High definition audio formats

TroyD

No and No.

As long as you didn't want to dress up like WW...you are ok.

It's further ok to pursue audio in whatever format floats your marshmallow. I mean, F1 is one of my closest friends and he despises vinyl....and we STILL manage to be civil to each other. Like what you want....it's REALLY ok.

BDT

treitz3

TroyD wrote: »

F1 is one of my closest friends and he despises vinyl....and we STILL manage to be civil to each other.

Well Troy, everybody has their deficiencies...:p

TroyD

It amazes me though....man, someone doesn't agree....F*CK, grab the torches and pitchforks!!!

The more people don't like vinyl, the happier I am. Used vinyl prices are now OBSCENE.

BDT

shack

TroyD wrote:

It's further ok to pursue audio in whatever format floats your marshmallow. I mean, F1 is one of my closest friends and he despises vinyl....and we STILL manage to be civil to each other. Like what you want....it's REALLY ok.

Yes, there are lots of audio paths. In my home I currently have some OLD records (pre-vinyl) that are about a half inch thick, vinyl LPs, 45 and 78 rpm singles, cassettes, mini discs, Redbook CDs, music DVDs, SACDs, HDCDs, XRCDs, music on my computer hard drive, iPods, a Dell digital jukebox music player, a boombox, AV digital tuner, analog stereo tuner, portable radios...and yes...I have an 8-track player just waiting to be installed in my 69 Mach I (if I ever get around to restoring it). I would like to get an old Pioneer RtR to go with my vintage rig just for the coolness factor.

They all play music in some form or fashion...and it is all good.

Uilleann

Some of the best recordings of some of the most gifted uilleann (Irish) bagpipers I've ever heard - yeah, I know calling myself a "musician" when it was bagpipes I played was a stretch...but well, ya know, it worked for me! - ANYHOOOOOO...

The best recordings I've heard are actually on wax cylinders from the 1890's-1930's.

http://www.tinfoil.com/cylinder.htm

And they're really great and all - I'm just completely cheesed off that they didn't bother to record at 96K in full 7.1 HD. Big fat jerks!

Uilleann

Wow. So in further research on "quality" SACD players, it seems that one simply can't get *true* reference level sound (which would be the goal of actually buying a specialized player and discs correct?) one has to spend in the neighborhood of $10,000 - $15,000. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

For a CD player.

The consensus on the web, from what I can tell, is that even for a "marginal" to "poor" player, once can spend well over $1,000 quite easily. After seeing that, I'd have to wonder just what camp a player in the $100 - $200 range would sound like...the above mentioned wax cylinders?

ACK!

Doesn't sound like this is any sort of road I'm interested in traveling down. I'd rather buy a nice car, or further my education for that sorta dough. Ouch.

shack

Uilleann wrote:

Wow. So in further research on "quality" SACD players, it seems that one simply can't get *true* reference level sound (which would be the goal of actually buying a specialized player and discs correct?) one has to spend in the neighborhood of $10,000 - $15,000. :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

For a CD player.

The consensus on the web, from what I can tell, is that even for a "marginal" to "poor" player, once can spend well over $1,000 quite easily. After seeing that, I'd have to wonder just what camp a player in the $100 - $200 range would sound like...the above mentioned wax cylinders?

ACK!

Doesn't sound like this is any sort of road I'm interested in traveling down. I'd rather buy a nice car, or further my education for that sorta dough. Ouch.

I don't know where you are doing research...but that is just wrong. I guarantee there are many here on this forum that have excellent sounding SACD players made by Sony, Denon, NAD, Oppo, CA, Marantz etc... all costing $1,000 or less...many costing much less. Here are three reviews of SACD players all under $350 new that get glowing praise for their SACD playback.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0205/sonyscdce595.htm

http://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/108mitr/index1.html#

http://www.hometheatersound.com/equipment/cambridge_audio_dvd99.htm

Several excellent Sony SACD and Denon universal SACD players are available used (several sold on this forum) in the sub $300-$500 range.

Uilleann

Its just tricky to know what the real world experience would be for us. There are numerous reviews all over the web - and the general concensus appears to be that unless one is truly prepared to spend well over $1,000.00, and in many cases tens of times that, don't bother wasting time or money.

With our otherwise *very* modest system, I could easily take my lovely lady out to live concerts for the forseeable future with anything close to the $10-$15 K some are tossing about for what, again for us, amounts to nothing more than a glorified CD player.

Truth be told, we could hire a good number of live musicians to come play privately for us for less than that kind of coin!

In the mean time, here's to the hope that Blu-ray audio catches on and rivals the quality and selection of SACD.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Bri-

F1nut

Uilleann wrote: »

Its just tricky to know what the real world experience would be for us. There are numerous reviews all over the web - and the general concensus appears to be that unless one is truly prepared to spend well over $1,000.00, and in many cases tens of times that, don't bother wasting time or money.

