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

Hi Redkiwi; I bet you're from "down under"? Thanks for your thorough and articulate response. I can see that you've done much more experimenting with vibration control than I have. At about $25k, my system is not obscenely expensive, but based on your experience, it sounds like some of my components could benefit from the well regared seismic sinks, and I'd like to try them (don't know if I have enough room though). Regarding Vibrapods, they were really my first attempt at vibration control under digital products, and the improvement was so spectacular that I became a really enthusiastic supporter of the little buggers. Thanks.

Oops-- just noticied that it's the Townshend sinks (small) that you recommend, NOT the seismic sinks. My mistake.

Hi guys, I heard the Sony SCD-777ES today. There was a distruptive noise nearby the listening room so I could not thoroughly audition them, but it was still an enlightening experience. My first impression was that this was almost it!...The Holy Audio Grail. Remember, that this is a Sony product and although they certainly are one of the better manufacturers and innovators they usually end up not making the best machine. The superior Pioneer DVD players are an example that comes to mind. The standard CD aspect of the SCD-777ES is very good but not as good as some, it has a little bit of that Sony digital hardness. The SACD is another story, it is remarkable. I could pick out few minor critiscisms, but no matter what improvements they could make to it, there is an almost spooky realism, unlike anything I have heard before. In my opinion it truly does combine the bests aspects of digital and analogue. If they improve the format and recording techniques I believe there is enough of what people love about high end audio to please just about everyone. I heard this with the new Macintosh amp and preamp and the Vienna Acoustics Mahlers. Hope you all get a chance to hear one soon.

Yes Garfish - I am from down-under. I live mostly in New Zealand and sometimes in Fiji (hence two stereo systems) and am looking to do more of the latter in future. Unfortunately for me, Internet connections are somewhat transitory things in Fiji. By the way, the big sinks sound absolutely wonderful in the mids and highs, and even in the deep bass. But the upper bass gets smeared and thereby robs the music of too much life. The CD sinks only get half-way there in the mids and highs, but the bass is not compromised - indeed it improves the bass, particularly in pitch.

...spending one week on Morea island was much better than any "gear" i could have bought, for the money...Redkiwi, you know what i am talking about?