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High-end stereo prices will "deflate" the same same rate as the rest of the ecomomy. Gas prices, house prices have fallen—high-end stereo prices?

High-resolution downloads from record labels and music servers—a shift from hardware-based sources to software based ones.

The end of the turntable at last.

Active cross-overs and their benefits will receive more coverage in mainstream mags like Stereophile, and more manufacturers will actually start producing such systems. Audiophiles will wonder how they dealt with their passive systems for so long.

The vinyl comeback continues. Vinyl records @ Target.

Massive switch from CD players to computer as source playback.

The cost of music will halve.

Media servers will continue to gain traction as the music delivery system of choice for many audiophiles. At the same time the remarkable resurgence of vinyl will continue.

More of the same. Hi End manufactures need to come to reality of pricing during these hard times, or they are going to fail!! Lets see how many of them will survive 2009?

2009 is the 10th anniversary of Super Audio CD. I predict that Sony will finally introduce the format to the general public with SACD boom-boxes, SACD portables and more than just one model of SACD car players. Audiophiles have had SACD to themselves for long enough, it is time the masses get to hear what all the excitement is about! I also predict that by Christmas 2009 single-layer CDs will be no more and all CDs will have an SACD layer. I also predict that MP3 downloads will be a thing of the past. All downloads will be lossless and many will be 24 Bit 96kHz PCM. Possibly by Christmas 2009 we might have more hardware support for DSD downloads. Maybe not this year but perhaps 2010 we will have iPods that play 24 Bit 96kHz PCM and possibly even DSD. This of course may not actually happen but one can only hope.

Blu-Ray high res audio (hopefully digital) format and a plethora of music servers and digital streams. More quality releases and re-releases on vinyl also.

Black Sabbath back catalog finally gets a decent remaster/reissue.

Open Baffle loudspeakers will gain popularity, consumers more price-sensitive and no longer lust for exotic products with questionable value such as expensive cables.