Coping in an Age of Uncertainty

The smart thing to do is to wait and let other people dictate which format will survive. If the history of CDs and DVDs shows anything, it will be a about 2 years before vast numbers of software titles are widely available. So, if you're smart, you have two years to do nothing. Stand along the sidelines and let the world pass you by. Alternatively, you could get involved. Make a commitment. Take a risk. Maybe, you'll make the wrong decision and get stuck with a dead format. So what! Despite 20 years of CD, vinyl playback is alive and sounding better than ever. Was I really supposed to dump my laserdiscs because DVD came along? I recently purchased a Sony SACD player along with 10 discs. The sound quality is definitely superior to standard CD playback. Why wait when you can have great sound now?

I had pondered this question for three years, waiting for one of the new formats to become dominant. I had an older CD player, one that worked fine(until recently), but left me wanting more sonically. I went back and forth so many times, I was totally confused. Finally, I decided that SACD and DVD-A were moving at a snail's pace. And that neither would be replacing CD in the next year, or more... So, I decided to buy a better CD player. I saw one that I wanted, but my girlfriend insisted on buying me one as a Christmas gift. The one I wanted was $1200. There was no way I was going to let her spend that much money. I then auditioned all the sub-$1000 price category. I found two that I thought were worthwhile. I bought the one that had a 24 bit DAC(192 kHz). The Cambridge D500 SE. As it is a $450 player, I will not feel as if I threw money down a hole should one of the new formats take control in the next couple years. And, it is still up in the air whether either will displace CD(see Sam Tellig's article in the February Stereophile). I more or less agree with Sam. I also went to my local record stores to check out exactly where SACD/DVD-A were, in the "real world". To say that they yet to make an impact was a supreme understatement. The stories I could give you... Put it this way, neither is even known(literally) to people outside of our world. I am happy I got a great sounding, cheap player. If you are of the opinion that our solace will be found in upsampling(and that our players will ultimately become transports), then my smile may never stop growing. The music I want is only on CD(even NEW releases). If one of the new formats becomes dominant, of course I will welcome it. Until then, I will simply sit back and enjoy my system.

Those who sit back and wait are voting for cd sound forever in one form or another.ie mp3,dvd-a ect.I was watching The Eagles Hell Freezes Over last night and thinking to my self.This five channel for music sound is not acurate,and as far as the video for music thing,this is not a good thing and just takes up space that could be used for better sound.Video is great for movies,but i think most would agree has no place in audio.I do not beleive there will ever be any realistic sounding 5.1 channel music.So knowing this and hearing opinions on sacd quality being better than dvd-a by people who own both,i will never own a dvd-a player.So if you are to lazy for vinyl like me and want better than[cd sound forever]the choice is a simple one and this is why i bought the9000es sacd/dvd/cd player.Do you want music videos[dvd-a]The hassles of vinyl,the inferior sound of cd or mp3? or do you want the better than cd sound music lovers have been waiting for almost twenty years for[sacd] If you sit back and wait your voting,you obviously just do not realize it.The music industry is waiting on you to decide before they jump in with more mainstream releases.If you keep waiting you will get some form of inferior sound that is a given.So sit back if you want but if you do they will decide for you.

I have been watching these threads for a while and have decided to buy a 9000es. It's worth the money as a dvd player so it's no loss if the format dies. Sony has shown it's serious about sacd with the introduction of the new less expensive players. If a few thousand titles are released in the next two years, and more are released as backwards compatable in the next year, I think sacd will become the format of choice.

Hey Cornfedboy,
I've been following many of your responses to various threads and it appears to me that you've got one hell of a system. It's reassuring to know that you, too, are having difficulty deciding what future digital format to chase after. I have a pretty decent system and I keep questioning how can I get the most bang for the buck. I'm sure that I can some improvement by upgrading my Wadia 850. I've not heard SACD or DVD-A, but based on what has been written, either format should offer more than what we already have. What I'll probably do is buy as inexpensive a player as I can, buy a few outstanding discs, and if I feel that there's enough difference to warrant further investment, then I'll proceed with caution. A couple of years isn't really too long to get a pretty good idea what format will ultimately win out. Maybe we all should get together as a group and take a shot at one format or the other. Maybe one of the manufacturers could offer a real deal on a player to the members of Audiogon and help us along. If you look at the state of the cellular phone wars today, who in their right mind would pay a lot for a phone. The service is where all the money is, they'll give you the damn phone just to sell you their minutes. Just dreaming I guess!!