SA-CD/DVD-A?

well - consider me foolish, then, rob and i'll return the favor!

I agree that both SACD/DVD-A will basically remain audiophile formats, although I do see SACD lasting longer than either DVD-A or DualDisc. DVD-A suffered bad software support from its main supporter, Warner Music. And DualDisc is slipped out of the gates with compatibility issues. While SACD software is slow in coming in the US, I do see the support from labels like Universal and Telarc helping the format to gain a foothold.

In my opinion (we all have them )
If there was more SACD discs avaialable there would be much more interest.The list is still paultry.
Look at the Stones, Dylans, CCR, Pink Floyd discs they seem to sell well.
But, there is NO new music coming out in Hybrid SACD, Why ???
If it ever had a chance I thought the Hybrid dics were the answer to get this thing a Rolling.

If there is any irony in this thread, it would be listening to people talk about what how SACD's are an audiophile niche product and then go on to say that's why they're sticking with vinyl.

They have a small slot at RECORD STORES?

Hello?

It has been years since I have seen a RECORD STORE.

I've seen USED record stores.

Virtually everything promoted here on this forum is an audiophile niche product. You won't see much of what we purchase at your local Best Buy.
(Although, they actually do carry SACD's at Best Buy.)

Most of what we buy is found in little boutique audio stores, places that scare the bejeezus out of the average mass market consumer. Then, we trade it back and forth here on Audiogon, a niche marketplace.

I'm also not sure who it was that predicted High Rez digital was going to "take the world by storm." I never saw that prediction. I wouldn't have believed it if I had. There is always an adoption cycle for any new technology. The assumption that High Rez digital would be adopted by the mass MP3 buying market in just a few short years was either way too optimistic, delusional, or a red herring for a flawed argument.

If the worst case scenario is that High Rez will "only" survive as an audiophile niche product, then it will be in good company -- along with vinyl, tube gear, monoblocks, two-channel pre-amps....virtually everything we pursue here.

Well, I'm as skeptical as they come and I think there still may be hope for SACD to catch on in a (somewhat) big way. My reasoning? SACD sections in the few remaining record stores are starting to grow in size. Does anybody remember 1982-1986 when your RECORD store had about 10 square feet dedicated to compact discs? Oh, and try ordering the RCA Living Stereo SACDs from anybody (Amazon, Music Direct). They are all sold out and back-ordered in the thousands. Whoever it was RCA/BMG who estimated the demand for these discs must have quite a Christmas bonus coming! (If I were his boss I'd give him an IOU for the 10 discs.). Another reason: non-audiophiles are more frequently asking me what I know about this format. Inevitably I tell them that the sound quality is noticably superior to anyone with a working set of ears and decent gear. You don't need audiophile gear to hear the difference, but you need something better than plastic computer speakers. I don't even bother telling them that redbook play can be as good if you want to go visit your Mark Levinson dealer. That's why I'm still hopeful. It's a hi-rez format that can easily be appreciated by non-audiophiles.
Then somebody asks me "Can I rip them to my computer?". That's where my pitch begins to fall apart. sigh...

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Tom