Hi, David.  Thanks for mentioning the problem with the Caruso set.  I will
go check mine.  If that was the Pearl set, an awful lot of those old Pearls
have bronzed and gone bad.  Very common.

The good news is that you can get much superior transfers/restorations, and
a more complete set, as done by Marston, on Naxos.   These are also way
better than the big BMG set.

Best,
John Haley


On Thu, Nov 7, 2013 at 11:07 AM, DAVID BURNHAM <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I've never seen one of my CDs warped - my earliest CDs were purchased in
> 1982 and they play fine.  However, one set I purchased, the complete Caruso
> recordings on Victor, completely self-destructed while I wasn't watching;
>  I think the problem was blamed on the label, a replica of the early Red
> Seal Bat Wing.
>
> db
>
>
>
> >________________________________
> > From: Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Sent: Thursday, November 7, 2013 9:20:27 AM
> >Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Maximizing CD Storage Space
> >
> >
> >Hi Don:
> >
> >A single hard drive definitely won't last longer. We've discussed
> managed/migrated storage ad
> >nauseum here. Don't worry, I think you're probably older than I am, so
> your CDs will outlast you if
> >you take care of them. I'm guessing mine will too, but I've already had
> problems with seldom-played
> >early-era discs. One problem CDs have is that they warp even under good
> storage conditions. I assume
> >the plastic expands and contracts and a different rate from the aluminum,
> perhaps causing warping
> >over time. Once they get un-flat enough, they are hard for many players
> to reliably read at 1x
> >speed, but seem to be OK to rip in my Plextor PC drive.
> >
> >-- Tom Fine
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Don Cox" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2013 10:04 AM
> >Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Maximizing CD Storage Space
> >
> >
> >> On 06/11/2013, Tom Fine wrote:
> >>
> >>> Agree they should have used a less-brittle kind of plastic, but I'm
> >>> sure the cost factor figured in. Also remember that in the early CD
> >>> days, discs were sold in cardboard long boxes, so less likely you'd
> >>> get a damaged jewel case. If you break one at home, replacements are
> >>> dirt-cheap.
> >>>
> >>> I really like the soft plastic Gaylord boxes that libraries use, but
> >>> they are frosted semi-opaque, which makes reading the spine harder.
> >>>
> >>> As a matter of course, one should handle their CD collection with care
> >>> because so many discs are now out of print. Fingerprints are toxic,
> >>> and circular scratches often cause fatal read errors.
> >>> Non-deep/non-wide scratches that go from center to edge (ie not along
> >>> the circle) are less likely to cause read errors, but should be
> >>> avoided. One problem with envelopes is that they can be conducive to
> >>> scratches, especially in a dirty environment. I'm more and more of the
> >>> mind that it's wise to rip our CDs to hard drives, not counting on the
> >>> discs being playable long-term. I worry about players eventually not
> >>> existing (not likely in my lifetime, but possible) and the discs
> >>> getting unplayable from some aging process that we don't yet know
> >>> about (plastic is, after all, plastic and thus not 100% stable over
> >>> time).
> >>>
> >> Amber is chemically similar to plastics and lasts for millions of years.
> >>
> >> Man-made plastics have varying lifetimes. Nylon, for instance, lasts a
> >> few decades before crumbling.
> >>
> >> I think polycarbonate is one of the better ones.
> >>
> >> I don't understand why you think a hard drive will last longer.
> >>
> >> Regards
> >> --
> >> Don Cox
> >> [log in to unmask]
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>