The problem is that most folks seem to be under the impression that all you neded to do to get high end sound is go out and buy a high end player and hook it up. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is the reason for the old chestnut, "Perfect Sound Forever." And it's quite difficult to find the circumstance where the real potential of the humble CD can be demonstrated. Because much is required to achieve the real dynamic range of the CD and extract the amazing wealth of information contained therein.

All depends on to what lengths one is willing to go and most aren't willing to go to any lengths.

It has been more than seven years since Michael Fremer reported in Stereophile that of the five biggest high end systems he heard at CES that year, 3 were digital systems. Michael Fremer, you know, writer of Analog Corner. The No. 1 system was digital! No. 2 was the monster Kharma Exquisite/Walker Audio Turntable/Lamm system in the next room.

At last weekend's Rocky Mountain Trumpet Fest I spoke with a couple of self-produced, jazz recording artists. They said that they only press a few CD, mainly for use as promotional handouts, sales at concerts and something to give to their mothers and relatives.

They said that almost all sales are now downloads, with the purchase of CDs being very rare through their online stores. Even when they sell CDs at a concert, if there are two or three CDs to be sold, young people, even would be professional trumpeters, will say right in front of them, "I'll buy this and rip it for us and you buy that one and rip it for me." Of course, downloaded files are also "shared".

I think that manufacturers that make CDPs without digital-in circuits are missing the boat. Lots of people, including myself, will still buy a high quality CDP if it'll also serve as a high-end DAC for our server and/or iPod.

I think we'll see fewer and fewer CDPs available, but high performance, stand alone DACs will continue to grow as a major component.

Dave

The begining of the end? Certainly as the top format but certainly not as a format altogether. CD will take it's side next to vinyl as a niche market for collectors and audiophiles for many of the same reasons vinyl has a niche market.

"ok, ill bite. what do we need to do to extract all this information? im being serious."

And the answer is....Quantum mechanics. I'm being serious. Well, quantum mechanics and a host of other, more mundane things: Optics, vibration isolation, room acoustics, resonance control, to name a few.

According to this article by Alan Sircom, "Linn Products will continue to produce its LP12 turntable and its Unidisk

Quote:
"ok, ill bite. what do we need to do to extract all this information? im being serious."

And the answer is....Quantum mechanics. I'm being serious. Well, quantum mechanics and a host of other, more mundane things: Optics, vibration isolation, room acoustics, resonance control, to name a few.

http://db.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?foru...red+john&r=

Yeah, right.

If you look back at what we've been discussing/debating in many of these threads over the past year in terms of controversial tweaks and cryogenics and such, as well as conventional tweaks and accessories, I think you'll probably find a lot of suggestions there.

Quote:
I think that manufacturers that make CDPs without digital-in circuits are missing
the boat. Lots of people, including myself, will still buy a high quality CDP if it'll also serve as a high-end DAC for our server and/or iPod.

This discussion came up on another forum. Well respected digital designer Charles Hansen of Ayre claimed proper implementation of a spdif interface capable of producing sound quality equal to the quality of the CDP

yes, you need completely separate input signal handling circuitry, buffers, jitter control/rejection and a switching regime that does not degrade the CD player's function, or that of the added input. It can get expensive, and fast.

What I like is those old Meridian 568 processors/controllers. They are very flexible, have superb DAC and double as a peamp. Understated piece of audio equipment, they look fine next to a media server and a computer. Meridian should have sticked to that small format instead of going 17". This format was their trademark. I have also two 500 MKII CD transports which are very good, much much better transports that the MKIs in my opinion, as good as their 508 CD players. I like my squeezebox but CD is a lot more fun than Vinyl, especially when you also own an Alessis CD recorder. Today the real limitation of CD is the source. Eventually it will be squeezed out by high resolution dowloads. Not yet.