SACD - Another year and ...

In either case,...SACD or DVD audio, any of the new, or upcomming, players must address playback of current CDs better than the first generation units have. I have talked with people that have one of the first two Sony units..and have added Bel Canto DAC-1's or someother outboard unit to improve the sound quality of standard Disks. All of us will have many, many more standard CDs for a long time...so the quality of the playback of these is as important as the playback of any advanced format.

I am going to play hardball here...I know some of the guys that design and build the current high-end cd players disagree....but I think op-amps...read: big IC's...suck. I am sorry...I don't usually use words like that in a post. But I am tired of high-end audio gear using op-amps...it does screw-up the sound...what does this have to do with SACD....a great deal... Much of the dissatisfaction with the cd format...new or old has to do with power supplies... digital filters and esp. the audio amp section of players. These guys will try to tell you how a class A bias or someother BS makes these op-amps...really good...BS. If so, then the Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, VAC, Ayre...Pass and others of the world should get on the ball and put these world class op-amps in their pre-amps etc... I think I'll call the guy at Magnum-Dynalab and tell him to take the tubes out of the MD-108 and put in an op-amp or two.... My point is the same as my earlier response in this thread. ANY new format...SACD, DVD audio...etc.. needs to address the playback of standard cd's at the highest level possible for what's left of us high-end consumers..to be satisfied.. and excited about their product. Why try to be state-of-the-art in the digital end of a player..and then use audio circuit parts that are at low-end..mid-fi levels. Sorry...but this is why most of you out there have trouble with the sound of digital...period.