Have you sign the petition to save SACD? (1 Viewer)

Here it is....currently 207 signatures.

http://www.petitiononline.com/SACD/petition.html

Thanks, Danny - I signed. Not that I think it will do much as I think SACD will continue to be a niche audiophile market for a bit. I think in a few yrs. when HD DVD is entrenched (whatever format) at reasoanble prices for the avg. consumer, and with each having the capability to do multi-channel hi-rez PCM, we may see record cos. releasing stuff in that format. As long as we have quality hi-rez, I'm happy.

If every audiophile in the world "signs" the petition, the number of signatures will only confirm to the labels that there aren't enough people who care about hi-rez audio for them to make any sort of meaninful commitment.

Plus, why the need for a petition?
Some on this forum and many on the AA keep reminding me that SACD is doing well. What's the worry about?

I will sign it, but I think it's stupid.

We need the record labels to put out more discs that people actually want to buy. How long have we all been waiting for the next Floyd after DSOTM? How long has a Genesis disc on SACD been rumored? Rocks by Aerosmith? The rest of the Stone catalog? (Yes, I'm aware that it's different record labels.) The new Nine Inch Nails disc (that so far I think will only be available at least initially as a ... Duely-Disc) ?

I didn't sign it because I think it won't matter, but I posted a thread last week with stats from Variety stating that in 2004 SACD sales fell 39.6% (DVD-Audio fell 20.6%). If the trend continues at all, I couldn't imagine more than the specialized labels putting out classic music and such staying in this hi-res game.

Of course this past year, both SA-CD and DVD-A cut back on releases, especially those with mainstream appeal. This turned out to be a format war where there was no winner and nobody cared.

J

By the way, I didn't sign the petition. It would be humiliating to pass it on to the record labels (not that they would care).

J

How many time are you allowed to sign?

I signed it because I feel very strong about the idea of this format surviving. It would be a shame for both SACD and DVD-Audio to die out since the sound is so incredible when played on the proper equipment. I believe the biggest problem is that there are literally no advertisements for these formats. I didn't know anything about these formats until a couple of years ago and that was only because that is when I joined this forum.

If people that have never heard these formats would just listen you would think they would be hooked but I guess many people don't give a crap about the enhanced sound especially when they just download music to play on their MP3s or computers.

That's just my thought on these very underrated formats.

Whenever I tell friends about DVD-A they seem very interested, but being college students, they don't always have the required extra money to buy a new compatible dvd player, a receiver and 5.1 speakers - plus $15-25 per disc. I think it's also a bit hard to sell people on these because not everyone listens to music where they have their HT setup. I have mine setup in my room because I share my apartment with roomates and I like to know that no one is messing around with it - so I listen to my DVD-A's all the time in my room. Most people have their HT's in a living room, and not everyone sits in their living room to listen to music, most have it on as background noise while doing work, cooking, taking a shower, etc.

Unfortunately, the only way you are going to keep any format alive is by purchasing the software, since it is sales, not petitions by interested parties, that drive the bottom line.

Exactly. I've bought nearly 200 SACDs over the past few years, and don't feel that putting my name on a petition will amount to anything. I think it's best simply to put your money where your mouth is when it comes to something like this... sales figures, not petition signatures, are the only things that really matter.

When you have bought every release that you are interested in it is very hard to keep supporting it by buying more. If they release more that I like then I will buy more. I have done my share of putting my money where my mouth is but I am not going to buy music that I don't like.

I must be very non-discriminating, because I still have a rather long want-list! :b

(The top of which is dominated by the few RCA Living Stereo titles I haven't purchased, and the many Mercury Living Presence ones that are a good bit pricier. Other than these, it's been slim pickings lately in terms of new releases, but the RCAs and Mercurys are among the very best SACD releases since the inception of the format, and along with a Nick Drake here and Bryan Ferry there, about the only SACD purchases I've made this year. Still, that accounts for about 20 new discs.)

I'll sign it momentarily. I'd hate to see high-res multi-channel music die off.

I, too, have a long wish list over at SACD.net (90 titles). Oh well, I hope I get around to buying them before they're all out of print.

