CD players = dead?

I believe that, except at entry level, the "stand-alone" CD player as a line component's days are numbered. Break it into its essential parts, however, the transport and the DAC, and you have squared your flexibility and upgradeability. I say this as a vinyl junkie - look at the recent strides in turntables, tone-arms and carts, each of which can be upgraded without replacing the entire unit. Thus being, methinks, the future of the CD, unless someone comes up with a better medium. Streamers and rippers are certainly the way of the future, but you've got to feed your server with something!

@deepee99...

but you’ve got to feed your server with something!

Hmmm, until I "digested" your statement above, it never dawned on me that CD/DVD drives are also becoming less of a standard item on computers.

My Mac only has an external CD/DVD drive, as do many other computers these days.

I’m not sure that it’s akin to the Turntable, but as long as there are CD’s - and there are zillions out there - we will need some kind of "transport"!

Good Point - long live "the transport" :-)

Perhaps the only device that has gone the way of the DODO in recent times is the Laserdisc player.

Granted, there are a few still out there, but I do not see anything that can remotely act as a transport in place of an old worn out player :-(

Alas - we all become obsolete - eventually !

Regards - Steve

You rip your collection so it sounds better and is much easier to find and play! Your ripped collection plus streams are both managed through Roon/Tidal for the best sound quality and user interface possible.  You have liner notes, lyrics, reviews, album art, photos, play lists, similar artists, artists influenced by the artist you love, tons of new music and artists you were never aware of and now love, and on and on. This whole experience is very tangible and quite frankly makes handing those flimsy cd jackets, once you finally find the one you want, so very boring and crude. Absolutely no comparison in experience of our hobby from the perspective of this computer challenged, yet now enlightened aphile.  

Question for rippers. Has anyone ripped a CD twice, you know, to see if there's further improvement?

MY sacd/ cd player and collection are not going a way. the collection still growing