When I have seen people listing their systems lately


I have noticed a lot of people using conventional CD players and SACD players. I remember being at an Audiophile club meeting a couple of years ago and the owner of the store claiming conventional CD players were dead and obsolete.


Are conventional players gaining in popularity nowadays or are they just stalling till digital becomes more standardized.


taters
I keep all my CDs both for archiving as well and on display.  Stored CDs on otherwise flat walls are good  for room acoustics to-boot. 
I used to rip to wav now exclusively to flac.  I download purchased tracks as well on occasion. 
I buy, almost exclusively, CDs. Rip them to computer and often spin them in a player. I like owning physical media. Never purchased a download.

I tried to migrate from CD to master stereo downloads, but my genre of music is rarely available for download. I already started a thread "rare song paid download sites", but seems nobody knows where can I find new age music or soundtracks, or music remix by Eric Levi, Thomas Bergerson, composers : John Barry. J. William, Han Zimmer etc..
 I have enough storage space for my remaining 1500 vinyls in my 900sq ft condo now that I've switched to an inflatable mattress in the living room. Good thing I thinned out 3K on my moves, sleeping on patio is is rough on an old man in MN winter !