Is this the END of DAYS for the high end CD player

Well... I haven't had the chance, time, or fund to get in to vinyl. I am just comparing a hi end CD player with the same music on my Mac Pro. I will probably not get a dedicated music server...... I really just use my Mac for music backup since I still prefer busting out the actual CDs.

The problem is.... a lot of CDs of mine are rare recording and or CDs that are only available in Asia with special recording. I don't know how common they are or whether or not it has been ripped.

That said... I will eventually get XLD on Mac with Accurate-Rip but I am not going to ripping my entire library of 8000 songs all over again.... Which music player is best once the rip is done? Is iTune sufficient?

Chadeffect, I am not saying I am completely happy with playing 1 CD at a time. I love the convenience of computer source.

If you can recommend me the right right ripping and playing software, I would be happy to do an all computer source!

Seriously.... although I know on the 069 it's completely great and it really does wonders playing CDs.... I am welling to give up a little bit of the sound quality to get the convenience of a computer source. I am relocating and I don't think I want to move all my CDs. I would be completely happy dealing with computer source only when I am moving to places for workl

There won't be END DAYS for the high end (or any end) cd player in our lifetime. There are just too many cd's out there. What will probably happen, as it happens often in audio (think SACD) is that the player market will decrease to a nice niche, smaller specialized market for the die-hards, not unlike turntables.

Very intersting dicussion about the same subject on the computer auifophile site:
http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/CD-v-ripped-CD-files-inferior-Sound-quality
The OP is trying to get clear answer to the same question I asked beofre, I quote:

The issue here is whether it is possible to get exactly the same sound from ripped files as from direct CD playback, comparing them in the the same playback setup (i.e. same PCs, CD drivers, DACs, cables, etc.)?

I would like to know this. For me this is the most important aspect of this whole computer based front end, before jumping in. Please read the thread before advising on different tools and options. The OP down there is used/tried most of them and still claiming that original CD sounds better.

Any body who did the A/B testing?

I think many has done the À/B-ing but come to different results Depending on how advanced each setup were. My experience is that CD done "right" sounds better than PC/Mac->Dac done "right". My A/B-ing was done with same Dac so difference was CD as transport vs Computer(PC and Mac) as transport.