Is DSD download already an extinct format?

Tbg, I think most of us think or at least hope that DSD downloads along with user friendly servers will be a worthwhile upgrade. We have a problem with the low number of titles available, the fact that we've already been sold most of them a couple of times and the price of said downloads.

Also, Sony has burned us before (e.g. SACD), so a wait and see attitude is appropriate. The HAP-Z1ES looks like a pretty nice server but it's not really what I want (no dac and digital ins and outs).

So I'm hoping that one of the guys making the big bucks will have a moment of inspiration and say, "Hey! Let's build a variety of servers so that people can get the features they want, and while were at it, let's get thousands of titles into the marketplace and sell them at prices too good to pass up! After all we have to digitize our old tapes anyway and our new stuff is already being recorded digitally." But that guy would probably be fired immediately. So I'm being cautious for now.

Tomcy6, I'm glad to read what you say, but I think now SONY and every corporation is concerned only with the bottom line. But I do hope like you that the SONY Quad DSDs will see public availability or at least double DSD will be available. I should say that I have many of my SACDs in DSD on my music server and can play them as double DSD. They are clearly better than the SACDs played on a universal player.

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Ditto Tomcy6
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08-25-14: Tbg
Melbguy, what does the "new white bread" mean? Good or bad?

That was just tongue in cheek Tbg ;) You know me, i'm in for a penny, in for a pound! Actually i'm delaying ordering my next cdp until they finish a new DSD USB board.

Sony's problem is not that they are greedy, it is that they are tactically stupid. The beauty of capitalism, done right, is that it is a win-win proposition. The company, its employees, its stockholders, and its customers all benefit. So much for the economic viewpoints of Brownsfan.

I received the CD corollary of the native DSD Appalachian Journey album, and uploaded wav, ALAC, AIFF, and MP3 files of the Cloverfoot Reel track (redbook) for comparison with the native DSD file supplied with the HAPZ1. As I expected, the native DSD file was better (across the board) than the redbook CD files uploaded in the 4 formats, then converted on the fly to 2x DSD by the Sony. But--- the difference was not profound. There was more sweetness in the violin, more edge in Ma's cello, better depth in the double bass, but it was not an overwhelming difference. I've heard far more difference from redbook cd to redbook cd. I paid $7 for the CD shipped, vs $25 for the DSD download.

Now, if I didn't have a machine that converted to DSD on the fly, what would the difference be, and would it warrant 3.5 x the cost of a CD? Tomorrow, I will compare the 4 transferred files with the DSD engine turned off, and see what that reveals.

Sony music is again not paying careful attention to what the Sony ES division is doing. Come on, guys, we are not idiots. Release your native DSD files, make a couple bucks over what you make on CDs, and we will all be happy. I'm pretty sure you will net more based on volume than what you are doing now. Forget trying to save your ancient treasures and focus on your current offerings, some of which are excellent.

Or, you can kill one more strategic initiative that deserves to succeed with a business plan that won't fly.

Just glad the ES guys have their act together.