but only 1 pre recorded DAT (Joy Division - Substance). I'd be interested in getting a few pre-recorded MDs but for the price I'm happy to not have them unless they fall in my lap.

All of my collecting efforts go to LD really. It is the most fun to collect IMO.

Do you have Daft Punk's Tron Legacy sound track on vinyl and if so, is it any good?

Anyone know if the Batman v Superman soundtrack by Hanz Zimmer is worth getting on vinyl?

I have the Tron Legacy CD and I can say that personally I would never spend who knows what on an LP of it since it never gets listened to.

FWIW my favorite show of all time was Daft Punk Alive 2007 at the Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA.

Wow Confederate, that is the best sales pitch I've ever read for vinyl. I won't ever get into it though, I'm like Rein-O, I started to get overwhelmed by stuff a few years ago and I'm trying to focus more and more on less. Focus doesn't always happen but a new format is not happening in my world anymore..

If it came to that, I'd rather even buy VHS than CED.

I've had a few lots offered to me, CED is just a terrible format in general, and I don't plan on collecting any more than the 5 or so movies I have on the format.

They do make great bookends for my LD collection on the bookshelf though.

I have Daft Punk's Discovery on vinyl and it is fantastic. The CD is considerably worse.

And I also know that the Tron Legacy soundtrack on vinyl is truly excellent. It is one of those must-have releases on vinyl. Just read the reviews on discogs.

@ forper - I bought a 500 $ cartridge three years ( Ortofon 2M Black ). It is the best money I have ever spent on anything in my life. To be honest, it sounds so
good that it brings me more joy than my HLD-X0 player. Yes, the X0 is very nice, too, but since I love music so much I could not imaging living without it. I can
imagine living without the X0. I have bought so many excellent sounding vinyl discs for 1 € from various discogs sellers and flea markets over the years, mostly pressings
from the 80s. MCA Records, for instance, is always excellent. I have some amazing MCA releases on record.
It is just amazing and worth every penny. You should try to get into vinyl, too. You won't regret it.

BTW, do you have any recommendation for me, music wise ? I am very interested in Japanese music from the last century, especially 70s and 80s. Maybe you have
some recommendations ? I am sure there is some great stuff that I have not heard of yet.

Sounds awesome and I admire your passion however 90% of my CD are Japanese releases from the '80s and '90s and very well mastered. No loudness issues. I have an older CDP, very quick response and solid playback optical out to my JB-980 MD deck's DAC then analogue out to my amp. With a good DAC, good speakers and well mastered CDs they sound perfect to me. Although analogue on tape does have a certain quality to it that CD doesn't have (less harsh) I see no need to upgrade and am completely satisfied with my CDs, especially since I've spent 25 years collecting them. Still many more to collect.



Well I don't really know your taste but the first music I was really into was American rock like Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Husker Du etc. My best friend liked heavier stuff, Metallica, Napalm Death, Pantera but I always had an appreciation for good melodies. Another one of my favorite CDs growing up was If I was a Carpenter where my favorite bands covered the Carpenters. I had to hide that one from my friend. haha. So I always appreciated MELODY.

Being into anime a lot I ordered a couple of CDs from the local record store at exhorbitant prices. Got the Macross Song Collection with some classic Mari Iijima tracks, I'm still a big fan of hers and have almost all her CDs. She's evolved from the typical idol and is a really great songwriter. Got Tomo Sakurai's Cherry CD. I knew her from Animerica as the VA for Mylene in the new Macross show I hadn't seen yet or grown to hate yet haha. It's sweet balads and tunes that are a little too sweet for me to listen to these days. Somehow I knew about Amuro Namie from an article in some US fanzine or something and she was hot so I ordered her CD Sweet 19 Blues. It was pretty heavy R&B and I didn't really appreciate it until much later.

I first heard more popular Japanese music in '98 at my university's Japan club. Members that had studied in Japan lent out their CDs to other members. I think some of the first stuff I heard was melodic pop music like Dreams Come True and My Little Lover and some melodic rock like Ryuichi Kawamura. I was impressed with the Japanese sense of melody, it was the same as Western pop but different.

