SACD Legacy - Ken Kessler

[soundboy]

At the end of his review of the US$25,000 Soulnote S-3 Reference CD/SACD player in the current issue of hi-fi news & Record Review, reviewer Ken Kessler offered the 2 paragraphs below, titled as "SACD Legacy":

No audio pundit alive would deny that DSD downloads and streaming look likely to kill off physical media for good. Though online digital sources might continue to improve, sound quality still takes second place to convenience, and convenience rules for non-audiophiles. However, despite its low profile outside of Japan, SACD continues to offer salvation for audiophiles who 1) prefer physical media, 2) have a use for digital playback, and 3) want something better-sounding than 'Red Book' CDs, streams or other digital formats. SACD may be a well-kept secret, but the format is alive and awaiting your partaking.

One needn't look far to find that support is not limited to Japanese music labels. Specialists around the world continue to supply sublime SACDs of rock, pop, jazz and classical titles, as well as generating new material, among them 2L in Norway, Dutton Vocalion in the UK and Octave, Analogue Productions and Mobile Fidelity in the USA. Their catalogues are vast, prices the same or less than vinyl. And the sound? Pick up an old Sony PlayStation 3, or a used Denon, Oppo or Pioneer 'universal' player. Simply switch between CD and SACD on a dual-layer disc. Sit back. And I won't say 'I told you so'.

 

[stoopid]

The rate of attrition may be slowing as people who know the value in physical sacd remain. That means the market is what it is today, with very little chance of growth, and that makes it tough on existing publishers as they run out of things to sell us. And it's doubtful it will catch a wave as vinyl has recently, since sacd players are harder to come by and required. In the same way old sacd players can be found used, old record players can be too (as well as cheap/adequate new options, if the buyer even wants to play the disc). Vinyl also have the benefit of larger, pretty 'picture' format and hype train a few artists have tossed gasoline on (like Taylor Swift). We all know the interest in vinyl is fleeting, all things that show such a sudden increase in interest for no objective reason other than celebrity endorsement rarely outlast its hype cycle.