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Condom
Last week's Soapbox inspired this week's question: Which do you prefer
My preference, if I have to think about it at all, would be the cardboard DigiPak, followed by jewel boxes. I hate, and I mean HATE, those cardboard cases that put the CD in little cardboard sleeves designed to look like record jackets. I can't think that you're not going to damage your CDs sliding them in and out.
Basically, I hate everything linked to the CD reality. What I most dislike is their sound quality, but their packaging does add a lot to my frustration. They are handy only in the car trunk. The only CD packaging I can live with are those LP-sized (collection) boxes.
I hate the jewel boxes for many reasons. First, as a reader mentioned, they break easily when they're dropped. Second, they take a lot of roomnearly twice as thick as an LP record! My solution is very simple: put the CD jacket (I don't use the back cover) and the CD galette in a 12x12cm soft plastic sleeve, and organize them in an appropriate plastic tray. You can put about 120 CDs on a 40cm tray. And for those who prefer vinyl, you can even hide them in a door-closed library while your LPs sit in the King place, well visible.
My favorite CD package is the 12 inch cardboard flat box with a vinyl biscuit inside. Other than that, DVDs come in good packages. CD jewel boxes are too fragile. I normally put CDs that I take to the office or car into one of those zippered sleeved binders.
I've taken to storing my CDs in CD binders. I don't mind the cardboard jackets as long as they have detatchable liner notes that I can put in the binder. That said, I do like the "pop-up" jewel boxes used by MoFi and DCC. (I keep my audiophile discs separate.)
Yeah, I love these sleeves, they look just like small vinyls. I'm sure 12-inch sleeve gives best looks among all packages. Still, higher ruggedness is the reason why I got to prefer jewel boxes. I wish these DigiPaks did not wear...
Plastic jewel cases are fine, although fragile. Cardboard sleeves are okay, as long as they fold up neatly. All the other CD packaging (tin cans, fake fur, gel-filled Bubble Wrap) is insane. Of course, cassette covers were the worst, almost as bad as 8-track. Nothing will ever replace record jackets. For reference, see the cover for Santana's "Abraxas."
I've made the mistake of buying a few CDS in cardboard... Without exception it has been very difficult to get the CD out, and I've had to slit the side of the cardboard to get the CD out. This is nuts. I'll take the "jewel-box" packaging every time---and it also protects the CD better.