Will you stick with hirez audio? (1 Viewer)

[Rachael B]

I believe it's ludicrous to think that The Beatles could energize either hi-rez format. I'm way more intrested in current music and I think that's the only music that could drive either format anyplace in any possible scenario.

Sony has always had the market power to nudge hybrid Super Audio farther into the mainstream but has refused to do so. It took them 5+ years to issue a single-inventory hybrid. That's not what I call commitment!

I'm really down on Sony lately because the Bristol "house of horrors" has botched repairs on my XA777ES twice. I've had to send it to a pinch hitter, Jim Oade, of Oade Brothers fame, my dealer, fortuneatly (!!!), to get straightened out. My ES warranty is worth squat!

Sony is a staggering, injured colossus IMO. I think they're done with SACD unless it just happens to succeed on it's own somehow...? I think they've cast it's fate to the wind. I believe they'll retain a token release schedule though for appearances sake...? My presumption, well, extrapolation, is that Sony has broken even or atleast recovered what monies it thinks it's can out of the consumer market and has thrown in the towell. They may do better in the pro market? It always moves even when the consumer market stalls. Sony's mounting losses, makes SACD an expendable toe, me thinks.

Myself, I'm sitting here in rancid anticipation of the next exciting James Taylor le hybride!

P.S. - Note: James Taylor fans, no putdown of him, intended. ...but, you have to admit nearly all the rest of his remaining superior albums are in Warmer Brother's paws.

 

[Chu Gai]

Seems to me that it's not going to be the audiophile fraction of the market that's going to drive the success of any technology nor is it going to be another release of old time music. The current music, as Rachel pointed out, and a widespread acceptance by the general public coupled with easier to use and connect equipment will go a long way. Regretfully, to me at least, there's this disposable cloud that permeates the vast majority of popular recorded music today with oh so little to justify purchasing a full album in whatever format it happens to be in.
Sorry to hear about your Sony repair troubles. At least you've got Sony Style to help you through it all
As far as James Taylor goes, he's out making money 'showering the people you love with love' for MCI, the former WorldCom.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I don't think so...I've heard David K talk about the pro market and it seems like a really big revenue opportunity for them.

Regarding James Taylor, reviews of the new albums are in this month's issue of TAS.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Good, f*** 'em. Boutique labels have been outclassing them with titles and sound quality since they entered the game. As long as they're still in the business (and nothing has been indicating otherwise), I'll be enthusiastically listening and purchasing SACDs while y'all wait around for Sony to wake up.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Excellent...another "glass half full" guy.

Well Mike I guess we should just go back to the ole listening room and play some jazz. Let the folks bash Sony while we sit back and watch some great titles flow out of the boutiques...

Do you have the Charlie Parker "Quintet" & Miles Davis "Relaxin'" albums on Fantasy? Nice review in Absolute Sound this month.

 

[Justin Lane]

Good point Mike. There is alot of good music being put out by boutique labels. The only problem is, I also like mainstream music (namely rock) where the good music is primarily controlled by the major Studios. If Sony is willing to license some of their catalog out to other labels for release then I would be a happy camper. This is doubtful to happen because it would mean Sony would have to share the profit pie on their own properties.

J

 

[Mike Broadman]

Duh, as the 3rd biggest jazz fan on the HTF, of course I have them!
In fact, I have every Fantasy SACD out there and plan on getting every single one they release. Their catalogue is, so far, perfect, and unlike some of their other SACD boutique brethren, reasonably priced.

Justin, I like some mainstream music, too, but as I still see SACD as a "treat" or musical extra, bonus, what have you (and given its newness and limited catalog, I don't understand how some see it any differently), I'm perfectly happy getting the latest releases on CD for a reasonable price. In the very rare case of the title being released later as hybrid SACD (like the first Norah Jones album), that sucks, but it doesn't happen too often, and I consider it one of the many replacement purchases I make to improve my collection (like getting remasters, or replacing crappy remasters with older versions, DCCs and out of print stuff, etc).

 

[Mike Broadman]

Oh, and it ain't about that. I'm all about pure selfishness... ME ME ME. SACD is fulfilling two musical desires for me right now:

1. Getting awesome sounding versions of some of my favorite jazz albums without having to buy a record player and tube amps.

2. Expanding my small classical collection and diving into compositions and composers I'm not all too familiar with, so I might as well have it sound as good as possible. If I get all the titles that look interesting on SACD, it will greatly expand my classical knowledge and then, as I get more familiar with them, hunt down specific recordings by conductors and performers I'm growing to like.

