With the release by Marantz a mainstream player recently of their Reference line CD/SACD player the SA10 that includes their proprietary transport mechanism designed as part of this product development program and proprietary software for 1-Bit processing upscaling all signals to DSD suggests that the cd format is alive and well as a niche technology. Clearly cd's are not going anywhere anytime soon. Of course Tower Records HMV and so on have been made redundant by streaming. Mass market watches movies and streams music. Still we have radio stations and new vinyl manufacturing facilities and technologies emerging. Premium brands like Linn have entered the streaming market too. It's fascinating because wired beats wireless for reliability yet convenience beats reliability! And discs are better quality than streaming yet streaming is far more popular as it is much more accessible and cheaper. CD's will remain a niche, and SACD and similar high quality discs another small niche. My understanding only.
Showing 7 responses by johnread57
Elizabeth nice acquisition. My experience differed last week. I listened to the SA10 for the first time at CarltonAudio in Melbourne. It was nice if rather squashed processed sound. Heard with nice cables and the PM10 through a pair of PMC Twenty5 26. Then I listened to an Acoustic Research Reference CD9. I found that unit significantly more open and transparent. It was much nicer to listen to. We changed out the PM10 fearing that was part of the compression experience. It was and the new amp was another step in a better direction. The quest continues. |
I must say I am still stuck on the ARC Ref CD9 with quad dacs, two per channel as the best I've heard. Leaves all my previous Esoteric gear behind including cdp and clocks etc. And running my streamer through this unit via coaxial also uplifts my digital stream significantly. Now I need to get this system reassembled one day soon... |
@jafant yes the vanilla Pioneer LX800 SE has been put back into service. The MW Pioneer was a piece of trash, measured and reported and then sold. The Standard Pioneer LX800 with only EMI RFI upgrades is running nicely. It has a super image but I find the audio not as good as the Oppo205 SE. Still my systems are fragmented at the moment with insufficient shelf space the main issue stopping unpacking all of my gear. The variety of media furntiure here in Australia is very limited. I should have imported back the two units from the ME, but they were also quite fragile. We are awaiting a shelf unit for delivery next week that will enable a stereo and HT set up. But my son moved back with us, and I have had to create an office in my HT room so things are rather all over the place. I’m trying to sell my two box XP20 SE to create some space but summertime in the USA takes everyone’s mind off hifi purchasing. MY wonderful fully serviced Krell XD Duo 300 is not moving here either... |