Phasing out of Compact Disc

In some cases, imports are of higher sound quality and may be laid down with higher-rez masters; results vary but often research into what the imports are versus the domestic release may be worth the trouble and either save you money or confirm that buying the import is best move. Case in point, Gardot's last album, "The Absence" had a high priced import option available from Japan so I ordered both the import and the US version. Like the prior Gardot album, the US version of the 2nd was of very good sound quality. The surprise (at least for me) came when I received the import version of the second album; I found higher playback quality (Japanese imports tend to utilize higher quality CD blanks and have higher attention to detail in the cutting process IMHO), this was an SHM-CD, AND HAD a bonus track at the end (WILLOW) that does not seem to be present on any other version of the album. WILLOW for audio demo purposes is worth the price of the entire album in my opinion...

FWIW,...don't think CDs are going anywhere anytime soon; they seem to be going the way of SACDs and LP in that audiophile-level of recordings are continuing to be produced on CD, XRCD24, SHM-CD, SHM SACD, and SACD releases...

Vinyl has meet its demise? Don't think so....read an interesting statistic that over 73 MILLION records were pressed in 2014. Doesn't sound like a dead media platform to me, not mainstream, but certainly not dead; the quality of the pressings available according to my vinyl-loving friends is increasing dramatically too.

CD/SACDs won't go away completely anytime soon either...