Why CD players so expensive when the fomat is dead

Here's what I found at this web page:
http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/music-stats-for-2009-fab-four-king-of-pop-among-top-selling-artists-11620/nielsen-music-sales-highlights-type-2009png/

For 2009 in the US:

295,000,000 cds were sold
76,400,000 digital download albums were sold
2,500,000 vinyl LPs were sold

Single track digital downloads were 1.16 billion

So I'd say the cd is still doing OK.

tomcy6 et. al.: what the industry doesn't, and cannot accurately measure, is the number of free legal and illegal downloads--i've read guesttimates that these number in the tens of billions annually, which dwarfs cd sales. these free downloads are the exclusive source of music for entire generations, and many bands whose cd releases don't even register on the billboard charts are actually downloaded and circulated in the millions. add this to the fact that, walmart excepted, most of the big bricks-and-mortar cd sources have died (tower, circuit city, virgin, etc.) or on the verge of folding (e.g. barnes & noble) and it doesn't really bode well for future sales of actual, tangible cds. it seems inevitable that very soon conventional cd sales will become the exclusive province of a few big online purveyors and and the odd, tiny hole-in-the-wall local merchants and that downloads will be the overwhelmingly dominant source of music consumption. kinda sad--i'll really miss browsing in record stores.

I'm an ol'school LP & CD guy (who'dathunk CD's would ever be considered "old school?!). I certainly moan & miss the old days of plentiful physical outlets for buying music BUT....I think you may be not be seeing the forest for the trees, so to speak. While you absolutely are correct about the death of being able to buy music in stores, I wouldn't JUST single music out. With the advent of on-line consumerism, I believe that malls will be a thing of the past within a few generations. Look around, before I'd seen a dearth of stores closing everywhere, NOW I see whole malls not being used. We can discuss whether this trend is good, bad, or indifferent (personally, I think it sucks!) but it is what it is.

I just cannot imagine buying a high priced CD player especially one that does not have a digital input.

Audiohpiles just love to torture themselves! I used to be the guy sitting there loading up a single CD into a 45 lb player waiting for my SET amp to warm up before I could "really" listen. What an awful time in my life! This hobby had me by the b*lls!

The issue is not CD players really- it is more the fact that 16/44.1 sucks and always has. Okay- it has gotten better recently but when the clicking and popping LP is preferred you know there is just something inherantly wrong. Lets be honest!

Now SACD/DVDA and 24bit downloads- this stuff is good! Too bad the first two are also DEAD which leaves PCs that can properly ourput the latter as the only real option these days for those looking forward.

I totally agree w/Robr45.On a side note,Ive personally know of 2 local Walmart superstores that have pulled CD sales and placed prepaid phones in its place,So to the guy that states its a lie,maybe you need to be looking down the road for a new job!.From what Ive heard the download avenue blows away LP and CD.Sure there will always be the oldschool die hards that just love the turntable or their DCS players but they represent a very small number of market share