Steve Schwartz:

>Unless the price of a player drops significantly, I don't see it
>taking off.

Yes, but I assume it will--as HDTV will.

>The classical-music market is mostly content- rather than
>technology-driven.  Stereo was a marked improvement (AND it didn't
>make your mono LP collection garbage) and prices dropped.

Yes and no. The last time I upgraded my audio system was the same time
I switched from buying vinyl to buying CSs.  Interestingly, as far as
classical music is concerned, I was shown an entirely different group
of components--with much smoother sound, flatter distortion curve--when
I indicated that classical music is what I listened to.  I still have
about 700 vinyl recordings--and play a lot of them--but I replaced all
the mono I could and I am still replacing some stereo recording--sometimes
of the same performances--to get away from scratches, clicks, some muddy
and recessed sound--still--and other distractions from the music on old
recordings.  On the other hand, I am aware that some vinyl recordings
are still more musical than some harsh, closely miked CDs.  My criterion
is how well I can hear the performance and forget about the medium.

>Compact discs were sold with the pitch of "cleaner" sound (also more
>sterile sound, but that's nit-picking), more music per disc, and longer
>shelf life.  It seems to me SACD has a small niche of a small-niche
>market.

It's not nit picking.  I couldn't stand the harsh sound of my first
CD player (a SONY with a low sampling rate and replaced it with an NAD,
which is better but not state of the art).  I have yet to hear SACD but
eagerly expect to get it some time--and anticipate a certain degree of
financial ruin as a result!

Jim Tobin