When the format stops helping me do these, I'll stop buying.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I think if Super Audio holds for a while, the major labels will get increasingly comfortable with releasing their titles. I think securing the Beatles and having good unit sales of same would go far in this respect.

I think we have a chance to have a "virtuous cycle" happen where sales increase and momentum increases, possibly like this:

1. Super audio continues to gain boutique sales.
2. More sales make more SACD replication capacity feasible.
3. More replication means lower manufacturing costs for the label.
4. Stable base (if small relative to mainstream) and lower production costs mean more labels.
5. More labels becomes more title selection.
6. More titles and at lower prices mean more consumer demand.
7. Repeat.

Could happen....

 

[KrisM]

Mike, your reason #2 is why I've been skipping out on buying classical on SACD and going with vinyl.
For the price of an SACD, $20CDN on good days, I can get 40-80 classical lps with a little looking. Most are in near mint shape. If I like a composer/artist/piece, great. If I really like the music I can search it out on SACD or CD. If I don't, I'm out 25-50 cents. No big deal.
In the past two months I've built a classical collection of 250+ classical lps for under $100. And I met an older woman who is going deaf and looking to sell me her collection of over 500 albums. Every one that I looked at was in pristine shape. As long as her family approves of the price I offered, I'll be good to go on classical for a long time.
As for #1, I wish I could find jazz on lp, but it just doesn't happen too often.

Regards
KrisM

 

[Lee Scoggins]

If you don't mind paying retail prices, Acoustic Sounds has some excellent jazz LPs for sale.

 

[KrisM]

I should have said, I wish I could find jazz at thrift store prices. I still think one day I'm going to find a huge score of jazz(and blues) lps. I can dream can't I.

Regards
KrisM

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Yes.

Have you tried talking to DJs at college radio stations?

 

[Mike Broadman]

KrisM, that's cool. I don't have a record player, so obviously I can't do that. And I also like the portability, though it's not nearly as important with classical (which I listen to exclusively at home).

If/when I do a player, I see myself buying classical a lot.

 

[Jean D]

I have about 10 DVD-A titles from various styles of music, though I prefer Rock. I don't own any SACD's (yet).
I absolutely love multichannel hi-res albums. Stereo ones, I could care less for.
However, a huge problem I see with multichannel formats, are the inconsistency of quality. I don't consider, a bit of echo and vocals in the rear channels to be multichannel. This mixing is just horrible. If I wanted that I'd have my receiver send frequencies to the rears. When you listen to a perfectly mixed DVD-A like Bela Fleck's Bluegrass Sessions, and Stone Temple Pilots Core, you start to think, "Oh man. Imagine what {INSERT INCREDIBLE ALBUM TITLE HERE (like Tool - Lateralus)} would sound like, that would be the most incredible Multichannel album ever." and then you listen to multichannel albums like Yes - Fragile (I cant believe that it got 4-5 stars on most reviews) or Staind's 14 Shades of Gray, and are overly disappointed at the end result vs. the potential it had. So now I start to think that the non-standardized format wont last because you cant count on them being of good value, It seems as though its just another rushed format, with rushed albums, without fully utilizing the potential? You know what I mean? You make flagship albums like Pink Floyd - DSOTM, and then release a ton of obscure albums that no one wants to waste $15-20 on, and sorrily mixed pieces of sh*t like Staind's 14 Shades of Grey. I'm reluctant on buying more DVD-A's based on my mixed experiences. I used to go off of reviews of DVD-A titles. Now I don't, because people don't realize what good mixing is ) and how its what gives the multi-channel format its legs. I still adore the format, but the industry needs to get their sh*t together and take a few chances. CD's just don't cut it anymore with me. especially since they pump out 98% crap. Does anyone else feel this way?

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I agree with this statement for the most part.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

If any format actually manages to replace CD, it will be used to pump out 98% crap.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

So you are saying that hirez today is a great format since it leads often to great quality output?

If so, I would agree. Maybe we as music lovers should want hirez to remain viable but small so we get the classics (and the occasional recent hit) in a high quality format.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I buy DVD-A and SACD releases on a regular basis. Of course I like high-res today.

I'd like to see more releases, though. If the big labels started pumping out crap, it doesn't mean that the 'good stuff' will go away.

 

[Thomas Newton]

Michael hit it on the head when he stated that any format that replaces CDs will attract a lot of crap. Talentless hacks will be talentless on any format. Music that's had all the life compressed out of it (to make the disc sound hotter) would sound bad on a PERFECT recording medium.

Red Book audio CDs, mastered correctly, are quite capable of producing excellent sound. ("Professor Longhair: Rock and Roll Gumbo" and "Donald Fagen: The Nightfly" are just two of the CDs that illustrate this.)