Hard to say at this stage which is winning and I think it's impossible to call the future at this present time.
I also think it depends what you've invested in-if you bought into SACD seriously then you'll be pro-SACD-if like me you have lightly invested in it -a Sony NPVS900 DVD/SACD player and decided against investing further in it-(I've just spent heavily on 2 channel stereo with an Ayre CX-7 and Ayre AX-7)-then like me you may harbour serious doubts about the format.
I have no interest (at this stage)in multi-channel though I have heard some great stuff already on both formats in a friend's system-I'm sure DSOM is truly excellent in 5 channel.
I think SACD may very well survive as a true Audiophile format but not in the mainstream-I think the discs available reflect this-much of which I have no interest in-other more interesting SACD releases by artists such as Bowie,Beck and Gabriel are probably individuals interested in both technology and audio reproduction and I would guess there's not too many of those around pushing the format -but I buy tons of music-I like to experiment-there's no new music out there on SACD or next to nothing.
Of course it's getting better but the hybrids are a double edge sword (no pun intended) because I can hear very little difference on either layer of The Stones,Police and indeed DSOM SACD's I own.
I'm sure if you have the MF or a high end Sony the superiority of SACD shines through but the lack of a noticeable difference at the mass market end is extremely damaging imho.
Also the hybrids are being remastered-guess what?- the CD layers sound improved to their previous releases-therefore proving more is available from CD-so why should you invest in a new player for the new formats?
The killer to me is that you (and I haven't heard it yet) need to spend serious bucks to hear what SACD can do.
The cheap universal players are damaging to the stereo aspects of both formats because I doubt very much if they exhibit any clear improvement on CD.
I also have SACD's which are not hybrids and the best of these Bowie's Heathen and In A Silent Way (M.Davis)were arguably slightly better in my system before I got the Ayre equipment-now on a quick listen to Bowie today it's quite a way back in comparison to the CD version-I need to check IASW at a later date.
Of course I'm not comparing like with like but that's because intially I was pro-SACD but the lack of players to audition and software to buy made my mind up to not invest further in it.
I wanted to believe in SACD but too many things were against it and I'm absolutely delighted with the descision I made.
I also think it depends what you've invested in-if you bought into SACD seriously then you'll be pro-SACD-if like me you have lightly invested in it -a Sony NPVS900 DVD/SACD player and decided against investing further in it-(I've just spent heavily on 2 channel stereo with an Ayre CX-7 and Ayre AX-7)-then like me you may harbour serious doubts about the format.
I have no interest (at this stage)in multi-channel though I have heard some great stuff already on both formats in a friend's system-I'm sure DSOM is truly excellent in 5 channel.
I think SACD may very well survive as a true Audiophile format but not in the mainstream-I think the discs available reflect this-much of which I have no interest in-other more interesting SACD releases by artists such as Bowie,Beck and Gabriel are probably individuals interested in both technology and audio reproduction and I would guess there's not too many of those around pushing the format -but I buy tons of music-I like to experiment-there's no new music out there on SACD or next to nothing.
Of course it's getting better but the hybrids are a double edge sword (no pun intended) because I can hear very little difference on either layer of The Stones,Police and indeed DSOM SACD's I own.
I'm sure if you have the MF or a high end Sony the superiority of SACD shines through but the lack of a noticeable difference at the mass market end is extremely damaging imho.
Also the hybrids are being remastered-guess what?- the CD layers sound improved to their previous releases-therefore proving more is available from CD-so why should you invest in a new player for the new formats?
The killer to me is that you (and I haven't heard it yet) need to spend serious bucks to hear what SACD can do.
The cheap universal players are damaging to the stereo aspects of both formats because I doubt very much if they exhibit any clear improvement on CD.
I also have SACD's which are not hybrids and the best of these Bowie's Heathen and In A Silent Way (M.Davis)were arguably slightly better in my system before I got the Ayre equipment-now on a quick listen to Bowie today it's quite a way back in comparison to the CD version-I need to check IASW at a later date.
Of course I'm not comparing like with like but that's because intially I was pro-SACD but the lack of players to audition and software to buy made my mind up to not invest further in it.
I wanted to believe in SACD but too many things were against it and I'm absolutely delighted with the descision I made.