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Coping in an Age of Uncertainty

there have been numerous threads here, i know, about sacd v. dvd-a, upsampling, oversampling, etc. a number of these threads have included discussions of which, if any, new digital format will replace what we now call “redbook” cd’s. i don’t wish to rehash these discussions. rather, i’d like to hear from others how they are coping with the “age of uncertainty” in the realm of digital audio. is it better to “roll the dice” and invest in sacd or dvd a? ignore the contenders for the new and get the best possible out of redbook cd’s? buy with upgradeability firmly in mind? follow another path? i don’t post this query out of mere curiosity. i really haven’t figured out what course i should follow. i’d appreciate your giving me a hand. -kelly
cornfedboy
tok20000's avatar
tok20000
608 posts
 
All I know is that I am willing to bet....

Vinyl will outlast CD, SACD, and DVDa.

LOL

KF
tommy_in_sylmar
144 posts
 
its beginning to look like sacd is going to survive. it doesnt take a lot of money to try this format. the low end sony dvd/sacd/cdps are one way to economize.
i got a ns500v for $161 delivered, sacd sounds fine, dvd is fine, and redbook cd is XLNT! i read that sony upsamples the cd to dsd and thus avoids the filtration problem that happens when you filter near the passband. whatever, i am a happy camper. this is the best sounding cdp ive ever had in the house and the cheeeepest ive ever had. im not replacing all my cd inventory with available sacds so im avoiding that expense.
im building the sacd inventory SLOWLY, and now i can buy dts and dvda if i want because they have compatible tracks.
.......regards.......tr
subaruguru
1,375 posts
 
Someone recently said that thousands of years from now archaeologists will be able to play LPs with a pine neeedle, while being baffled by assorted silvery discs!
bob_bundus
1,834 posts
 
Ern has a valid point. Was just reading about NASA's "old" computer files archived from Mars Voyager mission. No one is able to read them anymore. The machines that *could* read them have all been trashed ("who needs this old junk anymore?") the programmers are either retired/unlocatable, or are now dead. So these valuable data files are already useless. The scientist doing research was finally able to find file printouts & then had to pay people to re-key the data using newer machines & formats. No sense in archiving that either; before long those software versions will be outdated, & the files will again be unreadable because technology marches on & people don't think to re-reformat until it's too late. You have no idea how much important information has already been lost due to the "digital dark ages". Egyptians & their papyrus - an idea who's time has come back again.
dturbatie272
6 posts
 
Hi

My opinion is that new standards and new technologies generally bring advantages in terms of quality, but initially create the problem you mentioned. Well I decided to come down the fence and for $ 400 got a Philips 963SA that plays SACD, CD 24/192, DVD etc. I figured thet even if SACD does not work out I have an incredible CD and DVD player that sounds better than my Meridian 500/566 combo($ 3000+). At $400 all the problems you mentioned tend to fade away. To cut short, the secret is perhaps not to invest a large amount of money in waporware products.
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