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

Saying hi res downloads is the future is like saying fuel cell is the future for auto technology. Not in this life time, Bubba. How many main stream hi-res recrdings are there? Like 2? CD's are here to stay for a long time. And i agree with Wayneker. Absolute SOTA playback is still the CD medium (Burmester and it's upsampling of CD's). And of course the STD that will not go away, the TT.:)

I don`t believe CDs are going anywhere for a VERY long time. An abundance of available CD disc that`s affordable(Amazon). Red book playback is amazingly good in a high quality setup IMO.

TV didn't kill the radio after all, did it. I think talk2me has it right, hi-rez is the future, but much further off than we think. And some folks simply like to own something real, not on the cloud.

As a sidenote, I have read downloads account for only 20% of digital sales. Personally, it took alot more time and effort than anticipated to set-up my digital system to arrive at lifelike playback. I feel the next best direction for my digital system is two-fold:

First, focus future buys on higher resolution disk formats like SACD, Blu Ray Audio, DVD-Audio, HDCD, DTS. Second, move up from my OPPO 981 to the 95 with balanced 32-bit DAC's. I can connect via analog pass-through with the Proceed to connect to the OPPO's 32-bit DAC's.

Except for high resolution multi-channel disks connected via Mogami Gold connectior's, I listen to redbooks through Van Den Huls' glass cables in either 2-channel or 2.1. Glass cables sound consistantly more naturally balanced in my system than the digital coaxial cables.

My pro and speakers allow combining multiple soft-dome tweeters with horns in both multi-channel disk formats, or, a L/R stereo surround mode through all sources. That helps produce a very well-balanced, smooth sound to my ears.

High end downloads, lossless, asynch USB, etc. can solve some digital issues. I feel my personal #1 issue was developing the skills to properly evaluate and set-up a matched system. Impedances must match, inout/output sensitivities, ohms, special internal component settings - there's all kinds of details not mentioned in ads or component reviews.

One final system set-up example that I hope may also help someone - Due to my sub's port noise and no low-cut feature, I was nearly ready to go with REL or JL Audio Fathom until I put my SVS Ultra-13 in the sealed mode for music only. That cleaned up the entire lower-musical sound floor, adding further bloom to the mids and highs.

High end disk players offer a very bright future in my
home.

as long as there is a market for a product it will be produced.

it is impossible to predict when the supply will so exceed the demand that the product will become extinct.

thus the answer to the question is conjectural at best.