I got an MD recorder about then and started copying everything I could from Japanese friends and girlfriends. Collected a lot of weird stuff. Some of it MD to MD. Cornelius, Kahimi Karie, Air (Japan), Thee Michelle Gun Elephant etc etc etc as well as all the Komuro-kei ,uber popular stuff that ruled the Japanese charts at the time, Globe, TRF, Tomomi Kahala etc etc don't get me wrong I didn't like everything just because it was Japanese or something. Some stuff I drew the line at, never liked Mr Children for some reason, boring pop rock. But gimme Spitz anyday. My Vietnamese housemate had every Zard single but I never bothered, just bored me. I got VCDs of concerts in Sydney's chinatown and became a huge Amuro fan from then after hearing her earlier stuff which was more straight forward dance pop music.

Anyway I'll stop boring you with the life story of the music I've liked because it will be another few long paragraphs.

Right now and for a few years I've been more interested in the 1980s. As in male vocalists and so called "city pop" or just contemporary folk music and rock from that era. Back in the day I had a Chage and Asuka 2CD set and another Asuka CD. I loved em but my young Japanese friends called em "oyaji" or old guy music. Now I actually am an old guy I love more stuff like this. For a few years now I've been really into Toshiki Kadomatsu. I'm still discovering new stuff. There's a Japanese used bookstore in Sydney these days and every time I visit I pick up a few CDs. On my last trip I got Taizo Jinnouchi, excellent (Christian?) JRock, Seishiro Kusunose just good old guy pop/city pop. Kusunose is like the stuff some comfortable mid 40s guy who collects expensive sweaters and wear large eye glasses in 1992 in Tokyo would listen to. Absolutely love it. These are examples of what I love right now. I think part of the appeal to me too is imagining life in Japan at the time when they were the wealthiest people in the world. In a way I think they had the ultimate society. Money, taste and knowledge at the same time. Peace and prosperity.

Absolute must listens and 1980s Japanese music staples are Yuming (Yumi Matsutoya), I'd recommend her Neue Music 2CD compiltaion. Cheap and covers the basics. Then your JRock archetype for the decade is Rebecca. Check out their show live at Waseda uni to understand their greatness. Those are your basics for two genres (pop ("New Music") and rock) but go crazy. Japanese music, or even Japanese pop music isn't a single genre, it's just as diverse as the Anglosphere of music I could list hundreds of artists and bands I love from Japan but I don't know what you really like so explore. Youtube is a good start and then buy what you like. A lot of the '70s stuff is vinyl only still. I personally don't like a lot of the '70s pop sound from Japan, too much disco influence or something, although HiFi Set would be an exception, just great songs.

Also check out the kayokyoku plus blog for ideas. That guy pointed me to a great little used CD store specialising in '60s-'80s in Tokyo called Tacto

i happen to REALLY DIG most of the combined soundtrack from Bubblegum Crisis (1987/1990)

so much so, that i made personal GREATEST HITS collections
on two of the best TYPE-IV Audiocassette blanks ever made, 1985 and 1990 TDK MA-XG;



played back/recorded with two of the best Hi-Fi components PIONEER ever made;

CT-S800 LaserAmorphous Head Cassette Deck (1988)



PD-91 ELITE-Series CD Player (1988)

@ forper

That was very interesting and helpful to read. Thank you. I really want to learn more about Japanese music from that period. I am really only interested in pop music or electronic music. I also like some of
the Kitaro stuff because he is more of an international artist. A lot of 80s Japanese music is on spotify and you can clearly hear that these recordings are
not loud. Spotify might not be genuine CD quality but if you have a good DAC and you have a premium subscription it sounds really good in my opinion and close to CD quality.
I know a lot of CDs from the 90s and later that sound absolutely horrible. Many recent vinyl records have a considerably better dynamic range than their CD counterparts. Unfortunately, they tend to
be quite expensive and I have a theory that they ( the record studios and big companies such as Sony Music etc. ) do that on purpose to make the vinyl product look like the premium audiophile
version of an album because true audiophiles know how crappy many CDs sound.

Yes, type IV tapes are excellent, tasuke. On a good deck if properly recorded they can sound just as good as the source. I have never experienced reel to reel in my life but I would really like to hear
what reel-2-reel to type II or IV tape copies sound like. I have already copied some laserdiscs to tape such as the excellent Beyond The Mind's Eye video.

