Buy a CD now or wait new technology

upgrade your *preamp* if ya wanna improve the sound of digital software. i did so, & suddenly, my cheapie $500-retail nad 515 cd-changer is sonically comparable w/the highly-acclaimed $3k retail resolution-audio players. no meaningful differences, when run thru a melos music-director preamp. i was all-set to upgrade my cd-player after upgrading my preamp, but now, it's not worth it.

so, get a killer preamp & upgrade *all* yer system's sources, making redbook cd's paletable, while waiting-out the *suits*, as psjulian mentions. then, when ya *do* upgrade yer digital hardware, yule be able to plug it in to a top-notch preamp.

one person's opinion, doug s.

Do yourself a favor and go buy a Marantz SA-1 SACD player.
I've had mine for the past week and finally in heaven with digital.

Psjulian,Sorry you take the post as an attack ,but i won,t apoligise for it as you still provide no backup, just a bunch of i heard this and that for your reason on why the original poster should not buy into sacd.I will have to set a few things strait for you 1 There are no multi channel sacd players available,only software for consumers to buy.2 Your opinion on sacd vs cd as a musician might be a good one,if you actually had sacd to compare and did not go with what some dealer said.3 sacd is two years old,and can hardly be considered new technology.4 There are pure dsd recordings and even the 200 year old dead guys sound better on sacd than any redbook, and you will not find a soul to disagree,who has actually compared the two.5 As a buiseness owner i can tell you that the suits don,t know squat about half the stuff they sell.6 I can walk into at least half of the hi end dealers in the world,and tell them more about sacd than they care to know and it will all be based on facts,not well because my freind told me or some suit told me.As far as your little pissing contest about a new house,i am on my third custom home,also in michigan and at a much younger age than you,and i could buy the accuphase sacd tommorow for cash, but this is an audio board,not a pissing contest.Sacd, does not require any special room or studio to get a lot closer to the master than redbook,just put it in place of your current setup and add your tatse in music and presto ,instant better sonics to enjoy the music with,This advice is free and fact,and this includes even you Psjulian.

ears, i've heard sacd, & i agree w/ewe about its sonic improvements over cd - it's almost analogue-like! ;~) however, there's not enuff software presently awailable for me to entertain taking the plunge into the hardware. (mebbe if i was on to my 3rd custom home, i mite tink differently, tho!) i'm perfectly happy w/my winyl, & my cd-collection is quite small, so i'm ok w/this, too. i dint get into cd 'til only a few years ago, due to its sonic shortcomings, and i felt little hardship - i'm sure i can comfortably get by w/o a sacd player until it turns out (if it does) to be the next dominant digital medium.

regards, doug s.

Good for you Doug S. As far as ears is concerned since we both live in Michigan why don't we get together and discuss our opinions face to face. This was not meant to be a pissing contest. The one fact you missed, is, what Doug S. mentioned, the software. Other labels are waiting for the smoke to clear. Trust me the suits are having a ball. High - end audio is a small market. They needed to do this to generate sales. Home Theater is not enough for their greed. My debate is not that SACD is not a better medium. It's what the big boys are doing to us. My advice is the same as most writers in TAS and some in the other publications both print and the net. If you need a killer CD player get it now and enjoy your current music collectin NOW!!!! If the new format flies the market will be ripe for the other players to produce their machines. This is better for us. If we jump on board blindly then they have us right where they want us.If we make them earn our support then we win. Thats my point!! Look at Xmas and what Sony did with the games. The average consumer went nuts. I pray we in this hobby are wiser than that. Peace and good listening.