Are CD players dead

You might not have a superior format in itself, but with the right setup, the digital files can and do sound better than the original disc. That is enough for me.

Shakey

There seems to me to be a bit of a luddite camp on this thread: while CD never managed to compete sonically with Vinyl, the same doesn't apply to digital, even in Redbook format through upsampled memory play. Hence I would encourage everybody to compare their CD players with a properly set up computer and new generation DAC. It' ll put paid to this thread without further ado. BTW, the best result on Vinyl is via digitizing through Purevinyl and I run a Dynavector DV 507, Zyx Universe + Artisan setup!

"Redbook format through upsampled memory play"??? We are
talking about REPLACING "Ripping" exclusively with
"Downloading". There will be no Ripping of Redbook Format
if there are no CD's. You call Downloading of MP3/i-Tunes
as Downloading Redbook? What Book are you reading? If CD
doesn't compete sonically, MP3/i-Tunes will? Lossless
compressed downloaded 16/44.1 CD material will sound better
than a non-compressed/non-processed 16/44.1 CD Disk? Isn't
it the same source for both, 16/44.1? So, how exactly does downloading/compressing them "1's" and "0's" improve S.Q.?

Pettyofficer,

what I was talking about was playing ripped CD in AIFF format on my Mach2Music through puremusic memory play upsampled to 176.4 via a Zodiac Gold + Voltikus, compared to playing the CD through my upsampling AudioAero Capitole 24/192 SE. Sorry if the shorthand was too opaque.

...and I for one have not been able to detect any difference between a ripped redbook CD and an 16/44.1 download via itunes/puremusic