[showard]

OK, I'm putting this here because there really isn't a better forum I guess.


This morning I installed a new SACD/DVD-Audio player. I did this just prior to going to see ATOC on a DLP screen in Plano, TX. One exit down was a Best Buy (Worst Buy) and a Circuit City (Short Circuited City) so I stopped to purchase some SACDs and DVD-Audios to demo the new player.


The first few Worst Buy "Sales Associates" did not even know what SACD or DVD-Audio was. After a few tries we found someone who managed to direct us all the way to the very back of the store where they had a meager SACD selection that was separated from the rest of the music. My wife and I browsed around and found an aisle that had a sign that said DVD-Audio but there were no DVD-Audio titles. Just some DTS 5.1 CDs, which of course are a far cry from DVD-Audio.


Right across the street was a Short Circuited City. Same exact problem. Employees that had no idea what we were asking for, and finally a very small rack with more or less the same SACD selection as Worst Buy that was no where near any other music format. We could not find any DVD-Audio discs either. An employee said they didn't carry DVD-Audio yet.


This does not bode well for either format. So the question is:

Where do you purchase your SACD and DVD-Audio software? Who has knowledgeable folks with a selection that is close to the available catalog? It seems silly to pay for shipping and wait a week for stuff to arrive if I purchase online. What discs do you own that do justice to the formats either stereo or multi-channel?

 

[greggz]

Hi Howard,


Agreed, Circuit City has a pretty poor selection of SACDs. BestBuy has a few more SACD's than Circuit City, but not by much. BestBuy can have a pretty good selection of DVD-A's but I have seen it vary from store to store. They tend to be mixed in with the music DVD-Videos. For SACD and DVD-A, Tower Records, either locally or online at www.towerrecords.com isnt bad. So far, the best selection of SACD's I've seen is probably www.elusivedisc.com

 

[Mike Matheson]

 Acoustic Sounds
Elusive Disc
Music Direct
AB Sound


Lots more suggestions over at Audio Asylum's Hi-Rez Highway .

 

[kevin gilmore]

If anyone finds a place to purchase either of these two, please PM me...


The best of roxy music sacdv2939 virgin records

In the court of the Crimson King sacdvkc1 virgin records

 

[bkwong73]

Hi All,


Also try www.hmv.com or www.futureshop.ca


Just my 2cents, Brian

 

[bmoura]

Speaking of buying SACDs, have you heard about the Sony SACD sale at Tower Records?


From May 23rd thru June 30th, all Sony SACDs marked $19.99 (Stereo SACDs) are on sale for $15.99 and Sony SACDs marked $21.99 (Multichannel SACDs) are on sale for $17.99. A fine deal !


When you couple that with the recent price cuts of the Telarc, Chesky and Heads Up SACDs from $24.99 to $19.99, it's a good time to pick up a few!

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

But what do these price cuts mean for the SACD format?? Is it dieing, with little new releases, and Tower wants to sell what it has???

 

[Steve Mehs]

For DVD-A, I like Amazon and Media Play

 

[showard]

Well you can forget going to Sam Goody or Barnes and Nobel for DVD-Audio or SACD as I found out yesterday. Still in the pursuit of a RETAIL outlet for either format, I stopped in a local Tweeter and chatted with one of the Sales dweebs. He pointed me to to another Best Buy that was nearby at Preston and Hwy 121. There, on a shelf not clearly labled I managed to find some DVD-Audio discs mixed in with DTS 5.1s and some regular music DVD-Videos. Amazon is showing a 4 day shipping time, add that to UPS ground service here in Texas and its over a week before you get your new software.


It would appear that both formats are doomed. I could not find any mention of SACD or DVD-Audio in the Sunday paper flyers. None. Zero. At least 1/2 of the staff has no idea what these discs are, a little lone if they carry them or where to find them in the store. The current catalog seems to be pretty much old material "remastered" in the new format with a few exceptions.


You would think that both the hardware manfactures and the content holders would be promoting these new formats with gusto given their encrypted formats. What a great way to renew your copyright and slow down the illegal trading of music. They need kiosks in every retail outlet with new players and a broad catalog available.


Instead you have Sony releasing new music on CDs with their laughable "copy right protection" that some 9 year old cracked with a Sharpie pen. Try finding the latest RUSH album on SACD or DVD-Audio. I don't think the SACD encryption has been hacked to date. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to end up with a handful of unplayable discs in only a few short years, much like my laser discs.

 

[bmoura]

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve Bruzonsky But what do these price cuts mean for the SACD format?? Is it dieing, with little new releases, and Tower wants to sell what it has???

Check today's Stereophile on the Web story at http://www.stereophile.com/shownews.cgi?1353


It suggests a very different theory about SACD's future...... (!)

 

[infomatique]

Quote:

Originally posted by showard It would appear that both formats are doomed. I could not find any mention of SACD or DVD-Audio in the Sunday paper flyers. None. Zero. At least 1/2 of the staff has no idea what these discs are, a little lone if they carry them or where to find them in the store. The current catalog seems to be pretty much old material "remastered" in the new format with a few exceptions.

I do not believe that you can conclude that both formats are doomed based on the fact that you cannot source suitable material at present.


It takes about seven and ten years for any new format to become popular ... I have gone through the same experience with Audio Cassette, CD, Laser Disc and DVD (DVD happened more rapidly than the others but it still took many years). As the patents are about to expire on CD the media companies need an alternative format (or formats) and it is very likely that many record companies will switch to producing hybrid SACD discs for commercial, patent and copyright reasons. There are rumours that Sony and Universal are currently planning to do this in the near future.


I remember when I purchased my first CD player ... the day it was launched in Europe. It took me about four years to build up a collection of thirty albums (most of them by Dire Straits). One hi-fi dealer told me not to waste my time with CD as the medium was doomed because it was only supported by Philips and Sony.


To be honest it is too soon to reach any conclusions.

 

[bkwong73]

Hi All,


I hope that Sacd's will come down in price so we can buy more and more and more.


Sacd's are an audiophile's dream come true. The convience of cd playback and music search and the heart of Vinyl, or at least better sounding.



Just my 2cents, Brian