Are Disc Players Dead?

This is not to say that the day of server-based systems that reliably provide as high SQ and reliability as CDP or Transport - DAC based systems is not coming. But, as Charles1dad points out, currently (no pun intended) they are just too "buggy" and too many audio manufacturers have rushed servers, streamers and USB Dac's out the door too quickly, in order to ride the wave. At least the early CDP's, while far from the apogee of SQ, played reliably. My Magnavox CDB 650 (or something like that), the first 16-bit CDP, still plays! I wasn't on the phone with Tech Support 5 times a day -- ever!

Believe me, I would love to use a server-based system and not have to elevate my corpus, get vertical, use my upper extremities, and actually pick out a CD to listen to in its organic entirety!

Neal

Nglazer - many people still don't use computers seeing them as confusing, buggy and not as reliable as abacus.

I use Mac Mini with Benchmark DAC1 thru Apple Airport Express with short Toslink. It works without any problem for a long time. Computer did not hang-up since I bought it almost 3 years ago. Sound is exactly same as one from CDP directly to DAC. I have external firewire hard drive and two backups. One of the backups I keep at work in case of fire of theft.

For me, they sure are.

The Squeezebox (for all the music in the house), and my laptop (for just *my* music, processed by a particular software package) out to my DAC, produce - at the *very least* - the same sound, without having to mess with sifting through all the media. I used to be the guy who said that I would never go this route "because I like to take my time, and be able to sit back with the liner notes." - (etc) - This is no longer the case. And if I really feel the desire, I can always refer to the disc still on the rack in the other room.

I hate to say it, but I've also ditched vinyl for this. I don't have the money for a rig that, in my opinion, will make the music sound any better. I don't have the money for the high price (ridiculous in a lot of cases, now-a-days) of decent vinyl (that still isn't flat), or much enjoy to spend the time associated with the whole process any more...and my OCD just gets far too much in the way. ;)

Another thing folks are overlooking. There is NO storage media in a PC or Mac that is archival quality. What happens when your hard drive crashes and destroys all your files? Or you lose or misplace a thumb drive? They can be a pain to recover. And those CDROMs and DVDs that are burned in consumer burners will not last 20 years either. Commercial CDs have a better chance, and I have some that are early 80's (that's 30 years) that still play fine.

Playing a CD does not wear it out, unless you are such a putz you scratch the surface. Most of mine are perfect because I take some moderate care in handling them and storing them.

The rapid obsolecence of digital media make the constant migration of your stored data a constant and perpetual task. If you had data on Jazz drives or other obsolete media (floppies?) you are SOL now trying to get it back.

Dhl93449 - Maybe I was lucky, but I never experienced failure of stationary hard drive. Just in case I have 2 backups, but I agree with you that CD on the shelf is safer (unless you have fire or theft). I have three hard disks containing exact copies (one at work), but in addition I have still all CDs on the shelf.

I'm not worrying about scratching CDs either, but rather about better playback of used scratched CD that I bought. Ripping such CDs as data CD will improve quality (copy better than original).

I agree about CD-R and especially DVDs not lasting long - unless you pick better media that uses higher quality die guaranteed to last 100 years (Taiyo Yuden). On the other hand I will be deaf in 20 and dead in 40 years - why to worry now.

Good point about media obsolution. I'm already thinking of getting large Solid State (Flash) drive to copy my hard drive into it. Flash drives have limited number of write cycles but last forever with reading and have no mechanical parts - perfect for long lasting reliable music server.