CD vs. SACD vs. DVD-Audio vs Vinyl vs...

Hi Albert, interesting camera story, but CD technology has had 20 years to mature and unless i'm mistaken, digital cameras are only beginning to make their presence felt. I have been lisening to a VAT amp with a Theta transport, DCS upsampling and Avalon speakers lately not the $150 CD players you mentioned. I also listen to a Sony cdp-CA9ES 5 disc CD changer through a Denon AVR-5700 , Monitor Audio speakers with a REL sub, Sony DVD-S7700 for Home Theater and background music for dinner. I loathe the Sony CD player but it was the only one that remembers programming for 172 discs. Does anyone know of a better CD player that retains programming? or is it worth hot rodding it? After working in the best recording studios in New York for 27 years I think I have a good idea what a master tape sounds like. I have not had as much experience with Vinyl gear as you have and agree with your opinion that today analogue does achieve superior sound when played through very high end systems. I think that the upcoming universal players (CD,SACD,DVD-A,) have the potential to equal or better the high end analogue systems at one fifth the price. I have heard both the CD and LP of recording sessions that I have participated in and the CD resembled the original event more accurately on a variety of good systems. I am still new to this type of forum and may not be as familiar with as many components as Carl and I am relly enjoying hearing about the speakers and CD players he is familiar with. I would appreciate your help with cable and speaker upgrades in my post about the AVR 5700.

Sorry about the typos. The amp is VAC renaissance 70 Conrad Johnson Premier 16LS preamp, DCS Delios and Purcell, Avalon Opus spkrs, Synergistic designer reference cable and Bybee power conditioner.

Hi Bmpnyc; If you can live with a single disc player, The Sony XA7ES has a disc/track/delete program memory for 224 discs. The XA7 is an excellent stand alone CD player or transport-- Stereophile Class A since it was introduced. I recently saw that it had been discontinued, but they are common on the used market, and are built like a tank ($3000. MSRP). BTW I also have a CA9ES. I run it into a Sonic Frontiers Ultra Jitter Bug via toslink, then to a Muse Model 2 DAC-- it sounds excellent, as good as the XA7, and I still have the convenience of the carosel and delete track programming. The SF Jitter Bugs are also available pretty inexpensively (MSRP $700.) either used or from SF, and besides jitter reduction, they convert toslink to Coax. The UJB was Stereophile class A when introduced. The Theta TLC and Monarchy DIP do the same things the UJB does, are effective, and available. I use Cardas Lightening digital cables with good results-- fast and neutral. Happy Listening.

Hi Garfish, Thanks for the info. Can the jitterbug go to the Denon and use its Burr/Brown DACs and still sound as good as your set up with the Muse DAC? Have you heard the Sony SACD yet?

Hi again Bmp; The SF UJB has to be used between a transport (or CD player with digital out) and an outboard DAC. It has two inputs-- coax. and toslink, and one output-- coax. Its purpose(s) is to 1. reduce digital jitter (a timing distortion or error), and 2. to convert toslink to the more desireable and robust coaxial. As the Sony XA7 has coax out and the CA9 has toslink out, I can connect both to the SF UJB with a single coax cable to the DAC. Using this setup, I cannot tell the XA7 from the CA9. The UJB has a front panel switch to change from one CD player to the other. I like this system a lot. I like Burr Brown DACs too-- the Muse Model Two also uses them. No, I have not yet heard SACD, but I sure would like to-- my nearest dealer is a long way. It doesn't tempt me much yet though because of the limited number of titles available. Have you any experience with SACD? I'm beginning to research "upsampling" devices though to improve the quality of my large and growing CD collection.