The CD player is dead.......

For sure music file server devices that are also user friendly will become increasingly prevalent and popular as the technology matures.

So far, you can do it yourself which is less expensive but still significantly complex to do well and in a fail safe manner or buy more expensive integrated solutions that cost more and still may not have all the common user glitches worked out

If you can touch it you can feel it. Tom

I'm sorry you've had problems with hard drive crashes. I don't view it as anything more than a maintenance item, rather like periodically needing new tires for your car.

Also, replacing a motherboard does not mean losing data if you have a backup. I know, as I've replaced motherboards before.

Unlike you, I have lost CDs to rot. And I've also lost them due to kids, friends and my own carelessness. The same thing applies to LPs.

And for house fires, FEMA statistics indicate there are 400,000 house fires on average each year. That's a pretty serious number. While I hope no one has one, and if they do music is going to be pretty far down their list for a while, but a simple off-premises hard drive backup solves that problem without the need to repurchase music when they finally get around to this hobby again.

One only needs to peruse the internet and you can find horror stories about any product or device ever made, whether unwanted Toyota acceleration, computer problems, CD players or turntables.

Yes, some people have problems with computer music players, but there are many of us who are quite satisfied with our system and who feel well protected with our backup systems.

You're the one with the doom and gloom scenario so you shouldn't be surprised with others point out the weak points of the alternatives. Everyone needs to find their own comfort zone.

I like the ease of a cd and the feel of having the media and a player. This was one helluva thread...

08-06-10: Mlsstl
I'm sorry you've had problems with hard drive crashes. I don't view it as anything more than a maintenance item, rather like periodically needing new tires for your car.

What does that mean? Replacing a hard drive every so often?

If so, I don't see the advantage to that scenario over the ease of placing a CD into a CD player.

...a simple off-premises hard drive backup solves that problem without the need to repurchase music when they finally get around to this hobby again.

I understand some people find this to be a positive, but I am not one of them. To me, cloud based back-up (I assume that's what you're referring to...apologies if it's not) is subject to security breach issues, in my opinion. I suppose if all one is backing up is music files, then the security issue is less important. For me, the less of my personal business is out on someone else's server the better. Cloud based back-up incurs a fee correct?

Mlsstl, you are clearly facile with computers, drives, and everything else that goes with the world of computer audio. I understand that for you, computer based audio is a no-brainer decision. I wish you good listening with your choice.

For me, there is no weak point to the scenario of taking a CD out of its jewel case, inserting it into the player, and pressing play. On the other hand, there are many more weak points to computer audio that at the present time outweigh the advantages, and are enough to prevent me from discarding the CD playback system.

I do in fact have a Transporter and use it to play a number of "radio" services...Pandora, ParadiseRadio.com, etc, so I'm not against the concept of computer audio, but even the Transporter can be prone to stop playing for a number of reasons which require troubleshooting, so CD remains the reliable fall back.

When computer audio gets to the point of simplicity and reliability of CD playback, then I'm all in.