Coping in an Age of Uncertainty

I have asked myself the same question. Having a transport or player that can play multiple formats is a partial solution and basically, that is what I'm waiting for. I'm holding off a new puchase until more mfrs come around. The new player from Musical Fidelity seems intriguing (but not at $6500!). The other problem of course, is the ever increasing obsolecence due to evolving technology, which I'm afraid a one player box with multiple format capability does not (at least sufficiently) address. My two year old Parasound sounds pretty good, but somehow I have the feeling it already is outdated.

Quite a dilemna when you think about it.

I think you're right on. We seem to be in a time of change when more universal players are coming out and SACD seems to be getting a solid hold on to the market (of course, others will disagree with this observation). But like you, I'm holding out for now to see what players will be coming out. This will frustrate the manufacturers, but it's best for the consumer to be more diligent nowdays before plopping down lots of cash for something that may soon be outdated. I'm guessing we're reaching the plateau of redbook perfection and 1) the price/performance ration will improve in redbook and 2) the high-rez formats will take on more relevance and 3) the digital music thing...

I do not understand what the difference is?

Redbook wins!! There are only ~2,000 SACD titles available today - nothing in the world of music. If it were 20,000, it would still be a nit. Given the weird stuff I listen to, I don't expect to convert any time soon...

I agree with Bluechriss that for people with alternative tastes that redbook is going to be the standard for quite awhile. The CD burner revolution for small labels and bands is another stronghold of what's going to be longevity for this format. I am looking to upgrade my player and I am only looking at players that have strong redbook CD playback. I could care less about the useless fancypants formats. I don't listen to audiophile dreck and if I want to expand my Dylan or Stones or any other classic rock catalog, I'm gonna do it through Sundazed or any of the other LP reissue labels putting out killer vinyl right now. I got the Sundazed Stooges LP reissues and I don't see Elektra putting those out on SACD or DVD-whatever anytime soon. I find it annoying that Stereophile is ready to give high rankings to players "in their expected format", meaning that SACD players that sound like garbage with redbook cd's get class A. Wotta joke! Here it is a couple of years past the beginning of this thread and here I am saying, I'm coping with redbook very fine thank you by not getting caught up in any hype. I will let the equipment sort out the resolution and leave my expectations at home. Never really twigged to CD's till the last few years and now the system improvements and remastering have gotten pretty good for my tastes. Sure things could be better but that's inherently the way that we are. Never satisfied? Welcome to the human race. Just don't let your expectations overwhelm the fact that things are pretty good. I can get records that I used to have to look years for (and yes there are some things that annoy me because they aren't available, Tim Buckley's Starsailor being one of the more incomprehensible gaps in the catalog)and between LP's and CD's I do pretty damn well. I'll worry about the so-called digital wars when the dust clears. For now upsampling helps me out and I get what I need.