Current CD playes and transports

The only ones who will tell you the new stuff is better than anything that came before are audio salesman trying to pay the rent. FM Tuners are a perfect example. They have overall, except for a few exceptions (and these are mostly mucho $$$$), gotten worse over the last 40 years.

Elizabeth has a point on DACs. There are some DACs though that may not be 24 or whatever bit, but they still sound better. Having a good balanced analog like sound with good timing does not require 24bit resolution. As far as transports, they will not go obsolete very quickly.

Well, I certainly have stepped on some toes with my comment (I'm surprised no one suggested to get some cheese to go with my 'whine'); however, I am not predicting the demise of the cd format; only the onslaught of units capable of playing both the newer cd formats like sacd and the redbook variety; really, does anyone really doubt that sacd sounds better than the current cd standard; and if the availability of sacd titles rapidly expands, who wants a cd player/transport that does not play sacd or any other competing format; A similar situation would have been having to replace the home theater processing unit several years ago -- how much value would you place on dolby surround only processors knowing dolby digital was on the horizon (back to you, garfish and cornfedboy)

I'm beginning to feel sorry for the CD boys & girls out there is audiophile land. It will take a few years, but the CD format will lose its position as the dominant audio format. MP3 formats coming from below and DVD from above. The middle will not hold. CDs will not die, but they will enter the undead world of vinyl and cassettes. Fortunately, the newer disc based formats will maintain backward compatibility. Most of you are in denial.