What is new with the Memory Player?

Yes hard drives can fail, that is why there will be redundant external storage with the Memory Player.

Yes optical storage is pretty durable but scratched discs, miss filled discs, and lost discs will be a thing of the past which is a good thing.

However, valid your point is we are all moving away from owning content in its native form.

With Fios, Satellite TV, and other such services high speed down loads of content is the future. CD sales will eventually be as quaint a concept as spinning music via an LP. Just try to find a good record or cd store, Tower is a shinning testament to that future.

Don't get me wrong I love my albums and cd's but this future is inevitable. The wholesale adoption of the Ipod proves my case. Our children will grow up in a future without software in a hard format, the handwriting is on the wall.

"With Fios, Satellite TV, and other such services high speed down loads of content is the future."

Audiooracle-

If this is the future, how is the MP's "ace in the hole"
featue, RUR, going to be of any benefit?

Kana you are right on that one. The Memory Player was envisioned for the person who already has thousands of CDs.

Down loadable music in most cases is already corrupted, so buy your CD's now or forever hold your piece!

There are many small recording companies that are getting ready to start putting full rez files online. You already have Music Giants and Linn Records doing it. Also don't forget High Definition Tape Transfers. We are truely entering into a world with no more limitations when it comes to music playback. I have been waiting on this for so long!

As of 2005 Accustic Arts of Germany claimed the first 32bit/384khz oversampling DAC and they now are claiming 66 bit technology.So what is all the fuss over bit count- it's the sound stupid. I don't sell Memory Players- but the MP with DAC is the best digital I have heard and by a long shot- exceeding my former personal references- dCS and EMM labs and by a significant margin, and just last week besting a local high-end dealers personal home 43K Zanden Transport/DAC combo.