DCC Archive The number of SACD players worldwide (it's a larger number than you think!)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by editorpf, Sep 27, 2001.

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  1. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Look at it this way, Sckott: SACD has the ability to fix what is wrong with CD without throwing out any cookie dough (by that I mean all CDs play on any CD player better than most things at those price points). It's really a no-lose proposition. The way I look at it, digital audio technology wasn't ready for prime time when it was foist upon us all. We've gotten use to it pretty well, but at great cost to the "soul" of music.
     
  2. Unknown

    Unknown Guest

    I'm all for exploring new formats that sound great.

    But for now, I'm going to be the audiophile version of Switzerland.
     
  3. bmoura

    bmoura Senior Member

    Location:
    Redwood City, CA
    Correct. The Switchman II has several sets of analog 6 channel inputs.

    So you can have separate inputs for SACD and a Home Theater preamp/processor.
     
  4. FabFourFan

    FabFourFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia

    BTW, what does a Switchman II cost to buy?

    On their web site, it says that they will rent one to you for $75/day, but I did not see any selling price.
     
  5. bmoura

    bmoura Senior Member

    Location:
    Redwood City, CA
    You must be looking at a different web site. Over at the new EMM Labs web site, there are some photos of the Switchman II at http://www.emmlabs.com/prod03.htm . The web site also lists some of the people/companies that have bought the Switchman II and Meitner DACs (Sony, Philips, Telarc, DMP, Gateway Mastering, Georgetown Masters, James Guthrie, Opus3 and others.)

    Price is $3,200 plus shipping. You can fill out the online info request form or can reach them at:
    Telephone
    (403) 225-4161
    FAX
    (403) 225-2330
    Postal address
    Bay#119, 5065-13th Street SE, Calgary, Canada
    Electronic mail
    General Information: [email protected]
    Webmaster: [email protected]

    Having moved my SACD player's outputs from the Meridian 861 preamp/processor to the Switchman II, I'd highly recommend it. Great improvement in sound.
     
  6. FabFourFan

    FabFourFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    Hey, everyone, remember this old thread, that predicted wildly optimistic sales of SACD players?

    Well, here we are, the end of the year,
    and I found the following recent news item regarding SACD player sales at www.highfidelityreview.com.

    --------------------------------
    SACD Sales Fall Behind DVD-Audio
    --------------------------------
    News story 18 Dec 01 by Stuart M. Robinson

    Sales of SACD hardware fell significantly behind those of DVD-Audio during the first three quarters of 2001.

    An NPD Intelect survey found that unit sales of SACD-only players rose 414% during the first three quarters of 2001, to 2,030, and sales of SACD/DVD-Video players during the same period totalled 4,538.

    In contrast, DVD-Audio player sales totalled 21,022 for the same period.

    Dollar sales of DVD-Audio hardware reached $10,405,940 in the first three quarters of 2001, while combined sales of SACD-only and SACD/DVD-Video players reached $8,331,049.
    Although this is not a large difference, one must take into consideration the average retail price for an SACD machine, as against that for a DVD-Audio player.

    The average price of a DVD-Audio player during the first three quarters of 2001 was $495 compared to $978 for SACD-only players and $1,398 for combined SACD/ DVD-Video machines.
    --------------------------------


    I suppose that the only kind thing to say now, is that 6,568 seems to be just a LITTLE short of 280,000... but there are still a couple of hours left in the year, right?!

    BUT WAIT! Sony has discovered the solution to poor sales - just try the same thing that Bose did:

    --------------------------
    Sony Introduce SACD Kiosks
    --------------------------
    News story 18 Dec 01 by Stuart M. Robinson

    Sony plan to promote SACD by way of specially created demonstration kiosks.

    The kiosks are to be placed in no less than six hundred and forty-three Circuit City stores, along with fifty Best Buy stores and numerous additional US consumer electronic outlets.

    At the annual International Recording Media Association’s marketing summit, held in New York, Sony’s SACD director, David Kawakami stressed that consumer education is critical to the format’s success.

    The SACD catalogue now stands at over 300 titles with secured distribution at over 1,500 outlets.
    Aside from Sony, Philips and their respective A/V brands, hardware manufacturers have been sluggish to adopt SACD technology with only thirteen different players being currently available in the US.
    --------------------------


    Enough for now.
    There's no need to risk a penalty for 'piling on'.
    But can someone explain to me again why they were not willing to put DSD stuff on a DVD carrier actually called a DVD? :)

    Happy New Year, everyone! Let's keep hoping for more DCC releases, on ANY format!
     
  7. Paul L.

    Paul L. New Member

    Location:
    Earth
    I think the situation will have changed substantially in the quarter that ends tonight. Consumers don't have to pay almost a thousand for an SACD player anymore--they can be had for $250.

    Don't write off this format. It's the best delivery method of recordings that has ever happened.

    How SACD fares in 2002 will be more important than how it did in 2001. But don't expect everybody to go nuts over it. I mean, look at DCC. It's not like your average person bought every title available. A lot of people, most people, think the regular issue of anything is good enough. I wouldn't expect people to buy SACD if they didn't buy DCC or the like in the past.
     
  8. Unknown

    Unknown Guest

    Good point. My player was slightly less than $250 off ebay (new).

