Is the Modern Streamer the New CD Player?

When the centre of music playback is no longer a disc, but an entire world

There was a time when the digital heart of a serious hi-fi system was almost automatically the CD player. Its role needed no explanation: you placed the disc in the tray, pressed play, and the system came alive. The CD player was a source component, a ritual, and a promise of quality all at once. Those who wanted better sound looked for a better transport mechanism, a better DAC, more stable engineering and a more refined analogue output stage.

Today, in many systems, that role has been taken over by the modern network streamer. But the question is not quite so simple: is the streamer truly the new CD player, or is it something entirely different?

In my view, the answer is twofold. Yes, because the streamer has become the main entry point for digital music listening. But also no, because unlike the CD player, it does not serve a single format — it opens the door to an entire musical ecosystem. And that difference changes everything.

The age of the CD player: when quality was tangible

The success of the CD was partly built on the fact that it was a simple, stable and predictable format. The disc was physically there on the shelf, complete with cover art, release information and the pleasure of collecting. A CD player did not ask questions, did not require software updates, did not need a subscription, and did not depend on an app or an internet connection. A well-built unit could serve faithfully for decades.

For a long time, CD sound quality was considered the digital reference point: 16-bit / 44.1 kHz, in a lossless format. Today, that no longer represents the technological peak, but it remains a very strong and musically complete standard. This is why it is wrong to assume that the CD is "obsolete" simply because it is no longer modern. A good CD player is still capable of producing a natural, stable, focused and deeply enjoyable sound.

The greatest strength of the CD player is not necessarily that it is technically superior to every newer format. Rather, it is a closed system. The disc, the mechanism, the digital reading process, the DAC and the analogue output stage all work together inside one component. This gives the format simplicity and character. With a good CD player, you often feel that the engineers were not merely transmitting data — they were shaping sound.

The arrival of the streamer: not just a device change, but a change in attitude

At first glance, the modern streamer may appear to be just another digital source. In reality, it is much more than that. A streamer does not play a single disc; it gives access to millions of albums, personal digital libraries, internet radio stations, high-resolution services and, in many cases, multiroom systems as well.

Streaming is no longer a side branch of the music industry — it has become the main direction. This is not just a market statistic. It means that, for most people, music is no longer primarily an object they own, but a service they access. The streamer is the hi-fi component of this era.

But the streamer is not merely a "more convenient CD player"

This is where the real point lies. The streamer is not interesting simply because it is more convenient than a CD player. That is only the surface. The real difference is that the streamer changes the way we listen to music.

With CD, we tend to think in albums. We choose a disc, place it in the player, and we are more likely to listen to it from beginning to end. The streamer, however, encourages searching, discovery, comparison and selection. One moment it is Miles Davis, the next Dire Straits, then perhaps a fresh Norwegian jazz recording or a Japanese audiophile release. This freedom is wonderful, but it also carries a risk: music listening can easily turn into endless browsing.

In my opinion, the streamer's greatest advantage and greatest weakness are the same: it gives us too much music too easily. The CD player disciplines us. The streamer tempts us. The CD says: "Pay attention to this album." The streamer says: "Look what else is available."

That is why a modern streamer only becomes a true hi-fi component when we do not use it merely as a background music device, but as a conscious source. When we choose an album with the same attention as we would when taking a disc from the shelf. When we do not simply jump from track to track, but actually listen.

Sound quality: the streamer is no longer a synonym for compromise

A few years ago, many audiophiles still kept their distance from streaming because compressed files, unreliable apps and basic network players did not offer a serious alternative to CD. That has changed significantly.

Today, lossless and high-resolution streaming services are widely available. Formats such as FLAC, Hi-Res Lossless and 24-bit playback have made it possible for a well-designed streamer to deliver sound quality that can compete at a serious hi-fi level.

This means that a streamer is no longer necessarily the weaker source. In fact, a well-built network transport with a good power supply, stable software, precise clocking and a suitable DAC can produce extremely high-quality sound. The question is no longer: "Can streaming sound good?" The real question is: through what system, from which service, with which settings and through which DAC are we listening?

The weak point is often not streaming itself, but poor implementation: a signal sent from a phone over Bluetooth, unstable Wi-Fi, badly managed volume control, a weak internal DAC or a noisy power supply. A serious streamer, on the other hand, is just as much a hi-fi component as a serious CD transport used to be.

