Phil A
Senior HTF Member
Yes Lee that is fine. The problem is that many avg. consumers think music is already over-priced. Universal lowering their CD prices is great and more of that is needed for both CDs and hi-rez. The avg. consumer may care about quality but only to a point and is much more concerned with cost of the software. So there needs to be some type of trade-off of quality vs. price for something to make it in the marketplace.
There also needs to be more available software. Audiophile are not the majority nor are semi-geriatric audiophiles like me who love back catalog releases while drinking their Geritol but that won't cut it for the mainstream.
The average consumer is also lost by new technology and what is needed to hook it up to hear it. Many don't have a clue on how to go into each player's set-up menu to adjust for levels (let alone have access to or own an SPL meter), type of TV, tweak each DVD player for their display device, etc. If I end up having a conversation even with mildly knowledgeable people about the subject, they look at me as if I just stepped off a space ship. I just exchanged E-Mails with a couple of such people who have decent systems and are lost and when my friend was working on a regular basis (up until last Sept.) at the high end shop I helped with probably around 250 installs over almost a 6-yr. period and I can't tell you how many people with really good and expensive stuff are totally lost.
It is also easy to see from this thread that at least other people besides myself are getting fed-up with the whole hi-rez situation and the cos. lack of commitment to get software to us at good prices. I'd venture to say that the CD sound I can get out of my system is better than the vast majority of SACD sound produced on most peoples systems (I've heard many things) and I'm pretty much at the point if I have a good quality CD, unless it is something I absolutely love, I feel no need to re-buy it on hi-rez. I held off buying 'Rock N Roll' since I knew it was coming to SACD. Hi-rez needs to get the rest of the good back catalog stuff out (e.g. the Beatles, the Doors, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, Sprinsteen, etc. you name it) and start getting current releases and new artist out the door on a regular basis otherwise they will remain a niche market at best.