SACD & other Formats

"03-05-15: Ptss
Musichead, heed ZD. SACD was/(is) just a blip on the radar.
It will imminently be out of date as hi-des downloads are going to provide stunning audio quality -- it's happening now."

That's certainly a true statement. Downloads may end up saving high end audio altogether. To produce physical albums in different formats is a big expense. Not to mention risk. To offer music as downloads in multiple resolutions, really won't cost anything extra. The only real downside is illegal file sharing.

Does anyone know why digital downloads cost $18 to $30 for a single album with no bonus tracks or contemporaneous concerts, no deluxe booklet with new interviews and essays?

I think the cost to get a download to the consumer is minimal and I know that the price will not come down as volume grows. Most people are used to getting their music for free these days and one of the reasons SACD failed was that people thought they cost too much. So what are the record people thinking?

"So what are the record people thinking?"

They don't think.

What kind of downloads are you talking about, high rez or something else? That does seem very high.

SACD hasn't failed. As a matter of fact, with the right rig, SACD is awesome. From a guy that started with records in the late sixty's until the ninety's, and migrated to CDs because of convenience, SACDs are the perfect format for great sounding tunes and still fulfill the habit of loading and changing physical media. Old habits die hard, and as the vinyl crowd was rewarded with a total resurgence of high quality new pressings with all the ancillaries, liner notes, pictures, a physical, storable, collectible form of music which still appeals to us old timers, SACD provides all that in a digital, compact form. And now that is "dying", you can buy disc's at ever lowering prices.
What's better than that?

So what is the right equipment to make SACD sing? Some people say the Oppo is good, others say it needs to be modified and I see SACD players $10K +. Is a dedicated SACD the better route?

My TT is DV XV-1s, TW 10.5 arm, TW Raven One, Tron Seven phono. It sings and I play everything from Led Zep/Faith No More to Blue Notes to Mozart. My TT rig does not impose on any music style, that's the vinyl advantage IMO.

Being an old guy now I will never buy downloads especially at the $18-$30 price quoted. The music companies can deliver a physical product to market for considerably less so why would a download be more that say $5, they have removed the production and distribution cost. I suggest the push will be to just dig deeper into your pocket. I'm also of the mind set that physical media does have an after market value so you can at least recover a portion of what you invest later. This has been the reality in my lifetime, always best to go against the grain. Buy when everyone is selling and sell when everyone is buying.