So far, digital music has been a PC-centric phenomenon which has developed without disturbing the cloistered world of home audio. But for digital entertainment purposes, 2006 marks the end of the PC era and a raft of new product announcements and partnerships at CES 2006 provides clear evidence that digital music is finally crawling out of the bedroom and will soon arrive in the living room, alongside the home hi-fi.
What does this trend mean for the traditional home audio industry? If, eventually, the CD goes the same way as vinyl and broadband internet lines are routinely connected to a fast-emerging category of digital home entertainment systems, rather than PCs, then the home audio industry will be transformed.
