I'm totally confused about Hi Rez formats


I was hoping that somebody out there could help this two-channel audiophile make some sense out of the DVD-A and SACD formats. I was interested in exploring these hi resolutiuon formats, but was told by a salesman that the benefits of these formats are only achieved when used in multichannel setups. I went to the dealer under the impression that if one wished to, he or she could simply use such players as two channel digital front ends, and still obtain the benefit of the higher sampling rate and bit rate. I know of one high end player like the Marantz SA-11 that only has two channel analog outputs.

I was interested in testing the waters with a universal player, but I don't want to go nuts and spend thousands of dollars until I have a chance to experiment with the possibilities. Certainly, I have no use for the so-called high resolution formats unless I can truly obtain higher resolution in a two channel system. I am not interested in multichannel audio at the moment. Can somebody please explain things to me.

Thanks!!
mstram
Rex-
I picked up the Jayhawks' "Rainy Day Music"; Ryan Adams' "Gold", and "Demolition" on vinyl last year, but that's the extent of my purchaces of new vinyl for the last two years.
Multi channel music will be a niche player like LaserDisc. The problem is outside of audiophiles no one just sits and listens to music. It is background filler or listening is done while doing other things not sitting in the sweet spot of multiple speakers. Multi channel works great for movies because you're sitting still. Can't rip SACD/DVD-A to your ipod or burn a copy for the car. Can't be played on a computer server based system. You have to buy all the extra interconnects. That leaves audiophiles as the only viable market for multi channel music.
That's an interesting point, Newbie!
I would add "music-philes" to audiophiles, but that still remains a relatively small market.
The initial mktg idea was that people would replace their two channel for multi & use that system for whatever purpose it served before + HT.
It doesn't seem to work out that way.
The dangerous part is that HT needs a dedicated room (or takes over a room). If it replaces music in the home, people could resort to using a boomblaster for b/ground music -- rather than have yet another system just for sound...
Hands up for buying new vinyl. I recently bought new stuff from Elvis Costello, Jayhawks, Elliot Smith, Tift Merritt, and hope to soon get the New Allison Krauss and Patricia Barber. If funds weren't limited, I'd get the new Joss Stone, U2, all the White Stripes LPs, Diana Krall and Mark Knopfler. Are all those even available in a digital hi-rez format? Cheers,
Spencer
Sbank

Let me see on Hybrid SACD Diana Krall is as is Elvis Costello yup to Allison Krauss and Patricia Barber. Don't know about the others you mention. However I am primarily a classical listener with some female jazz vocals thrown-in for good measure. I am finding plenty (and in some cases more than) of Hybrid SACD's available for my taste. I will admitt that I do not buy alot of software and I do find myself listening to the same discs over and over. I am finding more and more of the smaller labels such as channel clasics and fidelis or perhaps mo-fi marketing sacd's. To me vinyl is simply to much hassle to bother with. As I said earlier I can appreciate those of you who love vinyl. I think that there is a certain amount of romance that goes along with a great looking tt; similar to tube amps. One of my friends is into vinyl and buys it all the time. He has a Michel Gyro Deck and I love the way it looks.

Chuck