Vote

Sound quality takes precedence over convenience.

IF THE RECORDING INDUSTRY WOULD STOP WORRING ABOUT PIRATES AND LOWER THERE PRICES THEY WOULD SELL SO MANY DISC THEY COULD NOT KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND.HAVE YOU EVER SEEN APIRATE DVD? THEY ARE HORRIBLE TO WATCH.PIRATES WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DUPE 5.1 SURROUND, SACD OR DVD-A. SO LETS STOP THE HIGH PRICES AND PIRATES AND GET ON TO SELLING.

I would only put it in my home theater set up. I currently have a two-channel SACD in the system I use for critical listening.

NONE AT THIS TIME.

No, vinyl is the only true path - for when I have the time and the patience to set up and prepare the hardware and software. For all of the other times and parties and to continue enjoying my CD collection, I wouldn't mind a universal player in the slightest!

YES, when the PRICES DROP and, when there is MORE SOFTWARE available and, when COPY-PROTECTION issues are SOLVED. I'm not in the rush to spend a lot for nothing.

I don't think we've seem a "killer" universal player yet. Each one has been a let down sonically, as compared to dedicated SACD/CD or DVD-V/DVD-A players at the same price point as far as I know. Plus I can't swallow the idea of paying $19-30USD for a disc when I can easily get the same thing on CD for one-half to one-third as much. Plus hardly anything I would buy is available on either format. Actually if I consider what currently available, it would make more sence for me at the moment to buy ing vinyl. And I was born in the digital age. When I see SACD hybrids for $12-15USD or single layer SACDs under $10USD (I'm doing the record companies a favor by adopting the "hard-to-rip-to mp3 formats", no?). Then we'll talk. The least they could do is through us a bone with regards to SACD album pricing. As for the initial question, when I see a universal player than doesn't compromise SACD at it's price point, I may consider it over a dedicated SACD/CD player. But I won't consider SACD or DVD-A _at all_ until my concessions above are met. Sorry.

I'm just waiting for you guys to review one!

I am not interested in surround sound application as I am still a believer in good two channel sound. I would be interested in a machine that both was a terrific upsampling CD player (like my ECM-II with 24 / 192 upsampling) and a good SACD / DVD Audio player.

Actually, I'm actively looking at the players listed above, as I don't wish to be software limited in what I choose to listen too. At the same time, I want a player that does a fine job in all the formats, rather than one that can simply play them without inspiration.

Actually, I will be interested when real high-end universal products become available at reasonable prices, such as under $10k for a true balanced differential multichannel player. Theta, Meridian, Accuphase, dCs, Wadia: Is anybody listening??

I bought a cheap Sony SACD player. Universal players will push the new formats, which sound far superior to CD.

If the prices drop and if they are availabe in 2 channel form. The money involved in expanding a $7,000 system to 5.1 or more channels of equal quality is more than I would ever consider. Also I would think long and hard about paying for multi-channels ( e.g. the $300 Sony sacd changer)that would never be used or buyng the same music again for more than the original (e.g the Stones sacd/cd re-masters 20 discs for another $400 or so NO THANKS.

We don't have to wait for the Format War settle before enjoy Hi-Resolution music.

I chose maybe, and that is a big maybe. The copy-protection issue must be solved, as well as price and compatiblity issues. I don't see these issues being sorted out successfully any time soon. For the forseeable future I'll be sticking with my turntable and Bel Canto Dac 2.

Other. I bought a Sony SACD/DVD. Sounds better than previous units and was cheap :)

Why spend unnecessary money to play formats that don't have and never will have widespread public acceptance? The average consumer is happy to tap his or her toes to current CD media, and most music listeners simply don't listen critically enough to want to pay the extra money for higher resolution software or more channels. Yes, they want surround sound for home theater use, but simply don't give a damn for music reproduction. How many of your neighbors will sit and listen to music only for 6 minutes or more at a time? Usually, said neighbor wants to talk to their spouse or children, read a magazine or paper, check the TV Guide or do any of myriad other diverting time-users. Only we crazy audiophiles will actually sit and devote our hard-won time to dedicated music appreciation. As for me, I'll stick with my CAL CL10 until someone comes up with a better sounding changer.

SACD YES, DVD AUDIO NO AND HOPE IT FAILS. WANT CONSUMERS TO BUY INTO A HIGH RES FORMAT? GIVE THEM A HYBRID, IE SACD HYBRID, THAT PLAYS 16 BIT FOR THE OLD PLAYERS AND SACD FOR THE NEW PLAYERS. THE RECORDING INDUSTRY IS LOSING CD SALES YET WARNER, BMG AND THE REST OF DVD AUDIO CAMP EXPECTS CONSUMERS TO COUGH UP THE DOUGH FOR 2 DISKS OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTIST'S NEW RELEASE - DVD AUDIO FOR THE DVD PLAYER AND 16 BIT COPY FOR THE CD PLAYER. THATS GOING TO WIN CONSUMERS OVER? YEAH RIGHT. SACD HYBRID IS THEE ANSWER. GET IT!

When emgineers learn how to record in the new medium!

If the sound quality is there, perhaps I might be interested. But if the sound of a $1000 universal player does not have the sound quality of my old ,old, old $500 CD player, why bother? Besides all of that, if I put the money into a better cartridge for my turntable SACD becomes irrelevent again now, doesn't it?

No. My goal is to crowd my living room with separate, but expensive, DVD, DVD-A, DAD, SACD, and CD players.

Go dvd Audio!

That is what I have been waiting for!!!!

YES, WHEN ALL OF THE ABOVE HAPPEN.

When the quality matches the price and copy-protection distortion is eliminated

Got too many cd's. Got wait and see if there is gonna be more titles and better prices.

I see no point in having two formats that, give or take a couple of Db at the dynamic threshold, deliver the same sonic performance. This of course is predicated that DVD employs 24/192. I'll err on the side of SACD. The format seems well defined: no second guessing sample rate quality, and it's backward compatable with pc and car cd.

Absolutely. But give us thousands of NEW titles and make the selection viable. We don't need Boston or Toto IV for the fifth time. Let's have the selection make sense. Price them to sell and the rest should take care of itself. It will help to have (full bandwidth) digital outs that will give a chance to run an external DAC as well. Until I see some interesting titles, two-channel CD is doing more than fine.

I may be interested if it can be shown that these so called universal machines can do justice to all the formats they are said to play. I have doubts if one machine can do them all well. I'm skeptical!

I'm very interested, but I'd be down-right enthused if all the players also had multichannel, high-rez digital outputs and all preamps and receivers had inputs for same. Also, they need to have full DSP for them, too (bass management, channel balance, and time delay).