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
Life is nothing if not uncertain. Live. That means you will need good music for the trip. If CD are a thing of the past and you lost some coing along the way, does it really matter?
I see a few people commenting on not wanting to buy a new format because of an extensive RED BOOK library, but hey didnt we all ponder this when RED BOOK came out? wondering if we should replace, Vinyl with 8-Track or reel to reel, then cassette, then CD, Vhs to Beta, then to DVD...it never ends, and its a roll of the dice, hell one day people are gonna look back at CD's as an antuiquated format just as Vinyl is in some circles.....cant stop progress right?
p.s. I do think SACD and DVD Audio are gonna survive if k-mart starts sellin crap boookshelf systems that can read these formats.
As long as it can be had cheap, and in a convenient package that any idiot can operate it will survive.
it is both gratifying and frustrating to see that the thread i started in february 2001 remains relevant. for me: i've yet to invest in anything other than redbook and lp frontends, deciding to wait for the inevitable migration of high quality audio media to hard disk. if i live long enough.
I pondered this briefly last year and decided that it's going to take so long for Sony or whomever to successfully launch a new format, it's safe to upgrade your CD player. I was more than satisfied in buying a McIntosh CD player, which make CDs sound like records.