Should Sound Quality of Computer Audio be improved

"Computer Audio makes as much sense as a nuclear powered Can Opener. "

Great line PO!

Thank God PEtty is back among us. PO, please, save us!!

Petty officer, you actually inferred that computer audio is better than cd, as was sacd... wow, a very big step for you. I have heard that a WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE invested in sacd over that "slightly better" difference...
I'm sure that you feel attacked by this thread... My issue is that it seems that you keep making it personal toward all of us computer audio lovin thugs rather than just the arguments of computer audio alone. I've seen printed YOU THINK more times than worth counting... where does Ulitimatum come from?
What it comes down to is Value for me. I have a computer audio setup that competes if not betters some of the best CD players on the market at pricing that I could afford where the best cd was out of my reach and yes, when you combine this sound quality with convenience it makes this a no brainer for me... I must say though if it didn't have this level of sound quality, I'd throw convenience out the window. Just as you, I am greedy also, I want it all, Computer audio, so far has come the closest in giving me all.
It sounds like you have terrible computer problems with all the issues that you have described, good luck finding a better computer, so far, mine has been flawless and I have been very happy with computer audio. I wish the same audiophile happiness to you and to all, Tim

"I have a computer audio setup that competes if not betters some of the best CD players on the market at pricing that I could afford where the best cd was out of my reach and yes, when you combine this sound quality with convenience it makes this a no brainer for me.."

Me too. Good point!

For me it still remains a mixed bag of sound quality across
all Formats. Anyone says that they have never heard a really lousy Vinyl Record, lousy High Res. Download, lousy
sounding SACD/ DVD Audio/ or CD- I certainly don't believe
them! Way too many broad strokes. I will hop from one Format to the next to get the sound quality I want, and
pick-choose along the way. All of that goes out the window
if "Soon all new Music will only be available as Music Downloads". That is the ultimatum of impending doom. It is
meant as a warning that soon you won't be able to rely on
any other Audio Formats. It is meant to cajoule, herd,
panic, and stampede. It is phsycological extortion- a tool
to pull peoples strings regardless weither it is fact or not. It is not a true measure of the worthiness in quality
of a new Format if the purpose is to panic everyone.
Competition among many Formats is the only way to keep
sound quality standards high. Single Format exclusiveness
only goes the way of irrelevancy like the DO-DO Bird and
eight track. We certainly didn't concider "Soon all new Music will only be available on 8-Track". Sound Quality
in the Market would have been ALOT different if we had.
Thank God we held onto other Formats! This costs Manufacturers Profits to maintain High Sound Quality. Their
goal is to still corral the Audio Market around a single
Format. Eliminate the competing Formats that compels them
to dip into their Profits to maintain high sound quality-
i.e. low res. MP3. No reason to replace all Formats with an
exclusive one, unless it is for Profit. Sound Quality goes
down (MP3) only to boost Profits up. They maintain a
stranglehold on releases available as High Res. Downloads.
It is a trickle, but it is getting better. If you see a
flood, that is the time to concider exclusively switching
Formats. It is a Chicken vs Egg business proposition with
these characters. Don't trust their promises on High Res.
Downloads yet- same promises made with SACD! Make them
show us the product first. Common sense Consumer Protectionism, but what do I know? I am crazy, ask anyone!

"Competition among many Formats is the only way to keep
sound quality standards high. "

There are many downloadable digital formats available at all resolutions, less than, equal to, and greater than CD redbook. FUrthermore, conversion among them as needed is quite straightforward from a technical perspective, though not always very user friendly to date, but that will improve over time and should become totally transparent to the user at some point.

VInyl will likely retain a (small) niche as well for those who want to go that way.

So I really do not see a problem. Other than that we all know that corporations often worship at the alter of the mighty dollar, yen, gold, or whatever monetary standard is preferred.