by wilsonij » Sun Sep 28, 2014 3:02 am
I think there are (at least) three factors at play here:
1. Listening behaviour - many of us still like to open a cd case, put the disc in, and look at the artwork or read the lyrics and other liner notes while playing the album from start to finish in the order the artist decided upon; however increasingly folks listen to individual tracks, hopping from one to the other across artists and styles, and if you're in the latter camp the inconvenience of one-disc-at-a-time cd players just don't cut it.
2. DAC - you may have it in your player, in your pre-amp, or in a separate unit; where it is today might be through conscious choice or it might be through circumstance, but either way I'd suggest that you *do* want options and flexibility but you *don't* want to pay for something you're not going to use.
3. Media - increasingly those in control of the industry are pushing for non-physical distribution where there is greater scope for control and profit; this is true of film as well as music. The cessation of physical media may, or may not, be inevitable (and even if it does happen, over what timeframe) but the overall direction of travel is undeniable.
Does that mean cd is dead ? Absolutely not !!
Does that mean there's no market for serious quality cd players ? Absolutely not !!
But I would say that it means the size and nature of the market is changing and, like it or not, any business has to be mindful of where it sits today and where it will be sitting tomorrow...
Ian
BDP-1 > SP-3 > 2 x 7B3 > 2 x Vandersteen Quatros front, 1 x Theta Dreadnaught > 4 x Vandersteen 1C's back