New formats, same old story?

Get 4 identical speakers, full range. Add a processor that supports circle surround (un-encoded) or similar (both Theta and Meridian have music surround processors that apply), turn off the center channel and the sub and you now have a sound system (on live recordings only) playing good ol' 16/44 CD's that will kill either of the two new formats --- and you get to use all of your existing music.

These technologies extract out of phase information and put it in the rear speakers. I am NOT talking about the artifical DSP processes that some suround recievers have.

This setup sounds better than any artificaly recorded surround music I have ever heard (DTS, AC3, DVD-A). And if you have great full range speakers, kills two channel audio. I don't know how many companies make processors that have this type of mode, but it sure is awesome.

VERY difficult to listen to 2 channel after hearing a top end implementaiton of this approach

Onhwy61. I have copied and pasted part of your statement here with a question:

"Beta lost when Panasonic made significant monetary payments to the large SoCal porn distributors......The home market for Beta quickly went limp."

What in your opinion is the correlation between "porn" and the market "going limp"?

This is a little scary for me. Personally, I am going to watch these format wars very closely.

To add my 2 cents, I've been listening to a wonderful Telarc hybrid (McCoy Tyner) on my SCD-1 and mentioned it the other night to a dinner party (six hungry mouths)on my deck (strictly non-audiophile). I have a pair of pretty mediocre outdoor speakers on the deck, hooked up to an equally mediocre CD player, but I put the hybrid on so they could hear it. The sonic effect was electrifying. After lots of oohs and aahs one of my guests started quizzing me about hybrid's availability, etc. He wants them for his car! Has anyone had a similar experience with SACD/hybrids? and cheap systems?

Thanks to all for the responses. It looks like we still have not arrived at the point where we would have liked to have been. I started on this road in 1997, waiting for the new format. In retrospect, I foolishly waited for over 3 years for one of them to become dominant. Not replacing a player that was THE major weak link in my system for a long, long time. My hope was that before the Y2K event, I would be sitting back enjoying a new way of listening to music. I was wrong. I still keep hearing all manner of opinion. Sony will win because they have the hardware end of things together. Sony will lose because most companies other than Philips will be going with DVD-A. Sony will lose because DVD is the format people have already chosen. DVD-A will win because of two of the reasons I listed as to why Sony will lose. DVD-A will lose because of the fact that they keep chasing their tail regarding encryption. One of them will win because people always need the new. One will win becaue companies always need to foist the new upon us. Both will win because there is enough room for everyone to be happy. Both will lose because there is still not enough(and won't be for a long time) software to support either. Sony will lose because MP3 is the heir apparent to CD. Both will lose because 99.9% of people think CD is "Perfect Sound, Forever". Are you confused yet? So am I. It was getting so that I didn't know what was happening. I was in what I will coin "Digital Daze". A condition marked by absolute confusion about digital audio. Finally, I just broke down and bought a short term fix. A Cambridge D500 SE CD player. A nice player to be sure. Just that I don't feel as if my thirst has been quenched. I still think I am suffering from Digital Daze. As always, Sdcampbell brings an amazing amount to the table. This time with upsampling and room correction. Upsampling is a route many in our community are turning to. Some even say this will be the answer far into the forseeable future. Kudos to Whatjd. Buying an SACD player, combined with an upsampler seems to be a smart way to hedge our bets. At least for a little while. Do I regret buying the Cambridge, and not waiting for the influx of SACD players, combined with the aforementioned upsampler? I don't know. I just don't know. I think I am just as confused as I was last year.

My biggest concern is that our digital audio players may be approaching the status of computers. By this comparison, I mean, are we approaching the day when the digital audio player we walked out of the store with today was obsolete the minute we slammed the trunk lid, like the computer we bought at the store yesterday? I dunno, but it concerns me, Doug