who needs a cd player anymore

As of about 1 year ago 150,000,000 iPods have been sold and last June hit 5 Billion music downloads, CD's are obsolete and CD players will fade away. Think film cameras, sure they won't go away completely but the landscape will change dramatically in favor of a fully digital distribution model. The only reason I buy CD's is access to the high resolution files to rip to my hard drive.

Unlike my CD player my server based system allows access a 9,000+ song library anywhere I have access to a wifi network on my iPod touch (which also serves as an iTunes remote control) and most of the lossless library is on a 160 GB iPod Classic for the gym, car, airplanes, etc. At home I have a USB dac on my main system, a Squeezebox in a bedroom system.

No need to be defensive of CD players or critical of server based systems, as always in this hobby, YMMV

VCR's are a bad example as most people who have used a Tivo or DVD will never go back except for access to their existing tapes. Records are a bit different as they offer something digital didn't when it was introduced and it may still be catching up. Tubes are another example of something that is obsolete in many ways but offers a sound that is embraced by audiophiles, myself included.

from Wikipedia:

Technical obsolescence:
Videotapes making way for DVDs Technical obsolescence may occur when a new product or technology supersedes the old, and it becomes preferred to utilize the new technology in place of the old. Historical examples of superseding technologies causing obsolescence include CD-ROM over floppy disk which allowed for greater storage capacity and speed, DVD over VHS which allowed for greater quality and multimedia functions, or the telephone over the telegraph which allowed for audio transmission instead of coded electrical signals.

"Eastein, you're splitting hairs. There is a difference between technical obsolescence and obsolescence."

Tvad, maybe, but while VHS still works, most would agree the industry and general public has moved from VHS to DVD and is now heading towards downloads and Blue Ray.

With the adoption rates for iPods, other digital players, and 5 Billion downloads from iTunes alone in a relatively short time span, the writing is on the wall for CD sales first becoming surpassed by digital downloads, then becoming a niche market like LP's.

Synthfreek, check out Simplify Media

http://www.simplifymedia.com/

Another cool feature is that you can invite up to 30 people and share their libraries as well