    I have to think that sticking a kiosk in Best Buy, Sam's Club, Circuit City, etc is not a good strategy. Consider the people that buy their electronics there, the way they shop, the booming 36" sub playing in the car audio dept, and the whole issue of short attention span and 'gee whiz.' I don't see it happening.

    That said, I have no brilliant suggestions for how to market the format for widespread acceptance. DVD players with SACD is a good move. The price point is right. A bad move was Sony's insistence on single layer discs. I also think releasing the same title in two channel, then m-channel is confusing.
     
  9. FabFourFan

    FabFourFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia

    On the one hand, if Sony can actually bring good sound to ANY demo at Circuit City, then that would be impressive, just by itself!

    I look forward to finding one of these kiosks and giving it a 'spin'.
    Let's be optimistic!!

    But, on the other hand, I think you are right when you suggest that Circuit City does not tend to attract the most alert or attentive audio consumers. ;-)

    So, is Sony honestly expecting to knock people's socks off with a kiosk, thereby precipitating an AHA! moment and a burning desire to purchase SACD?

    Sheesh, I wouldn't bet on too much of that happening at any Circuit City I've been in!

    And from my experience, the situation at Best Buy is even worse! It's constant noise, noise, noise - and home theater. :)

    In other words, I, too, have no idea how to successfully market SACD or any other new hi-rez audio gear to the masses. :-(
     
  10. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Maybe marketing SACD isn't going to work because the public has heard iot all before with the CD. They are happy with it. So, the best thing to do is make duo layer SACD/CD, price them the same as regular CD and make DVD players compatable. THEN market the SACD advantage to the masses who wonder why SACD is there. In other words, get SACD into the hands of the average consumer first. It's probably the only way.

    That way, when little Johnny Rotten-to-the-core buys the new Eminem CD "Kill and Rape Your Mother" in 5.1, and plays it on the family's DVD/SACD player, he'll automatically be up-to-date in the technology without thinking about it.

    [ January 01, 2002: Message edited by: Grant T. ]
     
  11. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967)

    Location:
    East Coast
    Sergio Said:
    Right now, the best case scenario is for SACD becoming a cult format (such as Minidisc, or laserdisc in its time).
    As for DVD-A, I wouldn't be surprised if AOLTW pulls the plug if the expected Christmas sales don't meet expectations.
    --------------------

    &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;i can assure you that no one id pulling the plug on DVD-A. DVD-A is rapidly becoming a mass market format because of all the already installed DVD
    players and 5.1 speaker systems.

    If anything gets killed its going to be SACD, because the average user doesnt care about audiophile sound quality, and they will also say "What? I need a special player? I already HAVE a Cd player!!!"
     
  12. RetroSmith

    RetroSmith Forum Hall Of Fame<br>(Formerly Mikey5967)

    Location:
    East Coast
    Dave says;
    The installed base of SACD players has been projected to top 280,000 units by the end of 2001, according to a source of mine in the industry, whom I spoke with at VSAC.

    &gt;&gt;&gt;But Dave....280,000 is NOTHING!! No company can make a profit on those kinds of numbers.
     
  13. bmoura

    bmoura Senior Member

    Location:
    Redwood City, CA
    That's pretty old news. The SACD kiosks in the Circuit City, Best Buy and Tower Records stores were already in place when this "news story" ran!

    As for SACD, well web stores like Elusive Disc show almost 300 SACDs available for purchase. Far more than the number of available DVD-A titles, with more coming.

    I'd say SACD seems to be moving along quite nicely.
     
  14. FabFourFan

    FabFourFan Senior Member

    Location:
    Philadelphia
    Everywhere? How in the world could I have overlooked them?

    I regularly visit my local Circuit City, Best Buy, and Tower, and have NEVER noticed a Sony kiosk...

    In fact, my local Best Buy has DVD-A's on the shelf, but not SACDs, so what's up there?

    ---
    Anyway, since you've seen them, how nice is the kiosk?
    Does it sound good? Is there a special 'demo' sacd playing?
    Inquiring minds want to know! :)
     
  15. Claviusb

    Claviusb A Serious Man

    I went into my local Circuit City last month and there was the Sony SACD kiosk, so I found a salesman and asked to listen to the unit. Nobody in the store knew where the demo disc was. I had to inform the sales staff what SACD was and how it worked, because even the manager didn't know. I asked to look through the SACD selection-- only they didn't have a single disc. I left without hearing anything.

    [ January 01, 2002: Message edited by: claviusb ]
     
  16. bmoura

    bmoura Senior Member

    Location:
    Redwood City, CA
    I guess it depends on where you are. Here in Silicon Valley, the Sony SACD displays/kiosks are pretty common. You'll find them at Best Buy (Union City, Pleasant Hill, Milpitas, San Carlos stores), Tower Records (Mountain View store) and Circuit City (Daly City, Hilltop, Emeryville, San Mateo, Hayward stores) just to name a few.

    As to the SACDs played, it varies. The Circuit City stores typically have the DMP Multichannel SACD sampler plus Sony SACDs. The Best Buys seem to favor the 2 Billy Joel Multichannel SACD discs. Tower Records plays both Stereo and Multichannel SACDs in their kiosk - plus the Multichannel DMP sampler.
     
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