SACD finally taking-off? non-classical listeners

Danielkl41, ditto!

Would be nice to see a list of SACDs that you folks think
sound as good or better than their LP or CD counterparts.

Having tried both SACD & DVD-A, I can say the best recording
in both formats sound very good, but a good turntable set up
still has more musical information.

A lot of the remakes, like the DVD-A version of Rumors
aren't worth the price of admission, and who wants to listen to audiophile recording of no name groups recorded in some old church by wantabe engineers like JA.

It's obvious Sony is trying to save SACD with the release
of many low priced players, but they also have to lower the price of the software and increase the catalog.

Happily, both SACD's and DVD-A's are in the process of price reductions that make them comparable to cd's. This should help both formats.
What is sad to see is so much mis/disinformation about the formats themselves. Imin2u, DVD-A and SACD *both* use LOSSLESS compression, which means that the values of bits are regenerated exactly as they were originally recorded. There is nothing wrong with, and everything right with, lossless compression. If you are reacting to the advertising by DTS that they produce 'DVDA' discs, you are right about that one. DTS is a compressed DVD-Video format, whether used for music or not, and their advertising is baloney.

We have all heard for years and years that the problem with CD is that it was limited to begin with. Now with not one but two options (probably the biggest problem) and people are complaing that they don't want an expanded format because it's too complicated (please!), it will require dual layers to be backwards compatible and yet don't want to have to replace their existing library (doesn't the first part negate the second part?)and because auditions of first generation players can't compete with much more expensive and sometimes more labor intensive gear that has had up to 50 years of maturity behind it. Some of which isn't portable, more than a little delicate has issues of software availability if not obsolence and not a great deal of hope for any dramatic improvement in the for seeable future. I'm unhappy because the prices are too high, the selection is too limited, the new formats are rarely compatible (I know of only 2 players, both Pioneers that are not exactly high end) and worst of all not future compatible. No digital out stifles independant artists and small firms, means no upgrade path, doesn't allow for recording (customizing various tracks for your car or what ever) and the one that really gets my goat, forcing one to go from native digital to analog back to digital (what a cluster#&*!) to perform what may become IMHO the greatest boon to audiophiles, room correction.

Excellent, Unsound. I'd like to add a point here. As I can see it from my point-of-view, The main sticking points are backward compatibility, and needing to purchase a new player. First, there is backward compatibilty with all the CDs that we have. Naturally, if you want to play any of the old stuff on SACD format, you have to buy a new disc. But if no SACD were available, you'd be playing the old disc with no option to upgrade. So, you can play your old one or upgrade at your option. Number 2, buying a new player. With the rate of equipment replacement that is already going on, I can hardly believe that this is a problem. I see people changing their CD players, sometimes 3 times a year. And spending multi- thousands of dollars to do it. So I think that this is not a real issue, but a "log rolling" activity in resistance to the new format for whatever reason. I think some of this resistance is related to the "consumer brand" names of the players, like Sony, Philips, and Marantz. There is no "boutique" gear out there with the exception of Accuphase. This leads audiophiles to think they are getting stuck with "mid-fi" products. I have not found this with my Sony. It is a good product and there are already "boutique" modification houses that do tweaks to it. I would have thought that the audiophile market would embrace a new format that offers a sonic improvement over the existing CD while retaining the convenience and quiet background and backward compatibility. I guess I thought wrong.
Just now, it occurs to me that it may be the same crowd who is always finding some reason to dislike vinyl, claiming that CD is better. You know, surface noise and all. Now they don't want SACD either. Maybe it is not us vinyl-philes that are the flat-earthers.