Another sign SACD is dying

I guess the feeling I got when I left CC was that if it was going so well, they would continue to carry players, etc., regardless of it being highend or just midfi. I also went to the only local highend dealer in town and the salesclerk basically told me the same thing, that it just wasn't doing well. That doesn't mean that it's dead, but will probably just be a niche market. I think a lot people felt like me, that they were being pulled in 2 different directions without a clear path. It wasn't really the machines as much as the software. I would like to see a better format survive, but I also just want to go into any store in town and buy CD's for my player, not have to special order them. I walked into Sam Goody's approx. a year ago and the manager had never even heard of SACD's. (They may have them now, I haven't been there since) A universal machine just didn't appeal to me either, possible because there could be glitches about playing certain discs, etc.

Smw30yahoocom, I understand your point. My audio dealer gave me an advise - which is a very nice from customer point of view - don't go for SACD. He asked me to stick to the RBCD and enjoy the music rather than jumping into a format which has not taken off. But it was my decision based on my listening preference that I decided to go for the SACD. I have exchanged emails (friendly ones) with fellow audiogoners/audio-asylum inmates, who claim that when the CD players go upwards of $2000 the difference between SACD/CD ceases to exist. I listen to advices and make up my decision.
Robm321 and Nrchy have a good points here. And that lead me to find out more on the newer formats coming up. I am not starting a debate here - but just an analogy or thinking loud - if you may. I think the Blu-Ray is based on PCM because Sony feels that if they had gone the DSD way, then they would loose the market share. This means that SACD is the only medium with DSD. One more thing - whenever I think of DVD - I think of VIDEO. The same applies to Blu-Ray...it is psychological. What I am trying to say is that a new format doesn't mean that it will take off in the AUDIO department. It may be a hit in the VIDEO department. Look at DVD-Video and DVD-Audio.
So, I believe that SACD will remain a niche market.

Circuit City? Best Buy?? You've got to be kidding me that these outlets ever carried any audiophile audio gear or recordings. They are MASS MARKETERS. Certainly they impact the market. But look to the creativity / quality coming out of the smaller producers. These guys/gals don't have a chance at getting into the bins of the mass retailers. They're reaching us through the internet and to some degree in the larger metro areas through the single-outlet music stores. Did anyone here think that JC Penny's was the trendsetter in music selection in the 60's? Who needs a Britney Spears SACD?? If you love music then support it.

In my opinion it is against the nature of an audiophile/music lover to be a whiner. I embraced almost every format that came along and enjoyed every minute that I spent with it. Dying is inevitable, be it any format or us.

Happy listening to everyone on this thread! :)

Quadophile...Well said! I enjoyed my SQ LPs, some of which were really good. I still have the Vinyl but not the decoder. I have tried Dolby PLII with them, but it doesn't work too well.