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

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.

"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 "

Absolutely, in fact I would argue that with the right equipment and playback software, its better. That's the key though. If you have an AirPort Express and a Mac, dont expect to beat your CD player. If you use Toslink directly from a Mac, dont expect to beat your CD player.

If you get The Absolute Sound, you would know that a computer audio room got best sound of the show at 2010 RMAF.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio