Hi.
As suggested elsewhere, I did indeed arrive here via a 'Google' search. Good call. :)
I don't own an sacd-capable machine. I have never seen an sacd player. I have never seen an sacd _disc_ (unless it was one of those sneaky unmarked Stones' ones). I wouldn't know I was listening to an sacd if it walked up and bit me in the ass.
And unless/until someone in the marketing/manufacturing/recording/technology sectors don't soon get off their highly-paid butts and DO SOMETHING CONCRETE about marketing SACD, as well as educating consumers, as well as educating *sales people*, as well as releasing *affordable* titles in a quantity marginally acceptable to rise above the most miniscule of niche formats, as well as keeping set-top player prices reasonable to attract a mass market:
a) I never *will* own an sacd. b) I will never want to. c) The format will head the way of the Dinosaur. d) It will *deserve* to fail.
I am jaded yes. Damned skeptical and tired of waiting. Tired of the broken promises, corporate bullshit, corporate greed, back-room politics, high prices, posturing, delaying, lack of record-label support, bitching, whining, self-serving interests, and all the STOOPID, wasted energy that has been hopelessly squandered, never to be recouped, by the damned dvd-a/sacd format war.
I am saddened that I may never feel an emotional pull towards music again. Music died within me years ago as red-book redefined the lower depths of audio fidelity.
How long has sacd been out now? How many releases are available? How much record label support does the format have?
HMV Records here in Halifax, Canada, are selling Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of the Moon' sacd for $49.99 Canadian + 15% taxes. We're talking almost $60 canuk bucks for a single release, folks. You know what I think this particular HMV outlet can do with their Pink Floyd discs, don't you? I had to arm-wrestle a reluctant confession from the HMV sales guy on the phone, that most of their sacds are in the $40-50 range. Try replacing your precious viny collection at that rate. Aside from the obvious gouging, this is just one isolated example of what I suspect is happening in retail stores all across Canada/USA. A terrific way to promote the new format, eh?
I don't like to read websites that say many sacds have a persistant 'buzzing' sound. I don't like reading web-reviews of Fantasy Records' "Creedence Clearwater Revival's" 'Chronicle' sacd. One star. ("The worst SACD I have ever heard! Two words: Stay Away!"). Makes me wonder just how lousy the rest of their recently-released Creedence sacds sound. Thank you very much, Fantasy Records. I can see you too are doing your part in promoting the new format.
People need to be educated. If you walk into the vast majority of stores and say "sacd" (or even "dvd-a"), the sales people look at you like you're from some other planet.
In recognition of a *few* achievements that I can't ignore, (and that I am quite grateful for), is that general sacd-player prices seem finally to have come down enough from their stratospherically-high price levels, that most people can afford one. I want to buy one myself, but I am refusing to yet, not just for spite's sake, but because no one has given me a whiff of proof that the format is ultimately going to survive past this time next year. And I don't want to invest in too many $60 Floyd albums when/if Sony/Philips decide to announce that sacd is going the way of betamax/elcassette, you know?
I like the concept of sacd versus dvd-a. It just *feels* like a more likely format - aimed at music lovers and audiophiles, not riddled with a lot of frivolous eye-candy, snazzy but taxing menu-systems, and user complexity. (Much as dvd-a seems to heap on top of their dvda discs). You wanna "dazzle" me? Do it with music, not with video, please. I LIKE the thought of popping in an sacd disc without having to turn on the monitor, wade through set-up screens and choose from multiple options for every freeking different dvd-a I insert. That's the way it should be. Set up the player *once* and let it be.
I want to see meaningless sterile words like "digitally-enhanced" and "interactive menus" and "product" and "multi-media content" change to.... "warmth", and "depth", and "presence", and "bite", and "ambiance", and "hall acoustics", and all the words traditionally associated with having an emotional experience that no dvd-video or dts or dd 5.1 will EVER deliver! I want people to understand why 5.1 channels of lossy, mp3-like audio cannot ever replace 2-channels of genuine hi-resolution audio.
And I want the established world-wide multi-national record label moguls to release their back-catalogue material, loving remastered by caring people who know what the F--- they are doing. Don't need any more shitty Creedence sacds. Right now, for the most part, I believe it is only the relatively small handful of audiophile companies releasing new content (like Opus 3 in Canada) who are giving the full chance that sacd deserves, and are doing it at considerable financial risk to themselves. I want to give them my support, but I don't trust the people who are ultimately handling sacd's future.
Yeah, music died within me some years ago with the advent of the compact disc. The sparkle in my audiophile-eyes has been reduced to two little piss-holes in the snow.
Way ta go, music industry. Yeah! More MTV videos! THAT's what we need! MORE "PRODUCT".
- Mike --
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