Reflecting on this thread, I've had more I wanted to say, but most of it would just be preaching to the choir. So I've decided a little self reflection is in order.
Since I've only been in the hunt for Hi-Def. and surround titles in the las 15-20 years (which is a newbie to some of you
) I have to ask, O.K. what is it I
don't like about SACD? The answer is not much. Here's a disc that has evolved to include an RBCD layer, stereo and multi-channel layers of superior quality sound. Could I have even thought up something like this, let alone do the science and take the chances inherent with the business of managing, marketing, mixing, mastering and production of this product? All the while making the profit needed to keep the business healthy. Very brave stuff. There must be some love for the music in there somewhere, taking all these chances. The only thing I don't like about it, is no album artwork appears when I play it on my player. Seems like the labels and machine producers could contract with one of those artwork distributors to supply the cover art.
There's still hope that it will survive a little longer, as I just ordered "The Jeff Beck Group" 7" from Japan, a Sony product of an album 47 years old. Sure, it seems a little pricey (inflation at play), but at least I have a chance to experience it. I also have to consider I have stacks of SACDs, DVD-A, etc. I've yet to crack open and play for the first time. Time is not my "Tilting at Windmills", but a real constant to struggle with, trying to get to all this wonderful,
available music I love dearly.
On top of that, I'm adventuring into the Classical genre more and more. I haven't dipped a toe in before now simply because I didn't have time for more music and I don't even know what pieces of Classical music I like. It's just going to be another fork in the road to take and see where it leads me.
What makes the survival of this technology even more impressive, is that I believe there is a generational shift in not just how music is enjoyed a.k.a. on-line MP3 quality sound; but that youngsters in their 20's-40's don't seem to have that need to "collect" items of any ilk. They don't have that need to feel the physical item and maintain a pride in the physical ownership of stuff. We all know here, that we are "special" as in passionately obsessed with a format of music (surround) that most people just don't seem to embrace. I believe I would have been had I'd been properly exposed to it at an earlier time. I knew there were Quad records available long ago. A friend gave me a birthday present way back in 1972 of the Quad album "Chase" (later a DV twofer on SACD), which I've still got somewhere, but never heard it as intended because I didn't have the knowledge of equipment required to check it out. Just think how my journey would have changed if only someone could have dropped a needle on Chase and on Quad equipment for me to experience it.
Seems I've rambled on anyway, so another Hymn by the choir please.