Coping in an Age of Uncertainty


there have been numerous threads here, i know, about sacd v. dvd-a, upsampling, oversampling, etc. a number of these threads have included discussions of which, if any, new digital format will replace what we now call “redbook” cd’s. i don’t wish to rehash these discussions. rather, i’d like to hear from others how they are coping with the “age of uncertainty” in the realm of digital audio. is it better to “roll the dice” and invest in sacd or dvd a? ignore the contenders for the new and get the best possible out of redbook cd’s? buy with upgradeability firmly in mind? follow another path? i don’t post this query out of mere curiosity. i really haven’t figured out what course i should follow. i’d appreciate your giving me a hand. -kelly
cornfedboy
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Jab,there are all ready multi players and this is a reveiw from one the pioneer ax10. The wadia 860 cd player just blew away the pioneer player, outperforming it in every way on all material EXCEPT SACD[QUOTE UNQUOTE]This is a reveiw from www.widescreenreveiw.com/todaynews/audprf07.html check it out, like i said sacd is the clear winner.They say in a reveiw of a dvd-a only player in the same issue that it sounded simply terrible ,worse than redbook.
Just for fun, go to a store with a 30-day return policy and buy a S9000ES. Compare the CD and DVD sound with what you got right now. You also get a SACD sampler disc free so you can listen to SACD right away even though the sampler is not the best SACD recordings. None of the selections were originally recorded in DSD. The good thing is that you probably have some of the samplers on CD or vinyl.

The S9000ES was one of 3 players I bought on trial. I was not surprised by SACD, but was shocked by the improvement in CD and DVD sound. I kept the S9000ES. The other two went back. I received a thank you note from the salesman about 33 days after my purchase.
Hi Kelly; I suspect you already know my position on this interesting topic. IMO, CD is going to be the dominent music format for at least several more years, and I already have about 1000 CDs. Also, I am nearly 58 years old with a history of early hearing loss in my ancestry. To that end, last summer I seriously upgraded my CD transport to Levinson 37 and DAC to Levinson 360S-- I want the "good sound" NOW. However, as a sort of hedge against future formats, the 360S DAC is fully upgradable and already decodes 24/96 discs-- haven't seen any though! Generally speaking, I think CD quality has improved (matured) significantly in the last 5 years, and quite frankly my system is sounding great, so I have little interest in SACD or DVD. As some have observed above, I've seen absolutely no evidence that either of the "new formats" is going to catch on with the general population anytime soon. Cheers. Craig.
We live in a relativly high tech world and there is always something new around the corner. Recently we have had all the new cd formats and video formats as well. DVD and high definition television. I have come to the conclusiion that I rather be using these technologies then waiting for what one will be dominant. It may not be the smartest money wise but I justify it by saying that there wouldnt be new products if people like us didnt buy them. Im sure in the long run I may end up with the equvalent of a couple of beta machines but I will end up getting more enjoyment out of my system.