I think Sony came up with SACD to get back money lost when CD royalties ended 2-3 years ago. There is also a concept in business which says "keep the pot boiling" which means keep talk, action, stuff going on - it will spark interest and keep customers occupied which makes it eaiser for them to spend. You always want potential customers coming in and out of your store/business and activity is the best way to do it sometimes. SACD advertising, articles in newspapers, etc., and some word of mouth was supposed to get this actiicty going - looks like it didn't work.
And what's this stuff about "local record stores"? I can just see someone sitting in a half darkened room with the glow of a computer screen shining on their face, eyes glazed and fingers flicking away. Get out and see the world every once in a while, for God's sake! I have actually met people at record stores who have become friends, even met a great girlfriend there once (long before I was married!). Ever hear of socialization? |
"I socialize where the action is..." Sorry, but I don't visit www.hotdormbabes.com so maybe I am missing the real action. Hey, is Amazon making any moeny yet? I mean on music? Last I heard (a couple years ago) they had closed a number of warehouses and 1/2 the customer service department. That's when I noticed a real deterioration in service from them and I only now use them or any other internet store as a last chance provider. That is, except for Red Trumpet, Music Direct, etc. but then I can actually call them and talk to a fellow human.
By the way, my wife loved using garden.com, toys.com, mothernature.com but somehow or another they went belly up when the internet nearly collapsed. Maybe I should catch up on economist Lou Dobbs' space.com, but hey!! They're gone, too! Another $85,000,000.00 up in internet smoke.
I do have to admit that SACD and DVD-A will end up being niche markets with possibly every limited releases. I'm still waiting for The Beatles, Hendrix, etc. etc. etc. to be released on real quality editions. Although, Red Trumpet has the Japanese Beatles CDs which sound damn good, but then, my old, stupid, slow moving "local store" (whose owner is a 30 yr friend) can order them for me and will do so over the phone. Then I get to drive my sports car (which I enjoy immensely), pick them up, eat at a good restaurant or grab some take-out, maybe even relate to another human being in a normal physical why (you know, eye to eye contact, etc.). May even check out the latest vodka or a new tequila addition in my favorite liquor store. Might see my neighbor and her beautiful 3 yr old daughter or her husband's new bicycle, might be inspired driving up to my house to enjoy the flowers, help my wife pull a few weeds, make a quick summer dinner, sit on the rear patio and see if the raccoons will come get our leftovers. Not "where the action is" but a damn good life nonetheless.
Oh yeah, my DAC and CD transport sound pretty damn good, as good as the $800.00 Sony SACD player I borrowed for 4 days a year ago. Maybe I'm missing something but if so, it ain't bothering me. |
$2,800.00 transport, $1,300.00 for DAC. Also use a $500.00 Marantz SE multidisc as transport which sounds 90% of CEC trans. I understand your point but since I've already got these things, and they sound terrific, I have no intention of starting over. Just on principal, I also have no intention of buying "Kind of Blue" one more damn time. The Sony sounded nice, not as good as my redbook system. I could also spend a bunch more for an amp, speakers, wires, etc. but I just won't. Got better things to do - Hawaii, new car, early retirement (yay!!), etc. If I could find a $1,000.00 SACD player that'd beat by CD system, I'd buy it. |
Vinyl and turntables have "cache". SACD doesn't and unless it shows up in dozens of movies and TV shows (portrayed as something cooly retro) it never will. I borrowed an $800.00 Sony SACD multidisc player over the weekend. Sounded thin with unnatural high frequencies. Good transparency, however, it's at the expense of body and just plain "realness". Never got a sense of real people playing real music. Maybe I need to get a much more expensive player... |
Uh oh, Radknee...the SACD crowd will put a contract on you.
By the way, I was at a graduation party two weeks ago and the DJ was using an MP3 file to play music. Apart from the inability to mix songs, everything she played sounded harsh with no bass to speak of. Lots of people (none audiophiles) were complaining about it. I've not got much experince with MP3s but if this is how they sound, God help us. |
Co-incidently, I just got a CD today with 10 iTunes. A friend made it from her home computer and contains just some pop songs. They sound pretty darn good! However, Janie says the selection from Apple is pretty limited. Anyone have any other legal downloading services they use and like? |
It's fun to talk about them, isn't it? |
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On that price thing...yep, I just saw a bunch of SACDs in Dearborn Music for $24.99. Again asked manager (who is a friend of mine) if they are selling any better, he said absolutely not. Said the "high res" discs have been moved three times throughout the store, each time to a less traveled and more out of the way place since they simply do not sell. He keeps them because Dearborn is and has always been an excellently stocked store but, at this point, they are simply "space takers". |
I checked Amazon for the make of SACDs and they charge $22.95. Also checked another brand which Dearborn sold for $22.95, Amazon had for $20.95. I have no idea what Best Buy sells 'em for or if they even carry 'em. Don't shop there much as it's one damn ugly place. |
I've been to the Virgin Record store in Orlando twice in the last year and it was hopping. Last time I stood in line behind 10-12 people but it was in a tourist area. Same thing with Dearborn Music even though I usually go in mornings during the week. However, I've noticed local Borders' music sections are quite empty. Problem I have with on-line is the lack of ability to browse. Virgin has such a hugh selection that I always find things that I didn't know existed or stuff forgotten years ago. Maybe someone can tell me how to cruise through Amazon finding stuff I didn't know about or had forgotten. Same reason I don't use NetFlix anymore - too damn difficult to scope out the available movies.
My local store sells some SACDs for $15.00 but it seems there are manufacturers who still think the format is worth $25.00. |
Gawd, SACD has been around only four years and we're already scrounging like analog addicts. (Actually, I could easily be one as listening to good analog makes good digital sound uninvolving. I gave up turntables 6 years ago when CD playback got so good. There is still something fascinating about the whole vinyl experience and there is actually lots and lots of new stuff available. Just saw a movie the other night which had someone giving another an old record. The person receiving it laughed and asked, "Do they even make things to play these on anymore?" The record giver also laughed and said, "No I guess not. Sorry."
And some of you Audiogoners want us to follow Hollywood polictical philosophy! |
I agree with Phasecorrect as regards Sony's purpose. I can't imagine they would spend a penny on audiophile wants and desires but did create a scheme to keep the copyright money rolling in. Remember, the coypright on redbook CD ended 2-3 years ago and Sony stopped getting a cut on every CD sold.
I, too, agree with the Rolling Stones SACD catalog. It is the best sounding CD transfer I've heard which is saying nothing since the original discs were unlistenable. The new hybrids are barely acceptable and it's possible the original tapes suck. The Dylan catalog could have been done just as well by high res. redbook. Not a reason at all buy into SACD.
By the way, I borrowed another SACD player ($1,500.00 Sony) over the weekend and found it's reproduction a little 'phasey', a bit diffuse. High frequencies sounded somewhat like plastic, kind of like the old Acoustat speakers (which I owned and otherwise loved, except for their power hungry nature). |
