What digital evolution?

I feel every sentiments expressed here are very good.

My beef with this digital evolution, atleast in the stateside, is that we can't even get redbooks to sound right most of the time. I hope the recording industry can go back to the basics before brainstorming new formats.

Every new CD should be HDCD.

Ofcourse, for the recording industry, where is the money in that...

Regarding the evolution of digital technologies, I don't think you have too much break throughs in terms of DAC chips outside of upsampling. But, there seem to be many new implementations of the same building block from SE and tube outputs to Non OS configurations..

Digital amps are sure taking off.

Just a thought, I remember asking my teacher when I was in high school why computers didn't make better CD players than CD players since the computers have massive processing power compared to CD players. Yes, I was a budding audio geek even then.

Unclejeff,

Glad you didn't mention automobile manufacturers like Yugo, Kia, or Hyundia. Otherwise this digital discussion might reflect Down/Under-sampling?

I saw a new Toyota Pick-up with 1959 Cadillac style Fin rear light lens covers. Talk about coming full-circle?

Only thing I can't figure out is where's all the software for PC or Mac on dvd is,seeing it can hold so much more. Software seems to be an achilles heel in cdp too,as most consumers are happy with performance from it.We are the small crowd that's sidelined in a slower backwater.Hence recouping R&D for super duper cdp is tougher unless price is high.Looking at industries rooted in foward change slow or fast.I imagine it costs more to put manual windows in a automobile vs power with auto up/down.Soon they may not bother with keyed locks on all but the driver door. Less parts better look maybe security benefit.Back to audio, Sacd & Dvd-audio Multichannel hardware with modern powerful processing yet the software quality window is wide.(player internal software issues aside).Did you read Kieth Howard's article and testing of HiRez discs. Frank Sinatra and Allison Krauss . The Sinatra was mastered to HiRez via upsampling! Krauss and Steely Dan derived from 48kHz PCM masters!And an un-named high profile artists SACD sourced from 16bit/44.1kHz master!Industry behavior like that confuses potential adopters and destroys credibility of new advances.I imagine many cdp's are old wine in new bottles as well~IMO.

Redkiwi - I mentioned Moore's Law only because CDPs and DACs are most often mentioned as having very short product life-cycles compared to other gear due to evoloving technology. Since I just acquired a DAC, I was wondering what specifically is changing so quickly in Redbook playback that would cause a DAC to be obsolete in a year or two. And if the digital technology isn't evolving fast (we don't see DACs with newer more powerful processors to play larger CD software), then one would conclude that what separates the mediocore from the excellent products is execution of fundamental design principals and listening trials, not obsolete digital technology. Aren't these the same for non-digital components like amps, phono-stages, etc? And if so, than the life-cycle for well-designed digital gear should be about the same as for a well-designed preamp!

Viggen and Clbeanz - I agree about the wide-ranging quality in digital recordings, but the same can be said about analog, too. As for hi-rez formats being mastered from low-rez sources, well that's a different topic entirely. Sounds like the record companies are taking short-cuts to supply a new format.

Newer DAC chips come out all of the time. The more stuff "they" can cram into the chips the simpler the traces look on the PCBs. That may have something to do with today's low cost DACs and cd players. performance through simplicity? I'm with Kiwi, I don't think you understand Moore's Law (most of the world doesn't). IT ain't about clock speed.