Good day members

I must express my joy with each visitation here of late.

The members articulation of thought, who's very efforts have revitalized the latest subject matter.

I am grateful for the efforts from others here, who find it within themselves & the hidden reserves in revisiting past subjects from different perspectives, angles and viewpoints.

I shall add my small contribution, in the hope that others can relate to each other, and to draw the membership closer in so many ways.

From as early as 1980 onward the following equipment has come and gone, and the reasons for parting with a number of items was due to life, the choices we make, the wrong turns, unforeseen circumstances, moving home and lack of space, saving hard for other things of interest, or upgrades & available or lack thereof funds.

We all share our various depths of Enthusiasm, our passions here for so many, of the following formats and more besides: VINYL / CASSETTE / REEL TO REEL / CED / LD / DVD / D-VHS /HD DVD / BLU-RAY & 4K BLU-RAY and Beyond who knows.

Our enthusiasm, Our inner Joys of the Visual, Audio and game play past times, that have given us so much happiness and so forth.

I can only convey & express my own personal unique comments here in the sincerest hope that this is well received with genuine warmth
by all those who read these passing words.

Words that are not fleeting no, but with a story that I myself and the many countless others around the World with their own unique personalities and experiences are able to connect on reflection.

To trust that, and to know that if I had the opportunity to meet you in person, that I would enjoy the company, buy you a meal, a drink and converse with.

Know that although I do not write often, and that like everyone else here we are human, and go through so much besides in our daily lives.

All here have a hidden wealth and that wealth is within each of us, our personalities and for so many the trials, endurance's, Hopes, Dreams, misfortunes, tragedies, joys, pains, sufferings that are encountered with each passing moments in time, can never really be expressed with words alone, but only understood by those who read between and beyond such.

The aforementioned comments immediately above are mostly not spoken of openly...... People go through a great deal.

I have a very dear Friend here on the forum, for over six years now we have grown, who has gone through his own life trials, emotional pain, an operation a few years back, has recently lost a loved one and others before this, worries and concerns with work, with life, with Family and his Dear Son.

The trust placed between us both, gives our Friendship Strength, a depth of garnered Gratitude that grows by the day.

Such a joy that enhances ones life is beyond compare, we shall walk side by side and be enriched for the knowing.

PM's that have been sent and although 4000 mile apart, we have shared and have grieved with tears shed and shared selflessly as True Friends naturally Should.

Any way' I digress or have I? For this is not just about the equipment we own, its about our personal Humanity towards all....I could not be more seriously appreciative, as you are all a good bunch here.....Not to get sentimental but life teaches us so much more along the way.

So many aspects become clearer, it's about people and how we treat each other, and self empowerment through a depth of discernment.

The mention of the equipment below has a long journey attached from then until now life and all that that implies.

1980-1992
SONY CASSETTE WALKMAN / TOSHIBA CASSETTE WALKMAN.
SHARP GHETTO BLASTERS X 2.
SHARPS VERTICAL RECORD PLAYER WITH CASSETTE & RADIO.
NAD 3020 AMP.
AR TURNTABLE WITH A LYNN BASIC ARM AND CARTRIDGE.
NAKAMICHI DRAGON.
NAKAMICHI BX300
NAKAMICHI A7 I THINK / A5
TEAC RX1000 / RX2000 REEL TO REEL.
YAMAHA FM/AM TUNER.
TECHNICS SOUND SPACIAL EX PANDER.
JVC CD FIRST EVER ONE THEY RELEASED VERTICAL TRAY.
JVC TWIN CASSETTE AUTO REVERSE.
AIWA 770 / 990 CASSETTE PLAYER WITH AUTO DEMAGNETISER.
KENWOOD CD PLAYER.
ADC GRAPHIC EQUALIZER.
JBL SPEAKERS.
TECHNICS BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS.

From October 1987-1998
I was a motorcyclist and so my funds were focused on such, for the duration with the following motorcycles;
KAWASAKI AR 125 / GPZ500 / HONDA CBR1000 & THEN UPDATED MODEL CBR1000 (AS A RESULT OF A ROAD ACCIDENT.)
HONDA PAN EUROPEAN 1.100CC / HONDA GOLDWING GL1.500 =(of which was damaged and then sold to pay off a number of my brothers debts.) KAWASIKI KLE 500cc / Then three years later, paid for with hard earned cash and imported from the USA another HONDA GOLDWING 25th Anniversary GL1500cc fully loaded working sometimes up to 120hr week.

