Buy a CD now or wait new technology

Everyone is talking about this player sounds better than that player, etc..... Hogwash!!! If these miracle players are so good at everything how come during my research I keep coming accross threads about the latest and greatest mod's to make them sound about as good as a Levinson or any of the proven players on the market. Doesn't anyone see what's happining? The corporate suits are playing with us. They are pushing the computer marketing concept down our throats. The format war is there for a reason. To sell more machines. This one sounds better. NO! That one is better. This is the latest. No, wait! HERE COMES the latest. If you modify the output stage it can sound almost as good as a ........... Please remember what this hobby is about - the music. We as audiophiles enjoy music. If the corporate suits cared about the music they would give us a butt kicking SACD player only. No redbook CD, No DVD, just the best SACD ONLY!! I will find the best CD only. Just two channel. Do not force me to spend thousands more on speakers and wires. Let alone the proper room treatments. The format they wish for is multi - channel. Not me! Maybe vinyl is the way to go. Remember Redbook CD was the answer to the cassette tape. So I'm going to upgrade my simple system by improving the enviroment. My dealer is a friend as well as a dealer. He recommended I wait. I'm going to add the PS Audio P600 to clean and regulate the AC feeding my gear and I'm going to have my room analyzed for the proper placement of treatments. When the smoke clears and they produce what I am looking for not what they want me to have, I will take the plunge. Until then I will enjoy the music. We can keep the CD player and add the new SACD player or whatever clears the smoke. This is audio not the video game gotta have the playstation 2 OH, DARN 3.... WAIT 4 market. So please go and buy the best CD player for your ears and within your buget. Go enjoy the music now. Peace and good listening.

Psjulian, the reason your dealer told you to wait is he has no high end accuphase to sell you.The fact is dsd blows away any cd playback period, if your comparing same price range and brands, and hades will probably freeze over before levinson or any other ultra hi end company build a dvd-a player and if you were really interested in the slightest at knowing whats going on,you would already no this and not be asking a dealer.This is not a token add on like hdcd and dvd-a is flawed,and said to be so by the man who's responsible for it ,spent twenty years developing it,and has switched to dsd and says PCM is inherently flawed period.Add the watermarking in and its flawed even more so.So DVD-A, if it survives will be a multi channel cd sound forever for the average joe. Audiophools,on the other hand are and will be buying sacd,which by the way can,t even be played in multi channel as of yet,strictly two channel.So you see there is no waiting on the smoke to clear and if you cared to know this from owners of sacd and dvd-a or the audio press, you would already no the facts.This is the first new technology breakthrough in twenty years thats meaningful, and is a huge improvement over redbook and to compare it to a video game is utterly ridiculous. I run my player, which happens to have a dvd player built in through plinius and thiel gear,and the small percentage of owners who would mod there sacd players are doing it mainly for the cd side of things,not sacd.Yes its about the music, but the music just sounds more liquid and analog in sacd, no matter what player you use, compare it to a similar priced cd only player and you will hear more of what its all about,the music.Until then, you and your dealer are underinformed and you can always listen to sacd in two channel on any future disc,as i will at least until iv'e heard a realistic recording of rear placements of sound,which has not been done yet in my opionion.One thing you could do is listen to some sacd soon before trying to sway others to stick with cd and having very little if anything to back up your opinion.

ears, I have plenty to back my statement. AS I stated my dealer is my friend. He sells Accuphase as well as Levinson. The fact is the software. Most is re - mastered analog. It will take years for the recording industry to even get close to producing high quality two channel let alone multi - channel SACD or DVD - A. They are still fighting the format wars. I am a retired musician. I live in Michigan and my dealer friend is in N.Y. While touring I always looked up the High - End audio salons in the cities I was playing. This is a great way of meeting people with the same passion for music and a wonderful way of making life long friends. Most studios are just getting their act together on AC power regulating and paying attention to cable quality.SACD or whatever, is said to be as close to the master as possible. Be carefull about what you wish for. To truly appreciate the sound a good studio will spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars on accoustics. Will you? Redbook CD is mastered for the home audio and automobile enviroment. With carefull planing you can put together an outstanding home playback system with what is available today. My opinion is based on my dealing with the suits in the industry.SACD can play multi - track. That was displayed at CES 2000. The suits want this war to continue. Yes, this is exactly like the games. More in the corporate pockets with more gear to buy. I am going to be 48 years old in May. My beautiful wife and I just moved into a custom built home in Jan. She is behind me 100% on my audio hobby. The living room was dedicated the sound room in the planing stages. It containes my simple system of Levinson,B&W,etc., etc. My speakers were placed using the Cardas formula and tweaked accordingly. I received some professional advice on room treatments from my friends still in the business and good ol' redbook sings like my days of playing. This is what I base my advice on. So please do not attack someone you know nothing about. This hobby, music, has awarded me with wonderful friends. I was just passing on some thoughts to keep the fraternity going. I was not being negative about SACD, just cautious. Thanks to my beautiful wife and her investmant philosophy we are financially set. Are you? Why are all SACD owners so defensive. Long live music. Peace and good listening to all.Even you EARS.

upgrade your *preamp* if ya wanna improve the sound of digital software. i did so, & suddenly, my cheapie $500-retail nad 515 cd-changer is sonically comparable w/the highly-acclaimed $3k retail resolution-audio players. no meaningful differences, when run thru a melos music-director preamp. i was all-set to upgrade my cd-player after upgrading my preamp, but now, it's not worth it.

so, get a killer preamp & upgrade *all* yer system's sources, making redbook cd's paletable, while waiting-out the *suits*, as psjulian mentions. then, when ya *do* upgrade yer digital hardware, yule be able to plug it in to a top-notch preamp.

one person's opinion, doug s.

Do yourself a favor and go buy a Marantz SA-1 SACD player.
I've had mine for the past week and finally in heaven with digital.