I can't handle digital after analog light my fire

Ruxtonvet....I find many of my Redbook CD's are FAR better than SACD.

I *have* heard a $1K CD/SACD player that was very impressive in sounding dynamic and natural--the Marantz SA8004. However, now that asynchronous USB DACs are available at every price point, I think the more cost-effective--and convenient--solution is to put together a laptop-based server with a 3rd-party software solution (e.g., Audirvana Plus, JRMC, Songbird, or Amarra) that:

o Adjusts the upsampling rate to the source sample rate

o Has "hog mode" to turn off unnecessary background processes

o Enables you to buffer the music file to RAM before decoding

Anybody remember the Genesis Digital Time Lens? That was an $1100 component that provided 512K RAM to buffer the digital data stream before reclocking it to the DAC. Today, for $50 Audirvana Plus enables you to buffer up to 7.9 GB in RAM, turn off the background processes, AND control the up sampling algorithm.

Even without an external DAC, these improvements are significant, and all of them bypass the jitter encoded in many CD pressings plus the jitter that comes from reading the CD. Add an asynchronous USB DAC and you can get high quality jitter-free decoding as well, not to mention all the music server convenience features hosted on a laptop.

"I do not care how much the CD player costs it sounds like digital to me."

Well, if someone plays off the shelf untreated CDs on players that are not isolated from structural vibration, at a minimum, what do you expect? A rather bland, uninteresting, generic mishmash of different papier mache noises is about it.

I am so glad my post turned in such interesting debate and views, I expected a few comments but not as many, thank you all.
I am giving digital another chance in my life after your comments,
Cowboys Junkies night..
Regards

Mountainsong,
I agree with you that Vinyl offers much more. If you are investing money and ideas in a digital chain you may also get very very good results.
Enjoy!