Electronics have come on leaps and bounds in the last 5 years, digital chips from 5 years ago are now worthless as are most of the products they occupy. It still amazes me why people want to buy most digital product > 5years at all bar the top end stuff (and I mean top). Modern chips are chalk and cheese better in ALL respects. If used correctly, any most do now, are quality solutions for silly money. Anyone listened to a Toshiba DVD connected with an optical output recently? They are great performers, not perfect, but damn good, certinly light years ahead of what the 717, 9000, 7700 era premium DVD players like mine can do.
and I still don't buy this marketting bit, have you asked Rega / Linn etc how many turntables they make now
Vinyl dead?, pretty much but those of us who have huge collections don't really care but it is basically dead. Sales of 180gm ARE tiny. Just ask outside of Vivante who else is selling this stuff? It doesn't stop it working well but yes I consider it dead, even friends who make turntables for > 40 years professionally have an interesting tale to tell
. Would I prefer it not be dead, yes but I have faced reality. 12 inch, high end and historical are the only faint glimmers here. I am in the latter two camps.
Re outboard DACs etc. I am a strong exponent of these technologies. I also recognise the considerable weaknesses as well. They are far from a solution to all our sorrows and need to be used inteligently where they can offer benefits. A recognition of strengths and weaknesses is essential. Again modern chipsets have enabled the few new ones on the market with GREAT potential but I remain far from convinced over the abilities of older models. Again modern chipsets have endowed the more recent devices with significant gains but these same gains can / are applied to AV receivers as well.
I think we need to compare on a similar basis here. A CD payer with AV electronic that is of similar quality. A CD player will be cheaper to produce but it does so damn little, do we assume we get DD / PL2 / Trifield / L7 /TMS / DTS all for nothing and those extra DACs............etc etc etc. Comparison of AV multi channel audio leaves CD players somewhat lacking in their abilities.
If done well there is NO reason why multichannel should sound any different....and many seem to be doing things well at the moment, especially Pioneer, true not perfect but these guys genuinely seem to know what they are doing (largely down to lack of motorbike Rand D)
Why can't the statements be reasonable then?
sucked in by markettig? Moi? Interesting concept in it's own right, personally I have neither agreed or disagreed with the comments I posted but felt them worth discussing but I still don't buy marketing here.