Also, Sony is a big company that makes many of each component so the market is largely flooded, even with SCD-1s. But as Elizabeth points out, this isn't always the case. I am glad to see someone else thinks the same as me ;) Arthur
Actually, I think it's because Sony and other companies have come out with newer, better SACD players using superior forms of technology. If people can sell their previously-top-of-the-line SCD-1 for a decent price (while they can still get a decent price, before the SCD-1 becomes *badly* outdated), they can put that money toward, say, a Denon DVD-5900, a very well regarded universal player with an MSRP of $2,000 and a street price of maybe $1550 or so.
So while I do not think there is a concert of action element in this case, I do believe that a number of people are independently reaching similar rational conclusions.
I thought mine were rather unspectacular, at first. I owned two; sent the first one down the road. I came back. I still have the second one. I went back to it because I did hear the smoothness and promise of what was possible. So, I had it partially hot rodded. Now, it's easy to get lost in the music. I have more room to hot rod. It gets even better?
I considered selling my second one recently while looking into multi-format, rather than spending the money on modifications. I asked for opinions. One dealer who has heard one of the well-regarded-as-of-late players said that the SACD performance of the SCD-1 is so black-quiet vs. the other player. Other opinions as to whether I should sell came back pro and con but, a statement I heard commonly was that there probably won't be such a well designed, solid player to enter the market again.
I also went to the online magazine, Positive Feedback Online, and looked at the systems of each reviewer and would guess that around 40% of the reviewers owned the SCD-1. Hmmmm...
I dont' think the SCD-1 will ever become badly outdated. It's like XA7ES, Nak Dragon, and others - things of that caliber always hold a fair bit of value. Top of the line stuff that was built well and never will be made like that again....
It's also possible to future-proof it and use it as a transport only with DSD digital out. (Meitner has done this. I have a SCD-1 that has that option from him.)
Hey Jwmazur...if it was so well designed, why was there any need to have it hot-rodded? :-)
There is no doubt in my mind that there will be many well-designed, solid players to enter the market in the future. As a matter of fact, aren't there several out there now? (from Accuphase, Luxman, Esoteric, etc) This is high-end audio afterall...the promise of bigger, better, and more expensive is guaranteed.
Elizabeth, you're wrong - there is a cabal. People are shorting SCD-1s trying to cause a run on the market whereupon they will turn around and pick them up cheap, leaving the poor suckers who sold theirs trying to buy back at elevated prices when they realize what they did...
Phild-The Sony project manager even admitted that they couldn't take this to the level they thought it could go as far as the electronics. The build quality and the transport section are the remarkable things of this unit. Just saw the Luxman-oooooh!
to say 'I dont' think the SCD-1 will ever become badly outdated' is almost silly. In the digital world, advances come at a staggering pace. Just look at the past 10 years and look at the path of the common CD sound to what we have today. Of course it will become badly outdated. It's just a matter of time.
I thought my $4500 Compaq P133 would never become badly outdated. Ha! 5 years later it made it to the local land fill....
I thought my Sony DVD7000 would never become badly outdated. Great build quality. Ha! 4 years later and it's relegated to the playroom by a $200 Panasonic.....
People get in and get out when the market is right. If you want a SCD-1 then by all means buy one. Enjoy it. A few years from now it might make a good boat anchor...
Hey krocdoc, you are wrong but I don't really care. If it's good now it will always be good, despite tastes (or lack thereof) or flavor of the month changing. My examples and info stands on its own as an accurate observation of the situation.
I have noticed that sales of a particular component comes and goes like the tide. Each set of waves within tide represent a different group of people buying the component. It always starts off with the guy who must buy new and is a dealer's buddy for equipment trade-ins. Thankfully for them, there are those at the next tide who only buy slightly used ones, then the next tide are those who look for bargains on yesterday's big names (like me ;), etc. With each tide comes a new rush of sales followed by a vanishing act where you hardly see them on the market for a few months. Anyway, just like everything else in life, it just acts in waves. Then, to perpetuate the cycle, people come to new conclusions on...the tide of the latest and greatest new products! Anyway, it's my observation and it seems to fit the data in most cases. Arthur
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