The CD player is dead.......

This is an issue that obviously brings some emotion to the table.

The reality is the vast majority of CDs had their music contents transferred from a hard drive. Perhaps some old ones were transferred directly from an analog source through a ADC without a stopover on a hard drive, but I imagine those are few and far between.

If there is any significant difference between a CD and hard drive based playback system, it is a matter of implementation as opposed to any theoretical advantage one way or the other, IMO.

Consumer CD players have been on the market longer and sold in far greater numbers than hard drive based systems so have the advantage of being more familiar to users and more settled as a consumer product.

Some years back I did some serious comparison between a HD and CD based system and satisfied myself I would be losing nothing in making a switch. I would also be gaining great versatility in terms of accessing my fairly large music collection. Now, neither my main or second system have a CD player and I don't miss it at all. Only my computer audio work station still has CD, tape deck and turntable capability and that is primarily used to get material onto my hard drive.

As for HD crashes, yes that can happen. However, backup is far easier for a hard drive than any other format. CDs can rot and scratch, LPs can warp, get moldy and are easily damaged. Backups for those are not nearly as fast and convenient. (I actually keep two HD backups with one off premises.)

The nice thing about this hobby is people can pursue it in whatever fashion makes them happy. I've found what works for me and have no urge to go back.

The last paragraph by MLsstl says it all; it's whatever makes you happy. I am of the "comb over" crowd only in age, but hard drives & dacs hold no thrill for me. Having come from "45's" to LP's to cd's, I like it when I can see a disc and read the info involved about the disc. When it gets to where I have to stare at a hard drive/dac for my pleasure, I'll take up other pursuits. So, Devilboy, send me your $6000 cd player and you can be happy with your hd/dacs!

Despite the fact that I rip everything to hard drive as soon as I get it, I still prefer buying physical CDs to downloads.

CDs have artwork, notes, texts, translations, etc (of course, LPs were generally even better in this regard). You can read all this from your listening chair without using a computer. They are their own backup media. I've never lost a CD in a hard drive crash, or had a CD with corrupt or inadequate metadata. I have lost CDs under the couch, but I know exactly what they are when I find them again.

I've had 5 hard drive crashes in the last 4 years. I have very little faith in them. Some how I am more comfortable with a dedicated laser than a scraping magnetic device surrounded by who knows what contamination, retrieving my bits thank you very much. If a CD get damaged, it's a small loss. If a hard drive gets damaged it's a big loss. I have very little interest in ipods or MP3 players, or head phones for that matter. When I fly or otherwise travel while not steering the vessel, I catch up on my reading. At this point in time, I haven't the time or the inclination to up load all my music. I can find it easy enough as it is. Perhaps, when I am more confident in the technology, and the uploading is easier and better organized, I might change my mind. Till then, I'm not interested in hard drives for my music, resorting to the comb over, or bashing others for doing their thing, their way.

Purchasing both downloads and CDs. Most of the of new songs I want are not common 24/96 downloads. I'm still buying CDs and then ripping the files to hard drive.

Recommend Pomade for all comb overs Devilboy.