After around three years I chose to sell this, due to my Mothers health progressively getting worse, I then purchased with this sale a VW GOLF GTT M3 (still have)

I shall need to purchase a newer vehicle in 2020, and shall choose very carefully and be patient in deciding which model to go for, but this will have to be chosen and to be more economical, less of a drain on ones daily available funds.

1993-1997
KENWOOD HIFI STACK SEPARATES AND SPEAKERS.
DENON MINI STACK SEPARATES AND BW 602 SPEAKERS.

1998-2020
RETURNED TO SERIOUS AUDIO WITH THE ADDITION OF VIDEO.
YAMAHA AV RECEIVER WITH INTERNAL RF DEMODULATION.
PANASONIC S-VHS PLAYER
PANASONIC 32'' TUBE TV.
PIONEER DVL 909 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER DVL 919E (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER LD 925 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE DVL 91 X 2 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE LD 97 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE LD 99 X 2 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE HLD X9 (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE DV 09 THX (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER ELITE DV 38A THX (STILL HAVE.)
SONY AX50 ES CD PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
SONY SACD XA900 ES PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
PIONEER LX91 BLU RAY PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
OPPO BDP 105D BLU-RAY PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
SONY 4K 800 PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
ISOTEK POWER CONDITIONER EVO SIGMA.
TOSHIBA XE1 HD DVD PLAYER (STILL HAVE)
DENON 3930 DVD PLAYER (STILL HAVE.)
SONY JA30 / JA50 ES MINIDISC PLAYERS (STILL HAVE.)
SONY D7777ES DAB TUNER (STILL HAVE.)
LEXICON MC-12 BALANCED PRE AMP / LEXICON LX7 AMP (STILL HAVE.
PIONEER 503 PLASMA 50'' SCREEN IN BEDROOM (STILL HAVE.)
SONY ZD9 75'' 4K SCREEN IN LIVING ROOM.
GRAHAM SLEE HEADPHONE AMP SOLO ULTRA LINEAR WITH SEPARATE POWER SUPPLY.
MING-DA VALVE HEADPHONE AMP.
SONY HTST 5000 DOLBY ATMOS 7.1.2 SOUND BAR AND SUB.
MERIDIAN 519 LD DEMODULATORS X 2.
PIONEER LD DE-MODULATOR.
KENWOOD 990 / 991 LD DE-MODULATORS.
LEXICON LDDB DE-MODULATOR.
BOSE (LOVE EM OR HATE EM) THEY SOUND GOOD FOR ME ACCOUSTIMASS 111 6.1 = X2 OF FOR TWO ROOMS.
DENON AV1 AV AMP IN THE BEDROOM.
SENNHEISER HD 600/650/800 & 800S HEADPHONES.

SO THE FORMATS OF MY SYSTEM ARE;
DAB TUNER
MINI DISC
CD
SACD
LD
DVD
HD DVD
BLU-RAY
4K BLU-RAY

I shall be re investing into the following formats in the not to distant future;
REEL TO REEL
TURNTABLE
VALVE PRE AND POWER AMPS FROM PRIMALUNA EVO 400.
SPENDOR D7 OR D9 STEREO SPEAKERS.

I am just an average joe and make no mistake most of the above was stored in boxes for between 12 to 14 years before moving into my first home.
the players were mostly imported from the USA with power transformers.
the Lexicon Pre and Power amps were reserved with a seller for 4 1/2 years whilst I paid weekly, monthly and then when paid for i had to pay a further £2,500 for software and hardware upgrades, and when this finally arrived home, was kept in boxes for another 4 1/2 years before I could afford to pay for bespoke HiFi solid oak 42 mil thick 3 x racks over eight foot long shelves 4 tiers high.
I then had to wait a further four years before I could afford and negotiate 7 x Silver balanced cables £1,600.

Trust me when I say if you want something then you make sacrifices, many many! and that's part of the enjoyment.

Kindest regards to all