There's probably some truth in what you say. IMO, Sony is an amazing company that for more than 30 years has produced high quality consumer and professional audio products. Just because Sony "panders" to the masses shouldn't blind us high-enders to the quality of some of their better products. Those who turn up their noses at Sony are missing some great products. If Toyota didn't call it a Lexus, would it be any less a good car?
Too snobbish for SACD as it exists?
Perhaps I am wrong, but I get the feeling that the reason SACD players have not been as successful as hoped lies with the fact that the very persons for whom the benefits of the higher resolution format are appreciable are hesitant to put a Sony, Marantz or Pioneer product in their systems. A product like Krell, CJ, Levinson, etc.,while usually significantly more expensive than the aforementioned "mid-fi" brands provide the purchaser with a certain cache and a greater level of satisfaction, albeit sometimes a psychoacoustic contribution to the listening experience. I, personally, would be more willing to spend more on a quality SACD player from a true high-end company, however elitist that may sound, even knowing that I may be paying for diminished returns. I just wonder if there is a large pool of high-end consumers waiting to see what marquis companies will introduce before they commit to the format.