Should I still buy a CD player? Suggest one?


I just read that Best Buy is discontinuing CDs. This seems like a bad omen for CDs in general. I had a system I liked and lost most of it in a fire this summer. Insurance will buy me a replacement, but is it unwise to buy a CD player now? What are high end people doing now for source?

And, my players was a Creek CD-43, CD-53, bought in about 2002. What would be an equivalent quality now? Insurance doesn't care that they are more expensive now, they just want an equal replacement. If I buy a player, which is the most popular good CD player now? It's important that is it a popular one, because I don't want to get saddled with something hard to sell since things are in flux.

Thanks.


river251
I recently moved across country and left quite a bit of stuff behind.  I bought a Pro-ject Beatles turntable off Ebay. It should arrive shortly. I see lots of used Pro-ject and Rega turntables on Ebay for a decent spend. There seems to be quite a thriving market for vintage Technics as well. I see lots of vinyl records online via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amoeba records.  There is more available on vinyl that first meets the eye for a  fan of 60s, 70s rock, jazz and blues.

For my Kpop, Jpop, Cantopop and Mandopop fetish, I have to look more at CDs.  I picked up an inexpensive Sony CD/SACD player on EBay, which will serve.

It's not the highest audiophile stuff, but as I am retired, I don't have the cash to throw at my hobbies like I used to.

I buy digital for my player/phone and stream music as well.  It's definitely more convenient when you are traveling.
Thank you all so much for bringing me into the present of the audio world.

Thanks for your sympathy too. I’ve learned that State Farm (I’ll never swtich) will replace everything I lost with new stuff...but I have to buy it then get reimbursed. If I choose to just take the money instead, say for my 35 year old Pinarello bike, they will accept the value of a new one (3K) as replacement value, then depreciate it 10% a year, up to 80% depreciation...I’d get $600. But if I buy a new one and show them the receipt, they will reimbursed me the full 3K. They will make you whole, IF you have the cash to replace things. Just for those who asked or commented about the process. State Farm came through incredibly on my damaged property. Fortunately the brush fire didn’t get the house significantly, just the storage building.

Anyway, Soix, your great post convinced me what to do. It made me recall that, even with a few hundred CDs, I often had trouble thinking of one I’d like to hear. The greater variety available with streaming will bring enjoyment that will more than make up for small differences in quality. But, I plan to buy a turntable too eventually.

Soix, when you say "Innuos Zen Mini Mklll, which at around $1500 could be your CD player, DAC, and streamer all in one" do you mean that it connects to the internet and does what my computer would otherwise do? Could I get just as good of sound quality if I simply buy a good DAC and hook it to my computer?

Thank you guys very much, now I’m going to have fun studying all the equipment you guys suggested. And they say it’s women who love to shop. :-)

NAD 546 is plenty good.
 OR
Buy a new Creek on eBay if insurance will compensate.

Don't connect your computer to your HiFi unless you care not about SQ.
Except for DSP setup.