Is SACD really this lousy?

David; as I enjoy reading about stereo matters, and would like to follow up, would you please cite the "studies" to which you refer in your above post. Thanks. Craig.

I personally try to not be hostile about LP. I think the main aggravation for me is the fact that primarily, it is all but dead. The main music companies have all but quit producing vinyl (Yes, the new Neil Young is great and Santana's album too) but, for the most part, we've been robbed. The reason for anger? How about you work and work and get the sound so perfect, that you can listen to anything you own in your library. I mean from LP's that are forty years old, to Jimi Hendrix, to the Cranberries, and Daniel Lanois. I am referring to sound so good, that visitors cannot speak for fear of interrupting the music. Then, you get ask for new music by KD Lang, or Matchbox 20, or someone else who is a group of the 90's. You cannot play it, because it does not exist on LP. You can play the CD, it is OK in your car, but on a ultra high end system that you have extracted all the performance out of for LP, it bites to play CD. I think the description of us (me) is closer to frustration, aggravation, disappointment, and confusion. Why don't the music companies produce both formats and let us choose? The answer is because music is now MANUFACTURED, not CREATED. Digital allows extreme manipulation of the signal, you can repair tone in a flat singers voice, you can fake anything the label wants, you can overdub as many times as necessary to make something out of nothing. The hard work and production perfection by the artist and producers to craft something real has been replaced by quick and convenient techniques that are extremely cost efficient. It should not come as a surprise in an our era, as everything has come to this. I guess the problem is that some of us would still like to hold on to something that is perfect. That is a lot of what a hobby is. A labor of love. It is a shame that we don't get more choices, and that the quality is determined by bottom line. For those of you that have not experienced having a system built on a format that has reached perfection, but no longer is viable for new music, be happy that what you have satisfies you.

Well said Albert, I couldn't agree more, especially about Sony. I'm perhaps less frustrated than all of you, because I can enjoy both vinyl and CD. That's my problem, I enjoy listening to the stereo TOO much, and never get any other chores or projects done......................JMAZUR, I'm all for having a dialog without insults, and I'M OPEN TO DISCUSS ANYTHING AUDIO RELATED. Let's discuss something perhaps non-software format related, it provokes too much anger on here. I feel that it is entirely possible that the frustration you feel concerning SACD, and other formats, could originate from some other place in your system. I'm open to discuss that if you like, just fire away...

Albert; I enjoyed your well written post (just above). It describes very well how many LP users/lovers must feel. But I must respectfully disagree with one of your conclusions, ie "built on a format that has reached perfection......". Perhaps this means that the format(LP)is as good as it will ever get? Or it could mean that the goal of recreating the live performance was finally achieved only to be lost by the digital takeover. I choose to (optimistically) believe that some future digital format, in the hands of dedicated artists and engineers, is the best chance, or maybe the only chance, for this goal to be realized. Sincerely. Craig.

.......I hasten to add-- I have never heard YOUR system. I bet it is SPECTACULAR. Craig.