For someone who enjoys music but doesn't fuss over fine sonic details, the following system should work out great:

* $70 for a basic major-brand dvd-video player
* $150 for a basic surround receiver (Panasonic, Sherwood, Yamaha) programmed for "no sub" & "no center".*
* $150 for matching front mains/rear surround channels, from Pioneer (I bought the 8 inch woofer version for my own surround channels until I can buy some more Bostons). If they don't like these (BTW they do look better in person; and sonically they are kind of on the bright side) have them check out these Sonys. They look better and have a smoother sound to them. Need more bass? Buy the 8" Sonys for the fronts instead.

>>> Yes, they would only have access to the Dolby or DTS tracks but IMO these can sound pretty good most of the time, CERTAINLY better than any MP3 track.

BTW: if I remember correctly, Sony's 5.1 sacd players also have some sort of bass management system, but I am not 100% sure they have the no center/subwoofer option(s).

Yes I'm sure most audiophiles would curl up in the fetal position if asked to listen to this system, but personally I think it would sound quite decent, certainly better than any comparatively priced (or even many costlier ones) plasticky HTiB with their typically tinny sounding satellites and boomy "subwoofers" that use 6.5" drivers.

Disdavantages:

* no rumbly bass.....but in the typical college dorm or college apartment scenario, realistically speaking, how much can you really use one?

* center sounds won't be as focused.....but most 15", 20" and many 27" televisions OR the dorm room's shelving design just won't have the real estate for most decent center speakers. And cheap small ones that DO fit just end up sounding like crap, so why bother?

Lastly, if these people already have a dvd player, strike $70 off of that total. Do they already own at least two front speakers? Subtract another $75.

I've been running a 4.0 channel system for three years now and still get a kick out of listening to my surround recordings.

Come on people, think out the box!!!

* the center and sub signals are not "thrown away" when these options are chosen! Read more about this in another post I wrote.

LanceJ: That is basically how I put my system together, but you're 'thinking outside the box' only applies to people with $400+

Don't forget the increased price of buying the new formats, most college kids download illegaly and spend $0 per year on CD's, and listen to their music through 2 computer speakers and are pretty happy.

Introducing this format means to have a small library of 10 titles, that's at least another $125-175. Plus you said if they already have a DVD player, it would save money. Most of my friends have a POS 'Cyberhome' or 'APEX' that they got for $20 at WalMart, none of which have any SACD or DVD-A compatability.

I made some sacrifices to put together about $425 for a so-so makeshift system, and although I have a nice center channel, I have cheap Kenwood satellite for my front and rears that desperately need upgrading.

I only have 8 or so DVD-A titles because A. I don't really like the $15-20 price tag, and B. I'm kinda a DVD addict. I have a bit more disposable income than probably most college kids, and I still find it hard to put aside money to upgrade.

I thought outside of the box, but the majority of kids are thinking 'whoa $400, that's like at least an ounce'

BTW: My plan is that by the end of the summer I'll have upgraded to a new DVD player that has SACD compatability as well, and most likely to get some Polk's for fronts and rears. My sub, center and receiver hopefully will get an upgrade over the course of the next school year.

These players do have dvd-audio compatibility.....because as I basically said above, any dvd-video player can read a dvd-audio's Dolby Digital and/or DTS surround tracks and send them to a surround receiver, just like a dvd movie's soundtrack.

As far as using free (ahem) MP3 tracks as a reference point for investing in a new format, well, that just won't work. I do see what you mean but when someone is.....taking something.....then ANY piece of software that one has to actually pay for is going to be too much. :frowning: :frowning: :frowning: I don't mean to sound like an a-hole but that's a really bad situation & I would rather not discuss it, except for saying those people are missing out on a really cool musical experience.

I think that SACD is about at the end off it's life span. The recording industry, as usual, cut SACD off at the knees before the format could get to it's feet. If they had allowed a digital connection from the start I think that a lot more people would have bought in.
The number of people willing to pay a premium for equipment and sacd disks is very small. IMO the slight sonic improvement that I see just is not worth the trouble.
I thing it is time to bury both SACD and DVD-A. Now we can get ready for the next format war. Blue Ray vs HDDVD. Looks like we have been down this road before.
Anyone else here old enough to have bought a DAT deck.:b