Are CD players dead

It seems sensible to me that any time you can eliminate a mechanical function in an electronic medium, it’s a good thing. No, it’s not dead, but dead man walking.

I think there is one significant difference between the fabled death of Vinyl and the supposed death of CDs. If Vinyl truly died, huge collections of LPs might be rendered useless - outrage! The music industry doesn’t have that concern with CD’s because they can be downloaded.

"And now we turn to our headline fact - that 77,400 turntables were sold in the year to May (a 11% increase). That compares to 41,400 CD players.”

Thanks for that info Knownothing. That’s astounding to me. I feel like I just fell off the proverbial turnip truck.

"I have a Bridge that I can let you have real cheap.”

So do I. (Can’t let Petty have a monopoly in the bridge market) :-)

I’ve wondered the same thing Mapman. Exactly what is their source? Are they downloading an SACD, DVD-A, original masters on reel to real? What do they use as a source, and how is it handled?

"will there ever be a time when it will be impossible to buy an in-production cd player that only plays redbook ???”

Of course. The proper question is when. And the answer is that it’s too early to tell.

Slow down and get a grip Petty. I promise you that we will not be stuck with MP3 as music’s highest form of a playback medium. Force yourself to remember who we are - we will keep tinkering with digital reproduction, and whatever comes after that, until it truly becomes indistinguishable from the origin. I’m not saying that this is going to happen any time soon. I’m just saying that on the journey of processed music, we haven’t even left the harbor.

I do understand your concern about the mass acceptance of MP3. I felt the same way about fast food milk shakes. But old fashion shakes are still available if not as convenient as the processed kind.

Live music is still appreciated. And as long as that is so, there will be a stick buy which we can measure any format change they try to sell us.

Hi Mrtennis,
Just to be clear, I’m not claiming any type of clairvoyance. I’m just trying to resist getting as upset as Petty. Regarding Hi-Rez, I just can’t imagine them screwing it up so badly that it’s totally abandoned. To me, that would be like abandoning Hi-def TV. I don’t know why it’s so, but it just doesn’t seem like the movers and shakers of audio can ever come to consensus on anything. You want to connect your Hi-Def TV, no problem - HDMI, that’s it. How many different connection alternatives are there for a DAC.

Tonykay, LOL!

"How do you keep the Major Labels honest, and committed to increasing Music
Selection in High Rez. Downloads?”

My surmise is that the fixed costs associated with offering a Hi-Rez download are significantly less than those of producing and distributing a CD. Once more audiophiles start investing in computer based front ends, I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t be profitable for the major labels to offer more Hi-Rez downloads.

Devilboy,
The path to progress is strewn with the broken bodies of those intrepid souls who were just a little too ahead of the game :-)