Will high-resolution technical advancements finish high-end audio?
Last week's "Soapbox" stirred up a hornet's nest of comments. Kevin Wilkinson postulated that high-resolution technical developments like DVD-Audio and SACD might spell doom for the High End. On the other hand, they could contribute to its rebirth. What do <I>you</I> think?
Will perfect audio reproduction ever be possible in a listener's home? Why or why not?
Music reproduction has certainly come a long way since the early wax cylinder. But will we ever be able to perfectly reproduce the sound of, say, a live jazz quartet in our living rooms?
Will SACD or DVD-Audio survive in the marketplace over the next five years? Why or why not?
Audio pundits get to speculate all day long about high-rez audio. But tell us what you think: will either SACD or DVD-Audio make it? Why or why not?
Will the era of downloads and streaming also lead to an audiophile resurgence?
Both the vinyl LP and digital CD formats and their players proved fertile ground for audiophile tinkering and paved the way for new companies and technological innovation. Will the era of downloads and streaming also lead to an audiophile resurgence?
Will the market for high-end audio get better or worse?
In the January '98 <i>Stereophile</i>, Michael Zeugin of Audio Influx asserts that high-end audio is being sucked into a "Black Hole" for a variety of reasons. These include: goofy products, computers taking over the youth market, and boomers' limited income being channeled elsewhere. What do you think?
Will the upcoming SACD/CD Rolling Stones releases help the SACD format? Why or why not?
The complete set of 22 Rolling Stones recordings from the ABKCO label are set to be released as SACD/CD hybrid discs over the next few weeks. Will this give SACD a boost in the marketplace?
Will Universal's announcement of $12.99 CDs for some of its releases encourage you to buy more of its discs?
Poll after poll reveals that readers think that high CD prices solidly outpace even the mediocrity of the music offerings as the number-one symptom of what is wrong with the music business. Now that Universal is lowering the price on some of its CDs, do you think you'll buy more of its discs?
Will you jump right in with the new high-resolution audio formats when they're finally released, or will you wait? In either case, why?
Some form of high-resolution digital audio is right around the corner. Whether it's SACD, DVD-Audio, or both, will you be an early adopter, or will you wait until the dust settles?
With all the talk of record labels adding copyright protection to CDs, would you consider a boycott on new music purchases?
Reader Robert Gantz wonders, now that the major record labels have committed to adding copy protection processing to at least some of their CDs, are you ready to reduce or stop buying new music until they stop?
Would a poorly recorded work prevent you from buying it, regardless of the performance or artist?
Last week's "Vote" results indicate that readers clearly favor better-sounding recordings. But would a poorly recorded work prevent you from buying it, regardless of the performance or artist?