Sacd / Dvda universal players

Only the Teac Esoteric 50 MSRP at all interests me. I have not heard it, but many who have say it is extraordinary. I have a Lindemann and have ordered a Meitner, so I doubt that I will try it any time soon.

I thought about the DV-50 as well, but after several calls to TEAC I can't get a straight answer about future service and support. One time they say Esoteric is being reintroduced to the US market, then whien I ask who the dealers will be they call back and left a message saying there were no plans to sell them in the US. I love some of TEACs gear and the DV-50 looks like the best thing currently made, but I'm not going to spend $5K and not have a repairable transport.

I've got a Pioneer Elite DV-47Ai home for audition this weekend and so far I really like what I hear. It's not the DV-50 in terms of quality of build, but as Eldartford said, it's a good unit (similar to the one he recommended, but newer) for the $800 the dealer said it will be if I keep it and I can wait to shell out several K until the format wars settle out.

I have a feeling that next year at this time there are going to be more universal players than you can shake a stick at. They will all be pretty darn good by then and prices will have dropped as well. The second generation of player will have also sorted out all of the weakness of the first ones. Can we wait thats the really big question? Hopefully by next year new releases will be sacd/cd or cd/dvda the day they come out. Will see.....

Deven just so you know, the Marantz 8400 is a second generation universal player.

--Lenard

I kinda of discredit the marantz and pioneer because they do not play SACD in true DSD they down mix to pcm. I think they are missing the boat there but I feel it is probably easier for them to make it universal that way. I stand corrected about them being second gen but until they have fully DSD capability I would not really consider them as universal players I am interested in.