Redbook gets a bad reputation that's unfounded, it is a very good format as others here have noted. The root determining factor is quality of the recording process. If done with skill and concern the sound quality is quite good, natural and conveys much emotion. To be fair certain genres (jazz for example) consistently sound superior to most pop and rock recordings. It seems there's less temptation to process jazz and classical music, and certainly in general there's less compression utilized. With quality digital components 16/44 is very satisfying and very plentiful in choice, my library keeps expanding.
Charles,