The new role of the modern streamer: a digital gateway into music

In older systems, the CD player was one source among several. Alongside it, there might have been a turntable, tuner, cassette deck or reel-to-reel tape recorder. The streamer, however, often combines several sources in one: streaming services, files played from a NAS, internet radio, digital inputs, AirPlay, Chromecast, Roon, TIDAL Connect or Qobuz Connect.

This is why I do not see the modern streamer simply as the new CD player. It is more like the new digital entrance hall. It is the point through which we enter music. We are not merely starting an album; we are moving between catalogues, labels, eras, genres and recordings.

This change is clearly visible in the hi-fi market. Today's streamers range from compact entry-level models to high-end network transports. At the same time, the CD player has not disappeared either. The most important conclusion is this: one format has not completely defeated the other — their roles have simply been rearranged.

What does the streamer do better?

The first obvious advantage of the streamer is access. From a single device, an entire musical universe opens up — something that would have been unimaginable in the past. Discovering a new genre once required money, effort and buying records or CDs. Today, we can listen to an artist's entire discography in seconds.

The second advantage is flexibility. A good streamer can handle CD-quality and high-resolution material, can be integrated into modern control systems, and in many cases can also be used as a digital transport with an external DAC. This is especially important for those who like to upgrade their system over time: first, the streamer's internal DAC may be used, and later the system can be improved with an external converter.

The third advantage is discovery. A well-configured streaming system does not merely provide comfort — it leads us to new music. And from a hi-fi perspective, this matters. A good system should not exist only so that we can listen to the same ten test tracks over and over again. It should give us musical experiences again and again.

What does the CD player still do better?

The greatest advantage of the CD player is independence. It does not depend on what a service provider removes from its catalogue, how much a subscription fee increases, what an app update changes, or how licensing agreements evolve. What is on the shelf is ours.

The second advantage is focus. Listening to a CD is a more deliberate act. We choose a disc, hold it in our hands, place it in the player, and the process itself prepares us for listening. This is not merely nostalgia — it is psychology. Physical formats slow us down, and that often creates deeper attention.

The third advantage is character. Many old and new CD players have their own sonic personality. They may not always be perfectly neutral, but that is precisely why they can be so lovable. The sound of a Marantz, Rega, Cyrus or an older Philips-based player is not only measurable — it can often be recognised. This kind of character also exists in the streamer world, but it usually emerges from the combined effect of the DAC, the power supply and the software implementation.

My own view: the streamer is the successor to the CD player, but not its spiritual heir

If I had to put it in one sentence: the modern streamer is functionally the new CD player, but emotionally it is not the same thing.

The CD player is an object of an era. The streamer is a gateway of an era. The CD player serves one album. The streamer serves the entire musical world. The CD player gives ownership. The streamer gives access. The CD player slows us down. The streamer speeds us up. The CD player is a ritual. The streamer is possibility.

For this reason, it makes little sense to set the two against each other in a simplistic way. In a truly well-considered hi-fi system, both can have a place. The streamer is ideal for discovery, everyday listening, high-resolution catalogues and quick access to new releases. The CD player, however, remains a wonderful tool for albums to which we have a personal connection — albums we want to own, not just access.

What should we look for when choosing a streamer?

When choosing a streamer, it is not enough to ask whether it "supports TIDAL" or "has Wi-Fi". The most important question is what role we want it to play in the system.

If it will be used only as a digital transport with an external DAC, then stable software, a good digital output, reliable network performance and strong app support will be crucial. If we use the streamer's own analogue output, then the quality of the internal DAC and analogue stage becomes just as important. If we use several services, then the app, search function, playlist handling and Connect features will determine how enjoyable the device is in everyday use.

A serious streamer is not serious because it has a long list of logos on the front panel. It is serious because it works quietly, reliably and musically. It does not crash, distract or force unnecessary compromises. It simply lets the music take centre stage.

Final thought: what matters is not where the music comes from, but whether it arrives

In the hi-fi world, it is easy to get stuck in format wars. Vinyl or CD? CD or streamer? Analogue or digital? These are interesting debates, but sometimes the essence gets lost behind them.

The real question is not whether the streamer is "better" than the CD player. The real question is whether it can fulfil the same role: bringing us closer to music in such a way that we are no longer listening to the technology, but to the performance.

A good streamer today is capable of that. But only if we treat it as a hi-fi component, not merely as a convenience device. If we place it in a good system, use it with a suitable service, and listen with the same care with which we once placed a carefully chosen CD into a player.

So yes, the modern streamer really is the new CD player — but only for those who remember that music listening is not about infinite choice, but about attention.

Author: Norbert Somogyi