Ideas for Storing CD Collection? Good Questions

Q: I have this really nice vintage Pioneer SX-939, and two pairs of Advent Loudspeakers (larger photo below). Together, albums and internet radio sounds amazing, but I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with my CD collection. I'd like to have it nearby, so people can browse...

...through it when they're over, but I don't want to hang them on the wall or put up cheesy Target CD towers. I am at a loss as to how best access my albums while preserving the aesthetic of the stereo system.

Sent by Kevin

Editor: Have any good ideas to share with Kevin? Please let him know in the comments below...thanks!

• Got a question? Email yours with pic attachments here (those with pics get answered first)

Comments (17)

CD wallets. Donate or recycle the plastic cases.

I have over 500 cd's. I put them in two 300 CD capacity wallets, and put them on a self.

Might I suggest:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50104095

They are affordable, take up very little space and look really great in multiples. The nice thing is that they display your CD (and DVD as listed) without demanding too much visual attention.

Good luck!

Ditch the jewel boxes and use CD binders - best tip I ever got from this website.

I keep most of mine in drawers of an armoire that houses my TV and video game systems. While you aren't using an armoire, you could still maybe find a drawer system that works for you. Cool setup!

My storage:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/portugepunk/4005997501/

as a music/film fanatic, who has over 2000 cds/dvds, i've gotten rid of the covers & keep the booklets & discs in large binders which are then placed on bookshelves. makes it handy to go through & select them--you just have to make use of a good organization system. i have some discs stored on a disc drive (those that we rarely listen to) but i don't want to store my cds & like having them around. it's a real pain decorating your space around large speakers & a subwoofer not to mention a tv & all those damn cables & wires. i've said this before--ATers seem to have only small collections & portable music systems. i rarely see big speakers (which in spite of speaker technology are needed to get really good sound), subwoofers, etc. it seems that most don't even watch films/tv or have them hidden in cabinets.

Agreed that ripping them to 320 would be comparable sound-wise with the right set up, but the sound quality might suffer depending on how he will get the music file to play on this analog system.

Digital files to a vintage analog set-up can be tricky. Without knowing specifics on your set up, I wouldn't advise using MP3 files.

I second the suggestion to burn to FLAC. If you want to keep the CDs, I'd also recommend getting a CD folder and recycling the plastic jewel cases.

I'd also suggest getting another table for your amp--your setup is gorgeous, while that table is...well, not.

This is what I did
http://rearrangeddesign.blogspot.com/2008/10/from-all-junks-one-i-need-more-is-music.html

Jewel sleeves and a dresser, I found the binders to be cumbersome as I keep my collection alphabetical and binders tend to scratch the discs.

I use a 2nd hand chest of drawers or bureau.
I painted the top, and currently have displayed on it a camera, a tv remote, a coaster, some cds, a pumpkins and a framed photo. It sits behind a daybed/sofa thing
Inside each of the 4 drawers is about 225 cd's, jewel cases and all. I keep my cd's in the cases because I do periodically take a few into the car with me.
I don't recommend the easy portability of one's entire collection in something like a CaseLogic because after working years in music retail... well, those things walk!
yes, ripping them all on to your computer, then to an iPod may convenient... but a lost iPod or fried computer =tears. keep the back up.

I use the Ikea option above. A someone who plays LP's, you will never get musical satisifaction from digital media storage.

I had the same problem for years until i decided to purchase rotating cd racks like these. http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-89943295076776_2072_50668739

i have approximately 2000 cds. Using these towers, I have them divided by genre and then alphabetically so they are easily and quickly accessible. The other good thing is that they take up the smallest amount of floor space vs using drawers/dressers.

I also agree that the electronic storage is really not an option for those who enjoy the best, possible sound.

I have about 1300 CDs. To reduce the physical footprint of the discs, I used these:
http://www.jazzloft.com/p-34281-space-saving-cd-sleeves.aspx

I store everything in cheap boxes from Ikea (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80150514) and I've created heavy bond inserts for each letter of the alphabet that are about 2 inches taller than a standard CD - sort of like a record store (eventually I'll get around to making an insert for each artist so that I can quickly flip between them). I'm storing these on open shelves - if you have drawers you obviously don't need the boxes.

I haven't tried the Jewel Sleeves that Ana recommended, but they seem sort of pricey compared to the Jazzloft sleeves (roughly 3x the cost, if you buy in bulk).

Acrylic sleeves (regardless of who manufactures them) make a ton of sense. You get to keep ALL of the cover art for your discs - including the rear insert. An additional advantage of storing the discs in a format with the same height and width as standard CDs means that you can integrate non-jewel case CDs into your storage system and maintain alphabetical order (not possible if you're using binders unless you throw away or cut up the speciality packaging some discs come in).

I would recommend that you rip all your CDs as part of this process as well - for backup purposes, if nothing else. Given how cheap hard drive space is, there really is no reason NOT to rip to a lossless format. I would suggest using an open codec - like many of the above, I use FLAC.

Turn the covers into functional art! You could recycle the jewel cases and mount all the covers to the wall behind the stereo in a beautiful grid. Use 3M Command poster strips, which remove without marking the wall or the CD case.

http://inspiredroomdesign.com

Chryses -

I've been pondering the Jazzloft vs the Jewel Sleeve, but do the Jazz loft sleeves offer any sort of protection for the disc so it doesn't scratch?

It looks like the Jewel Sleeves have a liner, which is what is holding me back from the cheaper Jazzloft sleeves.

Do you really stoop that far to put on a record? I second the suggestions to get some sort of cabinet with drawers. I have a large CD collection and ended up buying unfinished wood bookshelf-type storage that fits in my walk-in closet. And I got so frustrated trying to set up large speakers in my tiny studio apartment that I finally ditched them and went for a top-notch headphone setup.