Why Purchase A CD Player or Transport ?

For most of us the "this or that" approach is due to financial limitations. The total system cost might be $1000.00, or $100,000.00, where the limitations exist, but the components considered are very different. It all has to do with maximizing results with limited funds. All of your posts help those of us that are operating at the upper edge of our financial envelope where trying and selling are not financially efficient. Many of you have amazing systems that you assembled through A/B comparisons. How did you setup such trials? Do you have a special relationship with a dealer, or buy used and sell used, or just don’t have financial limits? So far for me, speakers and my Integrated amp were my only main components that I heard before purchasing. I’ve been able to listen to some cables and trade up with my dealer. Currently looking to trade up with my Sutherland 20/20 phono preamp..but one dealer comes with limitations..my only real trade up option is the Esoteric E-02 Balanced and the next batch isn't scheduled for a couple of months..assuming that the components are available.

I have had very close relationships with three dealers over the last fifty years.
 

My current dealer has been my friend for twenty years. I consider my current system a collaborative effort. We both love my system. He has brought over equipment (like $20K+ components) to see how they sound to evaluate if he wants to carry the line. We have very much the same musical values although he sells to many people with different values.
 

He has lent me a pair of Audio Research 160m mono-blocks ($32K)… for the last eight months, so far (I own a Audio Research 160s) for me to enjoy. He comes over for an afternoon every couple months to take the afternoon off. He has instructions to sell my system and give the proceeds to my partner when I die. 
 

While I have spent thousands of hours researching and doing comparisons of equipment… components, cables, power cords… this got me up to speed to talk with my dealer… who lives this stuff day and night… for decades. We can talk as equals and learn from each other… fantastic to talk to someone with such in depth knowledge… 

Streaming is no more of a theft to artists than record labels, or any other middle man between the artist and the consumer

Tom Petty has a line that sums it up when dealing with record labels, I'll get rich you'll get famous

John Fogerty had to fight in court that his solo material sounded too much like CCR and not a violation of a contract that he singed in his early 20s with the CCR label

There are too many Cadillac Record stories to count over the years

On Tidal I get a report each month that shows how much of my subscription was paid out to the artists that I specifically listened to that month

As a consumer I kind of prefer that model, artists are paid for the songs that I listen to not all the songs that are sold to me on a record or CD

Not the filler songs that are rushed and added to get an album to market to meet a contractual deadline, or holiday release schedule, or to support an upcoming tour, not a compilation of greatest greatest hits put out by the record company because the artist is no longer relevant 

How many CDs or albums do you only listen to 3 or 4 songs, how many sit in your collection having only be listened to once or twice?

In my collection, while not vast though substantial, it's at least 50%

Once again in this hobby of ours, we all get to be right and there is no wrong answer because it's about personal preferences and each of our own interpretations of what sounds best to the ears and wallet of the beholder

I've rationalized that streaming is the best ROI and price performance route for my playback at this time and I'm enjoying the best SQ that I've reproduced in the 40+ years of building my system and collecting albums and CDs

When the same 40 year old songs sound better than they ever have, does the format matter?

I would submit to you, for the layman listener that 90% of what I'm streaming is the best version of the song that they've ever heard, and not by a small (only stuff dogs can hear) margin  

Happy listening and enjoy the journey

I just purchased the PS Audio SACD transport.  Primary reason was I had several hundred SACD discs that I could not play.  I use a Terminator Plus with Gaia and MacMini.  Very happy with purchase but agree with those who say it's an easy decision if you can afford the extra bucks.  As to SQ in my system I will say my vinyl rig still produces best sound.  Recording quality is key and does vary with media. Its fun to compare various playback options and sometimes CD's beat streaming. I will say rebook can hold its own with high res formats including DSD.  Lots of fun to have various input options as mood dictates.  

Weird question. Why would any "subset" sound better through a CD player ?

it would this week with the local internet’s being down.
(And also in a vehicle out of range if towers.)