CD format war and resultant music players

""Perhaps it would only take 2 versus 5 years for the audio chip to fall into place.""

"But who would care?"

Just a thought, or two. First point is the speed at which computer related technology advances, and second is a glimpse of the (not too distant) future where audio recordings could be downloaded onto a server or small storage devices of some type that are portable and connectable to home systems, boom boxes, I-pods, HT and automobile systems and the buyer is charged electronically at the time of purchase. I doubt we will be buying discs forever. In the meantime, I am not selling my CD/DVD player.

1. a well-engineered CD often sounds better than a SACD and there seem to be more and more well-engineered CDs. Barring some serious marketing (Beatles on SACD for example), I think the high-rez formats will go nowhere...
2. hard drive storage linked to good DACs seem to be the logical next step. And why not? Computers/chips keep getting better and cheaper while good CD/SACD players are still extremely expensive.
3. vinyl STILL sounds better than all the digital formats and is alive and well!

I haven't heard any CDs that sound better than their SACD counterparts. I have heard CDs that sound much better than their DVD Audio counterparts.

Well then, would somebody be willing to talk about where real audiophile equipment manufacturers are at with computerized music. I am not talking about mp3, ipod, or any mid-fi companies. I am talking about, if such exists, of people at the caliber of Levinson, Meridian, Linn type. I am the traditionalist into disc players, preamps and amps, thus am unfamiliar with exotically new technologies. It would help knowing about the technology and how far on the horizon might it be. Thanks.

This is not exotica, basically the computer just replaces the transport. Computerized music is the same as CD music in the sense that it is the same data so it doesn't matter if Levinson gets on board or not. It just a more convenient way to store and manipulate the data. It also has the advantage that ripped with the proper software you can get an error free copy stored on your hard drive. Once you've ripped the disc all you have to do is add a DAC that the computer can talk to via the USB port. There are some like Wavelength's and modified products from Emperical Audio that are USB compatible, or you can get a USB - spdif converter and use any DAC you want, including a Levinson.

Don't underestimate this technology, it is very mature. Computers and DACs have been around for quite a while and the only thing that could be considered "new" is the USB interface, and this is also really just a mature technology being used in a slightly new way.