With our otherwise *very* modest system, I could easily take my lovely lady out to live concerts for the forseeable future with anything close to the $10-$15 K some are tossing about for what, again for us, amounts to nothing more than a glorified CD player.

Truth be told, we could hire a good number of live musicians to come play privately for us for less than that kind of coin!

In the mean time, here's to the hope that Blu-ray audio catches on and rivals the quality and selection of SACD.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Bri-

Glorified CD player!?! Either you don't have a clue or you are a troll and beginning to believe the latter.

If a *very* modest system is all that you can afford or all you care to afford, that's fine, but do not pass judgement on what you don't know or understand.

BTW, if Blu-ray audio catches on there will be $10,000 players as well, so your logic is without merit.

cnh

Uilleann wrote: »

Its just tricky to know what the real world experience would be for us. There are numerous reviews all over the web - and the general concensus appears to be that unless one is truly prepared to spend well over $1,000.00, and in many cases tens of times that, don't bother wasting time or money.

With our otherwise *very* modest system, I could easily take my lovely lady out to live concerts for the forseeable future with anything close to the $10-$15 K some are tossing about for what, again for us, amounts to nothing more than a glorified CD player.

Truth be told, we could hire a good number of live musicians to come play privately for us for less than that kind of coin!

In the mean time, here's to the hope that Blu-ray audio catches on and rivals the quality and selection of SACD.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Bri-

BUY used my man! Buy 'used'.

And, didn't shack's reviews mean 'anything'? Of course there is and always will be high end. But how many of us can 'afford' that. So we're either doing what Shack says, or buying and tweaking a nice 'used' piece.

F1nut...lol....10,000 dollars and more!--that market is BIG and glorious!

cnh

cheddar

Uilleann wrote: »

With our otherwise *very* modest system, I could easily take my lovely lady out to live concerts for the forseeable future with anything close to the $10-$15 K some are tossing about for what, again for us, amounts to nothing more than a glorified CD player.

If you are only willing to buy a modest system, then why are you looking at high end players? You can actually find very expensive (by your standards) versions of all components. Yet you continue to ignore all the advice you've been given in this thread directing you to good affordable SACD players.

This is beginning to sound like a rant you have against all those other reviews you keep mentioning. Why not take your complaints to somewhere that is actually recommending those players as the minimum acceptable instead of the more modest players continually mentioned here?

shack

I've certainly tried to help the OP with as many recommendations as I can find...plus my own personsal experience. I have heard the $10,000+ CDPs and the $20,000+ TTs and the $30.000+ amps and the $40,000+ speakers...and yes if you are looking for perfection then the price of playing is steep. I look for the best results at a level I can afford. To say that SACD is not worth the effort unless you spend $10,000+ is pure ****. I don't care who says it. I hope the OP finds his answers...but probably won't be here.

tonyb

Agreed Shack,but reading through this thread,it seems the Op is not willing to invest in his own gear for better SQ. Could be me,I dunno,but he seems to think one piece of gear alone that decodes high rez formats is his answer to better SQ. As another member has stated in the past,everything matters. Maybe an OPPO universal is up his alley for what he's looking for but that is no absolute to better SQ within a given system. Seeing that many players are out there that support all available formats, and on the cheap, I don't see his arguement except that maybe he didn't research enough before buying the gear he did. Oh well, many members tried to help in this thread but the OP needs to get a better understanding of all things audio.

tonyb

shack wrote: »

I still like Popeye, Mighty Mouse and Underdog...the superheros of MY YOUTH.

LOL!! Yeah,me too,only now a days,my super energy pill is viagra.:p

Uilleann

There are certainly plenty of opinions here to be read. Yes, I've done a LOT of reading, a lot of reviewing opinions of those here, as well as many other places on the web (as good as Club Polk is, it's still one small place in a very large internet!) I've spent a good number of years in audio, and I'm certainly hopeful I'm able to discern the difference between good and bad sound to my own ears.

The investments and time some make to their audio or HT systems is nothing short of staggering! To spend thousands, tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars is impressive - but not a place I envision myself every being. And I'm perfectly happy with that. While I appreciate the information I've learned from many of the posters in this thread, the "opinions" are at the end of the day, just that. And for this researcher, it's been highly enlightening to read the opinions in this thread, in others here on CP, elsewhere on the web, and in speaking over the past few weeks with a number of local retailers about the merits, pros and cons of formats such as SACD.

You're welcome to draw any and all "trollish" opinions about myself you care to. Since you've never met me in person, I find it rather entertaining to say the least! My motivations, and those of my darling fiance who is also involved in this newest audio/visual experience of ours are ours alone. We won't be rushing out to buy a player tomorrow at any cost, but we are both better informed now as to what the formats offer - for better and for worse.

Have a great weekend all!

Brian~

shack

Sometimes you can "research" ad nauseum and in the end all you have is research...and...lots of different opinions. When it come to something this subjective the only way to find out what works FOR YOU is to jump right in and try stuff.

Like I said in an earlier post...if it's not worth the time, effort and/or expense to do that...then you probably are already where you need to be.