Question for the older folks- did you ditch vinyl when cd arrived?

I'll be using recollections, as I can't recall the time with confidence; there will be a reliable accuracy for a report of the 80's era.

What do I know about the launch of CD into the market? Well, there was widespread coverage, usual media channels, radio, and TV Coverage. I also recall the CD appearing on a Science Show where scratching it with a stone was done to show the last thing one would do to a vinyl album doesn't affect the Bee Gees' replay of the CD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMp1pSVxoqw

Let's say the first of my interests kicked off from this TV programme, as I still have the recollection of the programme today, and most likely rewatched it for the first time in 45-ish years today.

I recall friends in their late teens/early twenties selling their Vinyl Sources and Vinyl Album collections and going the CD route.

I recollect through the 80's and 90's having been experiencing a huge amount of CD replays at the homes of others and in smaller volume at audio retail outlets.

I recollect that I had arranged through audio retail outlets for CD vs Vinyl comparisons to be done. Linn, Mitchell, Pink Triangle, Rega, Roksan and System Deck will all have been TT's used to be compared to CDP's from Arcam, Cambridge Audio, Linn, Marantz, and Sony.

From recollection, Sales Assistants have been very wanting and very keen to convince that CD was the only option to consider. 

Experiences of the CD Source during the era referred to did not offer much to me to convince me to move over to CD as a shared Source or a Sole Source.

Prior to COVID times, an EE friend became convinced they could create electronics to really improve on certain CDP's where selected donor models had designs for a high-quality mechanical function for a mechanism. This was based on the already put into practice custom-produced electronics for TT's, especially models invested in, to have improvements done to the Platter Bearing mechanical interfaces. 

During this era, thoughts were very well established about the desirability of very tight tolerance, low coefficient of friction bearing parts, used for mechanical interfaces used to rotate a Hard Media, i.e, a Vinyl LP. The mechanical requirements of the CD's rotation lent themselves to this way of thinking already established. Subsequent learning that certain CDP/CDT producers had already considered these concerns and put designs in place to improve the mechanics proved through investigation to be very desirable. 

When being introduced to the same model A/B comparison of an original spec CDP to an electronically modified model. I was to become more interested in CD or the possibilities of CD. My attention was caught, but maybe as intrigued by the project's development, other than the end sound only. 

Across a period of approx' one year, I heard enough to suggest extended listening would be beneficial in the home system, which was arranged for a few different models, now having been worked on using different designs. Home Loans needed a loan of CD's to be played as well, as the stash in vehicles was not large. Purchasing used CDs became a new undertaking and was instantly liked. Charity Shop purchases usually result in 50-ish CD's being purchased for a few £'s. 

Such a large selection of CD's opened up opportunities to investigate the loaned CDP vs Vinyl Source to once more become an investigation.  

Later on, the friend was offered an alternate option to investigate by somebody who was being consulted about the design ideas being adopted. A proposal was made to use a design produced by the individual being consulted with to trial a DAC they produce with the CDP's.

The DAC in use was an absolute game changer, even with cheaper original spec CDP's the DAC elevated the end sound being produced.

I bought into one of these DAC designs and never looked back.

I also chose a CDT that has a Buffer, to avoid the data read not being sent directly from the disc as the signal.

Today, I have a very large CD Collection, and my Wife and I, have a substantial Vinyl LP collection. Currently, I am using the CD Source much more than the Vinyl Source. Vinyl as a Source still has my heart, and I am investing in it. When present circumstances change, Vinyl will get much more time dedicated to replaying it.   

The CD formats in 16 bit were compromised from the onset, the treble cutoff affecting harmonics rendition. Newer DSD and streaming formats don‘t suffer this limitation and beat the various distortios of analogue hands down. Obviously getting the right digital setup remains key

I started out with vinyl LPs (and had some cassette music when that was a thing) but I unloaded my vinyl. I was still in the part of my life when I was moving around frequently and when new music was all on CD and the pieces I liked best were re-issued on CD, I bought those and listened to the LPs less and less. That was the late '80s and early '90s.  Eventually I sold off my TT and cartridges when I bought a more audiophile-grade disc player. I didn't miss vinyl at all, TBH. I understand why some still like the medium, but I suspect that is partly nostalgia and for younger listeners curiosity about an old-school hi-fi tech that did a decent job. I mostly stream now and have ripped nearly all my disc collection. I have some tube amps  and enjoy that kind of vintage gear, but I really have no desire to rebuild a vinyl collection. I suppose if I had built a collection of thousands of LPs and was more invested in audiophile-level  playback equipment I might have done differently, but my TT was a basic Technics belt-drive and I used a Shure M95ED at first and then changed to a B&O cartridge, both were nice enough, but I moved along as the tech changed.

We didn't intentionally make the switch, but switch, we did.  When my wife and I got together we had a combined collection of several hundred LPs.  We live in the Pacific Northwest and in January 1993 there was a major storm. A coastal redwood was blown over.  It took off the entire front of our house, going all the way to the foundation, right through the listening room.  For a week after the storm, there was snow followed by rain.

The house was unsafe, so we were unable to rescue much.  It took out our entire system, including K-horns, a great NAD receiver, a Teac R2R, and both turntables.  All our LPs were either crunched or turned to mush and the tapes were ruined, too. 

When it came time to shop for replacements, we decided to go with CDs.  While some of the CDs from that era were pretty awful, they almost always had poor LPs, too.  But we certainly didn't miss the downsides of LPs, not to mention the fear of even a little slip ruining it forever.

As time has gone on, we went further with digital by ripping to APE or FLAC on a server and now to streaming, such that it is currently a rare event to use a physical CD.  Frankly, I find the quality to be as good if not better, much less hassle, and no fear of pops, scratches, and noise as well as losing the collection again from a random event.

I made the switch because, at the time, I was very focused on exploring Jazz and the original Blue Notes and such on vinyl were quite expensive in used record shops in Southern Maine. There were major Jazz reissue programs underway on CD, so it was a matter of economics. I bought a Sony ES something or other... sounded like a box of dimes tossed down a stairwell, paired with a Harmon Kardon integrated and Boston Acoustics speakers. I eventually switched to a Denon, which was definitely an improvement. I've heard friends' high end vinyl systems. They sound nice but I don't enjoy the music I favor on vinyl any more than I do on my CD system. I've never considered going back.