What after the old CD player? CDP, SACD or DVD-a?

My money is on neither SACD or DVD-A making it. By making it, I mean getting to the point where all new releases appear in that format (at which point a substantial chunk of the back catalog will be remastered for the format as well). The best music (not the same as the best sound) is on CD today, and will be until it is replaced by a format-flexible universal download system.

An analogy ?

Vinyl transitioned from 78s to 33s. Perhaps that's all that's going on with CDs. Transitioning from low density, 2 channel, red book to multi-channel higher density something. So if we look back we find that the players quickly responded to play both formats (as well as 45s)until 78s were fully superceded. Strikes me that this will happen with digital disk players too. There appears to be a convergence on the physical format, now the engineers need to get the information off the disk and into the system.

Meanwhile we, as consumers, can be bleeding edge and respond to every format change or wait. But someone has to buy into a given format, otherwise it will be killed rapidly. And there's nothing compelling for mass consumers to adopt DVD-A or SACD vs red book CD. The content is more expensive, rare, and duplicated on regular CD. The stuff will sound about the same on a 'normal' audio system. So it's only engineers and audiophiles who care about the nuances of improvements of one format over another. So we wait for a more compelling format. One with a higher value-add for mass consumers. Unless DVD is it. For now.

Do you want to hear something closer to music than what your current digital source provides you? Then spend the money to get it. There is no clear argument for not seeking better source material other than "save your money." The object of our hobby, or obsession, has never been to save money, but always to obtain the best reproduction of sound events. High rez digital, maybe in either format but definitely in SACD, will get you closer to the original event than any other format. You can buy a mid-fi SACD player and improve any hi-end audio system. Will it last forever? Of course not. Will it grow to include every release ever made in every other format? No way. Will it make you a better person for listening to it? Maybe. Will it make your jaw drop and your eyes widen? Without a doubt.

Every advance in technology implies obsolescence of older systems and is often more expensive than what it replaces, especially early in the cycle. But frequently, there is a bigger payback for the bigger investment: better sound, more music.

How much dough did you blow on your last cable upgrade? That was just a refinement of the same old technology of drawing wire. High rez is still digital, but it really is closer to the original promise of digital than CD can ever be. For under a grand you can get a nice player and 20 SACD's. You will hear music reproduced more true to life than ever before.