CDP's being dumped for hard drive driven units?

yes, and when you look at it in a larger perspective, red book CD itself is dying, compact discs sales are dropping each year by 20%, CD players can't play SACD's or FLAC files, so it's very possible people are moving to music servers and high resolution SACD players

Don't know about a trend, but I did it - Cary 303 for QSonix. OTOH, I've kept the Cary for back-up use, so maybe I only "half did it".

Marty

After my last high-end CDP developed problems with the transport, I switched and now don't even have any CD or DVD player around any longer.

It seems to me that the niche would be a good SACD player with a "digital in" that could properly handle a usb signal from a computer.

I don't know the specs of every SACD player w a dig in but I don't think there's one out there properly converting a usb signal. Right now, one would have to utilize a converter (ie.: Hagerman HagUSB USB to SPDIF Converter, a Empiracle USB Off-Ramp Turbo 2 USB to S/PDIF converter, or a Trends USB converter).

It would be nice to have a one box solution for Redbook, SACD and computer.

i sold my 47 labs transport in favor of a squeezebox 3. i still use my 47 labs dac though. now i'm eyeballing the transporter.